INS Vikramaditya set to join Indian Navy
New Delhi: The much-awaited aircraft carrier Gorshkov renamed INS Vikramaditya will be inducted into the Indian Navy by Defence Minister A K Antony at a shipyard in Russia on Saturday. The $3.1 billion contract for the ship was inked with Russia in 2004 and the induction was delayed by nearly five years leading to cost overruns. The ship underwent more than 80 per cent refurbishment and completed more than 180 days of sea trials, besides 700 sorties of MIG-29Ks as part of flight trials in the last six months before declared operational, officials said here on Thursday.
Telangana bill in next session: Shinde
New Delhi: Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday said the Bill for creation of the new State of Telangana, bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, will be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament starting on December 5. “The Telangana Bill will be tabled in the Winter Session,” Shinde told reporters here, indicating that the process for creating the new state is being expedited. The GoM will hear views of Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh on November 18 and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on the next day.
PM urged to help free fishermen jailed abroad
New Delhi: A delegation of fishermen representatives from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to take steps to ensure release of Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistan and Sri lankan jails. According to M Ilango, convenor of the delegation, 280 fishermen from Gujarat were jailed in Pakistan, while 81 fishermen hailing from TN and Union Territory of Puducherry are in various lankan prisons. Besides, 780 Indian boats have been impounded by Pak authorities.