The Union minister for health and family welfare, Anbumani Ramadoss said that social stigma attached to mental illness can be removed only in long run.

Mr. Ramadoss also expressed unhappiness with the running of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP).

The health minister talked about the situation of mental illness treatment facilities at the silver jubilee celebration of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) on Sunday.

Bhagalpur (Bihar), Feb 23 : The silk industry in Bihar is losing its luster and shine due to a global economic meltdown.

The consequences of drying market are staring at many silk weavers looking for alternative sources of livelihood.

Many factories in Bihar's Bhagalpur district have now been shut down and weavers have moved to other cities in search of employment. While some are selling vegetables and doing labour works to earn their livelihood.

Bargarh (Orissa), Feb 23: An artist in Orissa unleashed his creativity to make a wooden replica of the Taj Mahal, one of the ''Seven Wonders of the World''.

Arun Kumar Meher, an artist adept in wooden art in Bargarh district took three months to create the five feet high and ten feet wide wooden replica.

"Not everyone can go to Agra to see the actual Taj Mahal made by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz. So, for those who have not witnessed the monument, my work will give them an idea of how it actually looks like," Meher said.

Different shades of Sal wood were used for making the replica. No external colours were added to it.

Banaskantha (Gujarat), Feb 23: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit famous Ambaji Temple in Gujarat's Banaskantha District today.

Rahul, who is on two-day visit, will later fly to Mehsana, Patan, Himmatnagar, Gandhinagar and then come to Ahmedabad.

In Ahmedabad, he will visit enrolment booth at Soham Hotel on Naroda Highway and then visit Shahpur and Indulal Yagnik statue near Nehru Bridge and take account of the enrolment drive.

New Delhi, Feb 23: The Election Commission (EC) will conduct series of meetings from today before announcing dates for the Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami and other two Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S Y Quraishi are scheduled to meet Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura today to expand communication network.

The Commission will also meet Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to review the law and order situation across the country.

Besides, the three-member Commission is likely to hold discussion on the accessibility of Central paramilitary forces to avoid any kind of untoward incident during polls.