The test flight of India’s nuclear-capable ‘Nirbhay’ long-range subsonic tactical cruise missile, launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha on Friday, was aborted nearly 12 minutes after lift-off, defence sources said. The missile took off from a specially-designed launcher at launch complex-3 of ITR at 11:38 hrs, a defence ministry statement said. All initial critical operations such as booster ignition, booster separation, wing deployment and engine start were successfully executed and Nirbhay reached the desired cruise altitude, the statement said.

During 700 seconds of flight, all sub-systems of the missile functioned satisfactorily and met all the desired functions. However, The mission was aborted after 700 seconds of flight, it added. Powered by a solid rocket motor booster, the missile has a strike range of more than 1000km. Nirbhay missile, with a turbofan engine, is guided by a highly-advanced inertial navigation system, sources said.

The 1000kilometer class cruise missile, capabile of striking deep into the enemy territory, has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation at it’s aeronautics R&D laboratory ADE (Aeronautical Development Establishment) based in Bengaluru, they said.

The maiden test flight of Nirbhay on March 12, 2013 also had to be terminated midway for safety reasons due to malfunction of a component. However, the second launch on October 17, 2014 was fully successful. Both the trials were conducted from this base.

The 1000kilometer class cruise missile, capabile of striking deep into the enemy territory, has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation at it’s aeronautics R&D laboratory ADE (Aeronautical Development Establishment) based in Bengaluru, they said.

The maiden test flight of Nirbhay on March 12, 2013 also had to be terminated midway for safety reasons due to malfunction of a component. However, the second launch on October 17, 2014 was fully successful. Both the trials were conducted from this base.

After the drama which brought the house down yesterday, the housemates are ensuring they spend quality time with each other during the day. With Bigg Boss throwing in the biggest twist of the week, giving a chance to contestants to exchange their partners, all hell breaks loose and cracks start to appear in most of the pairs. Here’s what happened!

Prince ka prank!

During a conversation with the housemates, Prince reveals a peevish prank he played as a kid. As a ritual in the pre-monsoon season when Prince was setting fire to the dried up leaves, he saw that a long-haired woman was drying her hair and his evil mind lit her Rapunzel-like hair on fire. Laughing out loud at his little prank, the housemates are surprised at how Prince is wired.

Numerous writers and creative personalities across India are busy returning their achievement awards to the Sahitya Akademi. A Padma Shri Awardee from Punjab has also done so. This has rattled the government, though the Sahitya Akademi is not the government and the revolt was against the Akademi Council not protesting the murders of their tribe, purportedly by right wing fanatics.

However, I have decided not to return the Padma Bhushan awarded to me in 1987 for my Punjab sojourn. I have no intention of rocking the boat of the BJP government any more than what is already being done by its own hot heads within the party and the Sangh Parivar. I understand that Narendra Modi is confronted by a Hobson’s choice. He cannot discipline BJP party extremists who have been spouting rubbish because they belong to the RSS stable, since these stables assure him of 20 of the 21% national votes that the BJP polled in the last Lok Sabha general elections. He must be worried about the 11% additional votes that helped him attain power – these votes came mainly from the youth whose aspirations for a better life propelled them into his camp. He realises that mere rhetoric will not suffice with these new converts. However, Modi requires time. He cannot produce miracles. He cannot change the economy overnight. A lot is being done in the infrastructure segments by good people in his cabinet like Piyush Goyal, Suresh Prabhu and Nitin Gadkari. They are doing it very quietly, but very effectively. If the amendments to the Land Acquisition and labour laws go through, they will be enabled to do it much faster.

India deserves a chance. Modi deserves a chance. Let us not make it more difficult for him to deal with the intransigent elements in his own party. He managed it in Gujarat, but now the stakes are much higher and the obstacles much greater. I want him to succeed for the sake of the country and hence I will hold back on making known my own displeasure about the intolerance levels that have risen abnormally since the extremist elements have been feeling emboldened. We did not harbour any type of fear about these elements in the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On the contrary, we were positively happy that there was a change in government after many years of Congress rule and we anticipated the proverbial whiff of fresh air.

Vajpayee was a moderate. He did not frighten the minorities in the same way as Modi does, despite his professed intentions of taking everyone along. Vajpayee, for example, retained an old Gandhi loyalist as Governor of Maharashtra, though he was a Christian. He appointed Muslims and other minority representatives to constitutional posts. LK Advani, his Home Minister, had asked me to chair a committee on police reforms and later nominated me as member of one of the four committees that went into different aspects of national security after Kargil happened. Perhaps, Modi should make some such small gestures for minority communities, Muslims in particular, as a token of not distrusting them. I am not sure if it will work in the present charged atmosphere, but it is worth trying.

I do not know how Sahitya Akademi awards are dished out. I presume there is an expert body appointed by the Council which decides on the merits of writers and artistes. As regards government awards, I do know if patronage plays a large part in the selection process. I served on one such committee with the Vice President of India as the Chairman. He was an old BJP chief minister but very straightforward and fair. Our committee had a Muslim MP from the Congress party and all the discussions were very cordial. I was impressed with the proceedings.

As regards the Padma Awards, I found many individuals approaching me at different times for endorsements and recommendations. I did not know that such gratuitous expressions of opinions about work you are not familiar with have any effect at all and incidentally they did not! When I was in Punjab, the Governor SS Ray asked me to recommend three of my officers for the Padma Shri. I recommended my Intelligence Chief who happened to be a Sikh and who was really an outstanding officer. He later became the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission and even later, the Governor of Manipur. The other two officers I recommended were on the frontline in the fight against the terrorists. Since they were more taxed than others, I sent in their names. One happened to be a Muslim and the other from the Scheduled Castes. The government, I later learnt, checked out my selections with the CPM leaders of Punjab. Obviously, they endorsed my judgement.

The very next year, the Cabinet Secretary, who was my own very dear friend BG Deshmukh, called to tell me that the head of the NSG had succeeded in convincing the authorities to award him the Padma Shri for his part in the Black Thunder operation. Sardar Buta Singh, who was the then Home Minister, demanded a similar honour for KPS Gill, the DGP of Punjab. KPS was facing allegations of sexual misconduct made by a Punjab cadre IAS woman officer. I felt that if the NSG chief, who had a very minor part to play in the entire Black Thunder operation, was going to be given the Padma Shri, then KPS Gill who had worked day and night for more than a week and was the actual hero of the operation, could not be left out on any criterion of justice and fair play, despite the case against him. This is my experience of how the Padma awards are apportioned!

Meanwhile, Modi will have to deliver on his promises, which will be difficult as long as the fanatical elements of the Sangh Pariwar create trouble for him on the ground. Nevertheless, he will have to deal with them if he wants to continue as Prime Minister for the next two terms or more, in order to fulfil his vision of ‘acche din’.

Following the cue of various writer Gujarat-based writer Ganesh Devy on Sunday returned his Sahitya Akademi Award to express solidarity with the writers, who have recently given up their awards to condemn the “shrinking space for free expression and growing intolerance towards differences of opinion” in the country.

He had written in a letter saying, “It is high time that writers take a stand,” Devy further said in a letter addressed to the president of Sahitya Akademi Prof Viswanath Pratap Tiwari, “It is with utmost regret that I would like to convey to you that I wish to return the 1993 Sahitya Akademi Award given in the category of books in English to my work After Amnesia (1992).”

However, one day after his decision, an intelligence officer paid a visit at his residence in Vadodara on Monday to inquire whether the writer have launched a campaign “to spread disaffection for the state”. ​

Devy said that shortly after the announcement, an in “She identified herself with her official identity card and then asked me if this was an organised movement and if so who is behind it,” Scroll reported.

He further said, “I explained that this is not an organised movement and that there is no one behind it. This information gathering, she told me, was on behest of the Home Ministry. So, I conclude that others like me too will be asked to answer these and related questions.”

Although Devy said that the officer was very polite and the conversation continued for an hour, it is yet not ascertained whether other writers who have returned their awards have been paid a similar kind of visit by officials.

A total of 32 Assembly seats would witness elections in the second phase on October 16. Last date for filing of nominations for second phase of elections was September 28. Additional Chief Election Officer R Lakshmanan told reporters that four nominations were filed for the second phase on the opening day today.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi filed his nomination for Makhdumpur (reserved SC seat) on today. He submitted his nomination paper to the Sub Division Officer of Jehanabad, Ram Ishwar.

Also Read: Four IAS Officers Transferred in UP

The second phase of elections would be held on 32 seats in six districts of the state – Jehanabad, Arwal, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad and Gaya, all Maoist-hit areas.

According to statistics provided by the EC, there are 85,86,704 electors on 32 seats in the second phase out of which there are 45,71,805 male, 40,14,585 female and 314 third gender voters. There would be 8,849 polling stations during this phase and the last date of filing nominations is September 28.

The second phase of elections in Bihar would see keen contests in constituencies like Makhdumpur (reserved SC seat) and Imamganj (reserved SC seat) where former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi is in the fray.

In Imamganj reserved seat in Gaya, Manjhi would take on the Speaker of outgoing Assembly Uday Narayan Chaudhary, a Nitish Kumar loyalist.

The Supreme Court on Monday termed as a “mistake” on technical grounds an order extending interim protection from arrest granted to Teesta Setalvad and her husband, indicating that the relief was granted by a two-judge bench earlier instead of three.

“Earlier, it was a mistake,” a bench comprising justices A R Dave and Adarsh Kumar Goel observed when senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the activist, said the protection against arrest was expiring on October 15 and moreover, last time this two-judge bench had itself extended the relief.

“It is a three-judge bench matter… place it before the appropriate bench,” the court said and asked Sibal to mention it before the Chief Justice for making available the special bench to extend the relief.

“I do not want to lose the protection,” Sibal said. The relief was granted to the activist couple in a case of alleged embezzlement of funds for a museum at Ahmedabad’s Gulbarg Society that was devastated in the 2002 riots.

Meanwhile, the counsel for Gujarat police sought adjournment on the hearing of its plea seeking a direction to Teesta for supplying certain documents, which was allowed.

The court, on September 11, had extended by four weeks the interim protection from arrest granted to Teesta Setalvad and her husband in the case.

Sibal had then mentioned the issue on behalf of the couple, saying the interim order was expiring on September 15.

Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand have challenged the order of the Gujarat High Court denying them anticipatory bail in the case. The High Court order was stayed by the apex court and has been pending to be heard by a three-judge bench.

The apex court had on April 16 constituted the three- judge bench to hear afresh the anticipatory bail plea of Setalvad and her husband as a two-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Adarsh Kumar Goel on March 19 had referred it to a larger bench and extended its interim order protecting them against arrest till the larger bench takes up the matter.

The couple have denied all charges levelled by Gujarat Police, which in an affidavit in July had alleged that they had misappropriated funds meant for charity for personal expenses, buying items ranging from wine to mobile phone, besides tampering with evidence.

Teesta and her husband, who have been fighting for justice for the riot victims, have denied all allegations contending that they have been implicated in the case and were victims of political vendetta.

As Bihar heads for what is being billed as a mini-Lok Sabha election, with 49 constituencies going to the polls on Monday, the battle-lines are drawn.

As the BJP-led NDA and the Nitish-Lalu-led grand alliance face off each other, casting other smaller alliances to the margins, the BJP no longer appears to have the edge it had a fortnight ago, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to be more popular across castes and regions.

No. of seats being contested by different political parties in the first phase:

Party No. of seats
BSP 41
BJP 27
RJD 17
LJP 13
Congress 8
RLSP 6
CPI 25
CPI(M) 12
Live updates:

3:05 pm: 46% poll percentage recorded till 2 pm for the first phase of Bihar Polls.

12:55 pm: 33.13% voter turnout till noon.

11:51 am: 27% voting till 11 a.m.; Maximum 34% voting recorded in Khagaria district.

11:25 am: Polling is likely to pick up by noon, says additional Chief Electoral Officer R. Lakshaman.

11:04 am: While Banka has recorded a maximum turnout of 14 per cent, Samastipur recorded the lowest turnout of seven per cent till 9 a.m.

10:48 am: 16% voting recorded till 10 a.m.

10:40 am: Polling has been remained peaceful in Maoist-affected districts of Munger, Jamui and Lakhisarai.

9:50 am: Over 10% polling till now.

9:25 am: Polling temporarily halted at Ramchandrapur booth number 86 in Sarairanjan constituency due to EVM malfunction.

8:48 am: 6% voting during first hour of polling.

7:52 am: 1,35,72,339 electorate will cast their votes in the 49 seats for which 583 candidates, including 54 women, are in the fray.

7:46 am: Given a bipolar contest and accretion of different social groups under the banner of either alliance, relative turnouts of various communities could clinch the verdict. If MBCs, Dalits and Forward Castes turn out in more numbers than the Muslim-Yadav-Kurmi coalition on polling days, then the NDA may carry the day. More…

7:43 am: Union Minister Giriraj Singh casts his vote in Barahiya.

7:36 am: How women voters can tip the scales in Bihar

Women in Bihar have been agents of change in previous elections and have brought in significant political and policy changes in the State. Bihar is the fourth largest State in India in terms of the total number of electors (55 million). It contains 8 per cent of the total number of electors in the country. More…

7:28 am: Polls are being held in 49 seats, some in Naxal-infested districts of Jamui, Banka, Lakhisarai, Nawada and Munger.

7:26 am: Mr. Modi tweets: “Urging all those voting today in Bihar to vote in large numbers. I particularly urge my young friends to cast their vote.”

7:19 am: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has an added responsibility — to guard the politicians of Bihar, one of the worst hit by Naxal violence. Of the 15 politicians accorded VIP security cover, 13 are from the BJP or members of its alliance. More…

7:10 am: Polling for first phase begins.

Phase – I constituencies
Kalyanpur (SC) Cheria Bariarpur Parbatta Banka Rajauli (SC)
Warisnagar Bachhwara Bihpur Katoria (ST) Hisua
Samastipur Teghra Gopalpur Belhar Nawada
Ujiarpur Matihani Pirpainti (SC) Tarapur Gobindpur
Morwa Sahebpur Kamal Kahalgaon Munger Warsaliganj
Sarairanjan Begusarai Bhagalpur Jamalpur Sikandra (SC)
Mohiuddinnagar Bakhri (SC) Sultanganj Suryagarha Jamui
Bibhutipur Alauli (SC) Nathnagar Lakhisarai Jhajha
Rosera (SC) Khagaria Amarpur Sheikhpura Chakai
Hasanpur Beldaur Dhauraiya (SC) Barbigha

MUMBAI: At least 10 to 15 Shiv Sena activists attacked Sudheendra Kulkarni, organiser of former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch, hours before event, NDTV reported.

“When I got out of home, a group of Shiv Sainiks ─ some 10, 15 of them ─ stopped my car. When I came out, they smeared my entire body with black oil paint, shouted slogans and said ‘we had ordered you to cancel the programme, you didn’t listen to us, this is what we’ll do’. They abused me,” he said.

The organiser of the programme said he had earlier told Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray that the programme will not be cancelled. “We respect your right to protest peacefully, you should respect our right to hold the programme … We are not doing anything unlawful,” he told NDTV.

Kulkarni said the government has assured security for Kasuri and the programme.

“We are profusely thankful to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra who has taken a very disciplined and firm stand against these kinds of threats,” he said.

He added, “We are going to go ahead with the programme, we are not going to be deterred by these things.”

Kulkarni and Kasuri held a joint press conference following the incident, NDTV reported. The organiser welcome the former minister, thanking him for accepting the invitation.

Kasuri said he was unhappy about the attack on Kulkarni. Recognising the right of people to protest, he said as long as the protest was peaceful, it was justified but that what happened to Kulkarni was beyond that.

Kasuri reached Mumbai on Sunday for the last leg of his book release tour. His book ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’ will be launched at Mumbai’s Hall of Culture, Nehru Centre.

“My Indian sponsors say we should not chicken [out] before any threat by the Shiv Sena,” Kasuri told Dawn Newspaper.

“There are some 20 security men guarding me. I’m leaving it all to Allah.”

It has been revealed that Steve Jobs widow, Laurene Jobs, called Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale and begged them to stay away from the upcoming biopic about the controversial Apple CEO.

According to a source in the movie, Laurene had been trying to kill this movie since the very beginning. The 51-year-old widow called up Dicaprio and Bale and said, “Don’t do it”. However, Michael Fassbender accepted the role to play Jobs in the biopic.
Sources have revealed that Laurene also asked a major studio to back away from the project. Steve Jobs is all set to hit the theatres on October 9.