Jammu, Sept 21 : Security forces busted two militant hideouts and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from them in Poonch and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

New Delhi, Sept 21 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded that Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma who died battling terrorists during an encounter in Jamia Nagar should be bestowed with the Ashok Chakra.

BJP leader V K Malhotra said, "We demand Ashok Chakra for this brave officer who died fighting the militants."

"The Government should also immediately announce a financial package for his family," added Malhotra.

Sharma, who was 41 years old, served the Delhi Police for 19 years before falling to the bullet of heavily armed terrorists in a fierce gunfight at the Batla house in Jamia Nagar in New Delhi on September 19.

Srinagar, Sept 21 : Preparations are in full swing to elect a new Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir with poll officials working round the clock to prepare voters'' identity cards in time.

Guwahati, Sept 20 : Assam is set to receive a bonanza on the education front, with the center announcing plans to fund the creation of three medical colleges.

In India, it has always been felt that development has to be holistic, as only then the country will achieve a double-digit growth rate.

Keeping this in mind, Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, during his recent visit to the state, proposed a mega developmental package for Assam, which included a rupees 
160 crore medical college for Jorhat.

The hospital will be the first of its kind in Upper Assam.

Agartala, Sept 20 : Education is the key that opens up many doors. To a great extent it is true, and the people of Jirania block in West Tripura firmly believe in this adage. This is evident from the fact that the block has registered a record 97 per cent literacy rate and has set an example for the entire northeast region.

New Delhi - At least 21.8 million people have been affected by floods brought on by incessant rains in 16 states across India during the current monsoon season, a federal government release said Sunday.

A total of 2,229 people have died in rain-related incidents, the federal Disaster Management Department release said. Officials said most of the deaths were cases of drowning or caused by landslides, house collapses and water-borne diseases.