Setting the Telangana process in motion, the Centre has cleared the way for the formation of an organisational structure for the Justice B N Srikrishna-headed Telangana committee.
Gupta will join the ministry as OSD before taking charge from Duggal.
Pakistan has imposed a complete ban on the export of onion to India via Wagah-Attari land route, a development which may hit Indian government's efforts in rein in skyrocketing prices of bulb in the country.
The Srikrishna Committee on the Telangana issue has said it would wrap up consultations with key stakeholders by July this year and urged the Joint Action Council, which is spearheading the agitation for a separate state, not to boycott it. V K Duggal, member-secretary of the five-member Committee, who arrived in Hyderabad on Tuesday night to put in place the necessary infrastructure to start its work, said, "We will get enough material to give a balanced report".
India and Maldives have agreed to increase bilateral co-operation in the fields of prevention of drug trafficking, coastal security, disaster management and control of organised crimes, including terrorist activities.
Amidst heightened security threat to VIPs, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a high-level meeting was held on Friday to review their security.
The sources said the Indian side took up the issue of insurgent groups like United Nationalist Liberation Front and People's Liberation Army operating from across the border.
The last talks between home secretaries was held in September 2004.
7/11: Home secy given evidence of Pak hand
Ceasefire with ULFA extended till Sept 15
A high alert has been sounded and security beefed up in public places and markets across Delhi on Tuesday in the wake of serial grenade attacks in Srinagar and blasts in Mumbai.
President A P J Abdul Kalam and US President George Bush have already ratified the treaty.
Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gagoi has been requested to chair the meeting of the security agencies on weekly basis. "I was told that he chaired one such meeting on January 10.
Union Home Secretary V K Duggal has said there has been no confirmation yet.
The Centre Saturday said the tapping of telephone of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh was a sting operation organised by a private party and there was no involvement of any political party or personality behind it.
With the ceasefire with United Liberation Front of Asom in Assam expiring at midnight on Wednesday, a high level meeting in New Delhi on Thursday reviewed the peace process with the banned group.
Rebati Phukan will convey the message to the ULFA and get the points clarified by them." Phukan said, "There is every possibility that the five detenues will be released by the end of August."
Duggal repeatedly ducked questions whether there was any presence of al Qaeda in the country. "I have only seen the advisory and there is no intelligence input shared with us.
"We have leads about the Bombay blasts but no arrests have been made," Home Secretary V K Duggal said.
ULFA has asked an RBI official to pay up.
India, Pakistan exchange lists of wanted persons
Home secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan began in New Delhi on Sunday.
The union government on Saturday constituted two official committees to implement assurances given by it in Parliament with regard to payment of compensation and other kinds of relief to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
"The Home Ministry consulted the Law Ministry on the issue and decided to move the Supreme Court in view of the law and order siutation and the potential it had," he told reporters here.
Army was deployed in Vadodara on Wednesday to quickly contain the situation and bring normalcy in the wake of violence triggered by the demolition of a dargah.
"We have had several discussions on the issue with the Bangladesh government. We have also given them evidence," Duggal said.
Police have said the intention of the blasts was to cause panic.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil Tuesday directed officials to provide necessary relief immediately to the victims of the fire, which took place in the Yamuna Pushta area of east Delhi Monday night.
Sri Lanka assured that it will provide foolproof security to the Indian cricket team in Colombo.
The Commission wanted "very early action" in the matter with intimation to it.
The home secretary said his foremost duty was to review the relief supplies to the quake-hit Uri and Tangdhar but he would also take stock of the security scenario in the state.
Sources privy to the talks said some of the prisoners were likely to be released soon after both sides exchanged lists in this regard.
Pakistan on Saturday said it was ready to discuss the issue of Indian and Pakistani prisoners in both the countries' jails.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances