India

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Retail inflation rose to four-month high of 2.57 per cent in February, mainly driven by higher food prices.

The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 1.97 per cent in January and 4.44 per cent in February 2018.

Food inflation based on CPI, however was in negative at 0.66 per cent. The latest print is higher than (-) 2.24 per cent in January.

The Reserve Bank factors in retail inflation while deciding at its monetary policy.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Subdued performance of manufacturing sector, especially capital and consumer goods, pulled down the growth in industrial production to 1.7 per cent in January from 7.5 per cent a year ago.

The data of Index of Industrial Production (IIP), released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Tuesday comes ahead of the Reserve Bank's monetary policy statement on April 4 and may increase the clamour for cut in interest rates to boost economic activities.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) A day after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the choice before voters in the general elections would be either "Modi or chaos", senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday hit back saying "Modi is chaos".

Jaitley, in a blog, had said Monday the 'Mahagathbandhan' is a self-destructive 'coalition of rivals' and the choice before voters in the general elections would be either "Modi or chaos".

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Congress-affiliated NSUI on Tuesday marched to police stations in various state capitals and filed a complaint against the PMO, accusing it of "corruption" in the Rafale fighter jet deal, the student organisation said.

In Delhi, National Students' Union Of India members marched to Parliament Street police station and submitted a complaint to police.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) The three special observers appointed by the Election Commission to suggest as to when Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir can be held, will visit the state soon.

While announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, the poll panel had said that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be held simultaneously due to security concerns flagged by the Centre.

Kanpur (UP) Mar 12 (PTI) The toll in the hooch tragedy here rose to six on Tuesday with three more people dying at the Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) hospital, said SSP Anant Dev Tiwari.

Taking cognizance of the incident, the state government has placed the district excise officer, Rajesh Kumar Mishra, under suspension for his negligence, an official release issued in Lucknow stated.

Dumka (Jharkhand), Mar 12 (PTI) Security forces recovered a huge quantity of ammunition and explosives from a village in naxal-affected Dumka district Tuesday, police said.

A total of 104 live cartridges of 7.62 bore rifle, 393 cartridges of .303 rifle, one magazine of a carbine, a walkie-talkie and 100 kgs of explosives were seized from Suklatola village inside a jungle under Kathikund police station limits.

The explosives hidden in a container were meant to target security personnel, Superintendent of Police Y S Ramesh said.

KANPUR: Terming the cancellation of the Lawyers’ Association election on Monday at the Collectorate here, the advocates said it was a black chapter in the history of polling for the office-bearers of the Association. If responsible persons were strict in their obligation, such unanticipated situation could not have been taken place.

New Delhi, Mar 11 :  The Delhi Police Monday told a court here that authorities were yet to give requisite sanctions to prosecute former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a 2016 sedition case.

On January 14, police had filed a charge sheet in the court against Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised on the JNU campus during an event on February 9, 2016.

New Delhi, Mar 11 : The number of people eligible to vote in Lok Sabha polls beginning next month has increased by 8.4 crore as compared to 2014 general election, and these include 1.5 crore "young voters" who are in the 18-19 age group and would exercise their franchise first time, according to the Election Commission.

The total electorate in the country this year has increased to approximately 90 crore compared to 81.5 crore in 2014.

"This marks an increase of more than 8.4 crore electors," the Commission said.