India

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Two independent members of the National Statistical Commission, P C Mohanan and J V Meenakshi, have resigned over disagreement with the government on certain issues, an official said Tuesday.

Mohanan was also the acting chairperson. With the two members quitting, the NSC now has only two members -- Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

Ralegan Siddhi (Maha), Jan 30 (PTI) Social activist Anna Hazare began a hunger strike on Wednesday over "non-fulfilment" of assurances by the Centre and the Maharashtra government on the appointment of Lokpal and passage of the Lokayukta Act in the state.

Hazare offered prayers at the Padmavati Temple in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in the morning. He then went in a procession, accompanied by students, youths and farmers, to the Yadavbaba Temple and sat near it to begin his hunger strike.

Thane, Jan 30 (PTI) An undertrial allegedly hurled a pair of slippers at a magistrate in a court in Thane district of Maharashtra after being convicted in a theft case, a police official said Wednesday.

However, the magistrate ducked in time and escaped getting hit by the slippers, he said.

Ashraf Ansari, 22, was arrested sometime back in a case of theft and house-trespass in Bhiwandi town here, an official at Shanti Nagar police station said.

Agartala, Jan 30 (PTI) A tribal leader of Tripura, Rajeswar Debbarma, has resigned from the BJP for its "failure" to implement poll promises, made during 2018 Assembly election, for the development of the indigenous people of the state.

Debbarma also demanded scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016 as it posed a threat to the indigenous people of Tripura.

Kochi,Jan 29 (PTI) A day after announcing his party would ensure "minimum income guarantee" for the poor if Congress was voted to power at the Centre, party chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has provided 'maximum income guarantee' to 15 of his friends.

KANPUR: Almost immediately, animal lovers who visit the Allen Forest Zoo infrequently will get an opportunity to have a glimpse of the military macaw monkeys. These will be sent from Byculla Zoo in Mumbai. This is being done on an exchange basis as Kanpur Zoo will send swamp deer (Barasingha) there.

From silent black-and-white films to colourful blockbusters bursting with song and dance, the evolution of Indian cinema is traced by a new museum in the home of Bollywood.

Costing 1.4 billion rupees ($19.6 million), India's first national film museum is spread across a stylish 19th-century bungalow and a modern five-storey glass structure in south Mumbai.

"It showcases to the world outside what Indian cinema has achieved in its entirety over more than 100 years," Amrit Gangar, a consulting curator on the project, told AFP.

KANPUR:  As many as 230 RPF constables will be shifted to new barrack near Jhakarkatti here. This will solve their lodging problem. A new barrack for the women constables will be constructed at Govndpuri station soon, said SN Pandey, Inspector General, Railways Police Force.

KANPUR: Railways will soon do away with the old system of closing the level crossing gate on the city precincts. Giving this information GK Bansal, chief public relations officer, NCR said a transformer would be set up near the cabin of the railroad crossing. The new technique has been started at several stations under the North Central Region. 

New Delhi, Jan 28 : Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the "Goa audio tapes", cited by the Congress to attack the Centre on the Rafale issue, were authentic and the state's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is in possession of "explosive secrets" that give him power over Prime Minister Narendra Modi.