New Delhi - The central Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Monday lowered its key short-term lending rate (repo) to commercial banks, a move that will spur consumption and help growth amid the global economic slowdown.

"In order to alleviate the pressure and in particular to maintain financial stability, the RBI has decided to reduce the repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility by 100 basis points to 8 per cent with immediate effect," the bank said in a statement.

New Delhi, Oct. 20 : Ailing Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was on Monday shifted to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), as doctors and his family felt that his neurological condition could be better treated at the former place.

"He has been shifted at 10.30 am. His family wanted to shift him for further treatment of his neurological condition. His condition is stable and he needs more neurological care," AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr D K Sharma said.

Sixty-two-year-old Dasmunsi, who has been under treatment at AIIMS for the past eight days, "continues to remain the same. He is stable but still unconscious," Dr. Sharma said.

New Delhi, Oct 20 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here today.

Later, Lavrov is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Both are expected to review bilateral relations in diverse spheres and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

A protocol on holding regular consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation during 2009-2010 is expected to be signed during the visit.

New Delhi, Oct 20 : The Governments of India and Germany will jointly organise a ceremony to commemorate 50 years of Indo-German Bilateral Development Cooperation today.

The German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul will participate in this event.

A strategy paper on the Indo-German Bilateral Cooperation will be released on this occasion. The strategy paper will delineate the framework of bilateral development cooperation.

Srinagar, Oct 19 : A high-level official team from Pakistan will visit Baglihar dam tomorrow for an on-the-spot assessment of the water level in Chenab river.

The team will also inspect water storage in the Baglihar dam, besides the water flow in the river.

Pakistan has blamed India for blocking River Chenab''s flow in order to fill the Baglihar dam on the occasion of its inauguration.

Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah, who arrived here on Saturday, is leading the delegation.

During their two-day visit, Shah is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart G Ranganathan on the issue of Chenab river water sharing and other related subjects.