NEWS

New Delhi: Opposition National Conference has contended that the Jammu and Kashmir government's gag order on use of social media is intended at defaming and vilifying lakhs of state employees as either "terrorists" or "anti-social elements".

"The diktat, in the form of an amendment to the J&K Government Employees Conduct Rules, 1971, aims to defame the employees as those who are unable to differentiate between right and wrong in conducting themselves on a day-to-day basis," NC spokesperson JunaidMattu said in a statement.

New Delhi: After the party's drubbing in the R K Nagar bypoll, expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri has fired a salvo at his younger brother and party working president M K Stalin by saying it cannot win any election under his leadership.

"Not just R K Nagar bypoll. DMK will not henceforth win in any election. There is no chance for that till this Working President (Stalin) is there (at the helm of affairs)," he said in an interview to a Tamil magazine.

The Madurai-based former DMK strongman, son of party president M Karunanidhi, wielded tremendous clout in south Tamil Nadu during the 2006-11 party rule.

New Delhi: An eight-member central team will visit parts of Chennai and Kanyakumari district to assess the damage caused by cyclone Ockhi today.

The team is headed by Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry.

While four members will visit Kanyakumari, the others will take stock of the situation in Chennai and its neighbouring areas.

The team members are drawn from various central ministries like Finance, Power and Water Resources, according to officials.

The team is likely to hold discussions with chief minister K Palaniswami on Friday.

New Delhi:  A centrally-sponsored survey has found that more than 53 per cent children in the country faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.

Minister of State for Home, HansrajAhirsaid in the RajyaSabhathat the Ministry of Women and Child Development had conducted a study on Child Abuse in 2007, covering 13 states and more than 13,000 children.

The study revealed that that more than 53 per cent of children interviewed reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse and 21.90 per cent child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse and 50.76 per cent other forms of sexual abuse, he said in written reply to a question.