New Delhi, Sept 23 : Union Minister for Rural Development Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has asked the States to ensure peoples representatives active involvement in Rural Development programmes.

Addressing the 19th meeting of State Nodal Officers to review the performance of Centrally sponsored Rural Development Programmes here today, he laid emphasis on the convening of vigilance and monitoring committee meetings on a regular basis.

New Delhi - Indian equities fell by 3 per cent in trading Tuesday on weakness in global bourses and rising crude oil prices.

The benchmark 30-share sensitive Sensex index closed at 13,570.31 points, down 424.65 points, a loss of 3.03 per cent from its previous close Monday.

The broader National Stock Exchange's Nifty index also ended in the red at 4,126.90, down 96.15 or 2.28 percent from the previous close at 4,223.05.

Technology stocks were the hardest hit as Infosys, Satyam Computers and Tata Consultancies suffered the most.

New Delhi, Sept 23 : Five comprehensive diving teams with all technical support elements from the Eastern Naval Command have been pressed into action for rescue and relief operations in the flood affected areas along the Mahanadi River in Orissa.

The diving teams along with inflatable rubberized boats with out board motors, rescue equipment and medical supplies left for Bhubaneswar on Monday.

They will join two teams of INS Chilka which is already deployed in the affected areas, in assisting the special relief commissioner.

Srinagar, Kashmir - Six suspected Muslim militants and two soldiers were killed in separate clashes in India-administered Kashmir, police and news reports said Tuesday.

Two militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (Army of the Pure), were killed in an encounter in the Bandipora district, some 25 kilometres north of state capital Srinagar.

"The gunbattle erupted on Tuesday morning after the security forces were attacked by rebels hiding in a house in the area," a local police officer said requesting anonymity.

New Delhi - India and Pakistan have agreed to start bilateral trade between parts of Kashmir they separately administer by as early as next month, officials and news reports said Tuesday.

Officials from the countries who met in New Delhi on Monday finalized the "modalities" for starting the trade, a statement from India's External Affairs Ministry said.

Kathmandu, Sept 23 : Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh has called for the creation of a new architecture of bilateral cooperation whose distinctiveness would be synergy through energy.

Addressing the Power Summit 2008 here today, he said that trade in electricity will bring considerable financial benefits to India’s neighbours.

Referring to the Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda’s recent visit to India during which he unveiled his vision of Nepal developing 10,000 Mw of its hydel power potential over the next ten years, her pointed out that there will be need for new markets to be developed for the export of the power generated and clearly India is one such market.