A parliamentary standing committee has slammed the ministry of defence (MoD) and the armed forces for "ill thought-out" manpower planning, which has resulted in a staggering shortage of officers in the army, navy and the air force.

The committee on defence headed by Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil has also blown to bits almost every armed forces excuse, including that not enough youngsters are attracted to the forces because of a lucrative private sector.

Neelam Katara, who stood up against western UP strongman DP Yadav to get justice for her murdered son Nitish, has been approached by the Congress to campaign in the coming general elections. 

A willing Neelam has been meeting Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and state in-charge secretary Mukul Wasnik. 

Management graduate Nitish was abducted and brutally murdered by Vikas, son of DP. Nitish was dating his sister Bharti. When the Yadavs got a whiff of it, he was abducted and murdered in the early hours of February 17, 2002, by Vikas and his cousin Vishal. 

A day after former Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan alias Chand Mohammed denied disowning her, wife Fiza demanded on Tuesday that Congress president Sonia Gandhi take action against the Kalka Congress MLA "for running down the dignity of a woman".

In a brief fax sent to Mohali Police from the UK on Monday, Chand, son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, categorically denied changing his Islamic faith and abandoning Fiza.

He said he learnt of Fiza's allegations through the media and would personally reply to all "points raised by her in the [police] complaint" once he returns from the UK in April. He said he was in that country for medical treatment.

Pranab says prime minister will attend last Lok Sabha session, PMO denies it

The government and the prime minister's office (PMO) are speaking in different voices on the possibility of Manmohan Singh registering at least a token presence in parliament for the last sitting of the 14th Lok Sabha (LS) on February 26. 

Pranab Mukherjee, the man in charge in the PM's absence, expressed the hope in the Lok Sabha that Manmohan will attend the House, albeit for a short while, on the last day. But PMO sources denied any such possibility. "It looks unlikely," a senior functionary said.

Pakistan daily Dawn on Tuesday published the 30 questions Islamabad has asked India. The queries (see box) are mostly routine. The replies will be contained in the charge-sheet Mumbai police will file against Mohammad Ajmal Amin Kasab by Friday.

CM says in assembly the move is first of its kind in entire Asia

In order to tackle climate change and related issues, chief minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the establishment of a separate department. Modi moved a resolution under section 44 of the assembly. He said that government has, in principle, taken the decision for the establishment of such a department.

"I am pleased to declare that the state has taken this initiative to establish a separate climate and will be first in the country to do so. In fact, such an initiative is the first of its kind in entire Asia," he said.