Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday appealed to parents of examinees to stop cheating during public examinations, which, he said, was drawing bad name to the state.

“Students cannot go forward in life on the basis of such exam certificate but on the basis of their talents,” Mr. Kumar said after holding review meeting during the day in which he ordered to stop cheating in the ongoing matriculation examination in the state and action against policemen and magistrates deployed on examination duty if found involved in abetting cheating.

He said the pictures of cheating in matriculation examination were not the story of the entire state.

“Students from Bihar are talented and have shown their mantle across the world … Some photographs showing cheating cannot dominate on merit of the students,” Mr. Kumar said in his Facebook post.

Visuals showing people scaling three to four storey exam centres to pass on chits to their wards and in some cases even policemen extending a helping hand to them in return of money have gone viral in social media besides appearing in national and local dailies.

Patna High Court converted a report of large-scale cheating in matriculation examination published in an English daily as PIL and directed state police chief to stop copying immediately.

Opposition BJP attacked the state government for failing to stop cheating in the matriculation examination.

“The fact is that the state government has gone into deep slumber as a result of which the entire system seems to be crumbling,” Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Nand Kishore Yadav told reporters.

BANGALORE: Sanskrit is the mother of all languages, said governor HR Bhardwaj as he called for promoting the language on Saturday.

At a function organized by Karnataka Samskrit University , the governor called for the development of both Kannada and Sanskrit languages . Bhardwaj also released new Sanskrit textbooks and said there should be no room for controversy on the issue. “There was no Kannada-Sanskrit dispute earlier . It should not be there in future also,” he said.

Senior judge of the Karnataka high court Justice N Kumar who inaugurated the Sanskrit evening college, described Sanskrit as India’s most computer-suited language and opined that computers would help globalize the language.

NEW DELHI: Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons was on Thursday appointed as the head of ‘Kayakulp’ Council, an innovation council of the Indian Railways.

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu constituted the ‘Kayakulp’ Council and appointed Tata to head it. The purpose of the Council is to recommend innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of the Indian Railways.

According the Ministry of Railways press release, “This council would be a standing body and would interact with all stakeholders and other interested parties. This Council would initially also have Shiv Gopal Mishra, General Secretary, All Indian Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) and Dr M Raghavaiah, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), the two recognized federations representing the railway employees as members.”

The other members of the Council would be announced in due course.

Prabhu while presenting the Railway Budget 2015-16 in Parliament on 26th February 2015 had said, “Every dynamic and thriving organization needs to innovate and re-invent its practices.”

“In accordance with the vision of the Prime Minister for Innovation, Technology Development and Manufacturing, the Indian Railways intend to set up an innovation council called ‘Kayakalp’ for the purpose of business re-engineering and introducing a spirit of innovative in Railways,” he had said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party has won a surprise victory in Israel’s election.

Exit polls had forecast a dead heat but with almost all votes counted, results give Likud a clear lead over its main rival, the centre-left Zionist Union.

The outcome gives Mr Netanyahu a strong chance of forming a right-wing coalition government.

It puts the incumbent on course to clinch a fourth term and become Israel’s longest-serving prime minster.

The latest tally gives Likud 30 seats in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, with Zionist Union on 24 seats.

In a speech to jubilant supporters in Tel Aviv after Tuesday’s polls closed, Mr Netanyahu described the vote as a “great victory” for Likud, which had trailed the Zionist Union in opinion polls in the run-up to the election.

Mr Netanyahu “plans to immediately begin forming a government in order to complete the task within two to three weeks,” a statement from Likud said.
t said he had already spoken to parties he saw as possible coalition partners, including right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties and centrist Kulanu, which won 10 seats.

Zionist Union leader Yitzhak Herzog called Mr Netanyahu early on Wednesday to congratulate him on the result and wished him “good luck”.

“Nothing has changed, we will keep fighting for a just society,” he was quoted as saying by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Mr Netanyahu, saying the EU was “committed to working with the incoming Israeli government” and to re-launch the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

Peace talks have been on hold since a last round collapsed a year ago.

Hollywood actress Rosario Dawson has come to India to attend ace designer Manish Malhotra’s show at the Lakme Fashion Week here.

The 35-year-old actress, best known for her role in films like “Men in Black II”, “Sin City”, “Death Proof”, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”, Unstoppable, and “Trance”, is part of an event organised by the WEvolve Campaign to end gender violence.

“Great to meet you @ManishMalhotra1! Can’t wait for your show tonight! Happy 15th #LakmeFashionWeek! #TheBlueRunway #Wevolve,” Dawson posted on twitter.

Malhotra, one of the most favourite designers in Bollywood, said he was happy to have Dawson as a guest for his fashion show.

The beautiful @rosariodawson from Hollywood has come for my #TheBlueRunway show tonight,” Malhotra tweeted.

A well renowned school in Delhi has directed its staff, teachers, drivers and lower staff to get BJP membership.Staff who have not followed instructions have found their salaries blocked. An online registration is for the membership. When asked about the membership instructions to its staff the management says it a voluntarily choice.

Delhi Government on Wednesday slapped a show cause notice to a well-known private school and ordered a probe against it following reports that its management had asked teachers and students to take membership of BJP.

A senior official at the Education Department said Ryan International school has been asked to file reply to the showcause notice within three days and a probe has already been initiated against.

As per Ryan International School website, the group has a total of 106 educational institutions in 15 states. The Group had started its first school in Mumbai in 1976.

Srinivasan said the school authorities in Delhi will send letters to parents to clarify the issue.

AAP has since long has started its membership drive through on-line registration. AAP has been largely successful in this campaign as people are willingly registering their names. This BJP membership campaign seems similar that of AAP.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde hailed India as a bright spot in the otherwise gloom-ridden global economy on Monday, saying the recovery from the 2008-2009 financial crisis was still fragile.

Speaking at the start of a two-day visit, Lagarde said India was bucking the trend of declining growth seen in other major economies and was on course “to become a key engine for global growth”.

With the global economy expected to grow at only 3.5% this fiscal year and even Chinese growth decelerating, Lagarde predicted India would soon be the fastest growing major economy.

“More than six years after the global financial crisis, the recovery remains too slow, too brittle, and too lopsided,” Lagarde said in a speech in New Delhi ahead of talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later Monday.

“We have pared down our forecasts of global growth since last October, despite the boost from cheaper oil and stronger US growth.

“And while the global economy is expected to grow by 3.5% this year, and 3.7% next year, this is still below what could have been expected after such a crisis,” she told an audience of business leaders.

“In this cloudy global horizon, India is a bright spot,” she added.

Since Modi came to power last May, inflation has fallen to around five percent while revised gross domestic product (GDP) data has put growth for the current financial year at 7.4%, meaning Asia’s third largest economy is now outpacing China.

A fall in global crude prices has also been a major boon to a country that is one of the world’s biggest oil importers.

Lagarde welcomed the government’s first full budget last month for striking “a good growth-equity balance” and praised Modi’s drive to make India a major manufacturing hub and an easier place to do business.

But she also stressed that the government needed to do more to allow “an open and competitive business environment to flourish”, saying up to $1 trillion in infrastructure investment was required over the medium-term.

While Modi has pledged to streamline bureaucracy, Lagarde said that too many projects were still being stalled by red tape.

“Much needs to be done in easing land acquisition, expediting clearances, and establishing a stable regulatory regime so that the private sector can invest,” she said.

“These issues are on the radar of policymakers, which is promising, they must be on the action list.”

Lagarde is paying a two-day visit to India, her first since Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ousted the centre-left Congress party last May after a marathon general election.

As well as her talks with top officials and the keynote speech in Delhi, she will travel to the financial capital Mumbai for other meetings on Tuesday.

New Delhi- The Gorkhland movement has been going on in Jantar Mantar for the past few days. The Gorkhalis of the Darjeeling District of West Bengal have been demanding a different state.
There seems to be a renewed vigour in the GJM camp, following the arrival of party president Bimal Gurung. Yesterday those currently sitting on a dharna intensified their protest, and tried to march towards the Home Minister’s Office.

However, a strong contingent of Delhi Police stopped them on the way and prevented them from moving forward,

Binay Tamang, assistant secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said that Delhi police had stopped the party’s rally on Sunday. “There was intense agitation today. We had brought out a rally from Jantar Mantar but Delhi police stopped the procession from moving forward,” Tamang said over the phone from Delhi.

The Morcha has been holding a dharna at Jantar Mantar since March 9 to demand the creation of Gorkhaland. The dharna will end on March 17. Bimal Gurung reached Delhi on Saturday to participate in the dharna.

Trio, aged 17-19, in custody at London police station after Turkish officials stop their plan to join Isis following tip-off from British officers

Three male British teenagers have been arrested after being stopped in the Turkish city of Istanbul while attempting to reach Syria to join Isis, according to police.

The Metropolitan police confirmed on Sunday that Turkish officials stopped two 17-year-old boys from north-west London after being tipped off by British officers. They were with a 19-year-old man and all three were on their way to Syria.

The three were brought back to the UK late on Saturday night and were arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks.

The two younger teens were reported missing on Friday. Officers from the Met’s SO15 counter-terrorism unit alerted the Turkish authorities, who stopped the trio and prevented them from travelling into Syria. The families of the three teenagers have been told.

The Met said: “On Friday, 13 March officers from the CTC were made aware that two 17-year-old boys from north-west London had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria. Inquiries revealed that they had travelled with a third male aged 19.

“Officers alerted the Turkish authorities who were able to intercept all three males, preventing travel to Syria.

“On Saturday, 14 March the three males returned to the UK and at approx 23.10 [GMT] were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Police said on Sunday night that the trio had been bailed to return to a central London police station pending further enquiries.

Turkish authorities have been under increased pressure to intercept British nationals travelling through Turkey in order to join Isis fighters in Syria, after three British teenage girls fled their families in east London to join the terrorist organisation and were pictured apparently crossing the border.

Related: Man suspected of helping UK schoolgirls join Isis is Syrian, says Turkey

Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase – friends from the Bethnal Green academy in east London – flew to Turkey on 17 February and subsequently crossed the border into Syria. Two months previously, one of their school friends, Sharmeena Begum, also 15, had run away from her home in Bethnal Green to travel to an Isis-controlled part of Syria. It is understood that, in early December 2014, Sharmeena flew out of the UK from Gatwick airport to Istanbul, and then travelled by road across Turkey to its border with Syria.

Her friends were reported missing by their families to police, who said they immediately contacted Turkish authorities – a statement that was questioned by Ankara. The trio were later pictured on CCTV waiting for 18 hours at a bus station and then apparently crossing the border.

The families of Kadiza, Shamima and Amira issued a statement on Sunday appealing for them to immediately come home.

The families said they felt the girls’ loss “more acutely” on Mother’s Day and criticised police, the girls’ school and their local authority for not passing on information they say could have stopped them leaving.

In a joint statement, the families said: “With respect to the disappearance of our children we have been disappointed by the handling of this matter by the school, Met police and the local authority, all of whom we feel failed to act appropriately and pass on vital information to us or indeed between each other.

“Had we been made aware of circumstances sooner, we ourselves could have taken measures to stop the girls from leaving the UK.”

Under pressure from the US, Turkey has increased border security, trying to prevent smuggling and tightening rules for Syrian refugees trying to enter the country. According to one diplomatic source in Ankara, the Turkish police have stepped up efforts to stop foreign nationals from crossing the border into Syria.

So far Turkey has banned 12,519 people suspected of wanting to go to Syria from entering the country and 1,154 more were deported, the Turkish foreign
minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said on Friday.

Other British nationals have travelled to Syria to fight against Isis.

It also emerged on Friday that a London teenager, who was allegedly trying to join a Kurdish military women’s unit fighting Isis in Syria, had been charged with a terrorist offence.

Silhan Ozcelik, who is of Kurdish descent, was arrested earlier this year at Stansted airport. She is believed to be the first British citizen to be arrested for trying to join the campaign against the jihadis who control eastern Syria and western Iraq.

Ozcelik, from Holloway, north London, faces one charge of engaging in conduct in preparation for giving effect to an intention to commit acts of terrorism under the 2006 Terrorism Act.

Earlier this month a former British Royal Marine, Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, died fighting for Kurdish YPG forces in northern Syria.