New Delhi, Oct 27 : Vice President Hamid Ansari today greeted the nation on the joyous occasion of Diwali.

In his message, the Vice President said that this festival usher in peace, prosperity and happiness in the lives of all citizens.

"Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated all over the country in a mood of festivity and gaiety. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil and strengthens our resolve to follow the high ideals in life," he added.

He said Diwali has always been a great unifying force in our society as it draws people out in a joyful celebration. Let us celebrate this unique festival in its true spirit. 

Chennai, Oct 27: India will provide 800 tonnes of relief material to the civilian population in conflict-hit Sri Lanka to areas where Indian origin Tamil population is predominant, this was disclosed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

A joint statement issued here on Sunday after talks between Mukherjee and Special Advisor to Sri Lankan President, Basil Rajapakse says that the Sri Lankan Government will facilitate the delivery of the relief material.

The Indian side called for implementation of the greater devolution to powers to the provinces as the issue of negotiated political settlement in the north came up for the discussion in the meeting.

New Delhi - Hundreds of students joined a march in India's eastern state of Orissa to protest a proposed plant by South Korean steelmaker Posco, news reports said Monday.

The students carried banners and posters at Dhinkia in the coastal district of Jagatsinghpur, about 100 kilometres south of Orissa's capital, Bhubaneswar, the IANS news agency reported, citing police.

Posco, or the Pohang Iron and Steel Co, signed a deal with the Orissa government in June 2005 to build a steel plant in Jagatsinghpur by 2016. The project has been delayed by months of protests by thousands of villagers claiming it would deprive them of their homes and livelihoods.

New Delhi - Indian markets slid by more than 6 per cent soon after opening Monday, tracking drops on other Asian markets.

The benchmark 30-share Sensitive Index of the Bombay Stock Exchange dipped by more than 6 per cent to 8,051, its lowest point in three years, soon after opening. It recovered marginally and was trading at 8,279.27, about 4.85 per cent lower, by mid-morning.

The broader 50-share Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange also dipped by 6.39 per cent and was trading at 2,418.9.