New Delhi, Sept. 9 : A former Indian envoy to Pakistan, G. Parthasarthi, said on Tuesday that all nuclear programms initiated by Pakistan were Chinese in origin.

Speaking at a discussion here, Parthasarathi said: "Pakistan''s nuclear programme was being conducted by the Chinese. "There is no Pakistan nuclear programme. All are Chinese."

New Delhi, Sept 9 : Israel''s Chief of Army Staff, Major General Avi Mizrahi, met the three service chiefs -- General Deepak Malhotra, Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major on Tuesday, and will be visiting the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) this evening.

Major General Mizrahi is here on a three-day visit and was received by Major General K. J. S. Oberoi, General Officer Commanding-in Chief of the Delhi Area.

Mizrahi is primarily here to strengthen bilateral defence ties between the two countries.

New Delhi, Sept 9 : Leaders of the Left, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and other non-Congress and non-BJP parties on Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil to demand immediate convening of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The leaders accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government of subverting the Constitution by deciding to do away with the monsoon session and convening a combined session.

New Delhi, Sep 9 : Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation G. K. Vasan today called for strengthening the data collection mechanism in the country.

Speaking at the National Conference of State Level Ministers In-charge of Statistics here, he said the Central Government was considering a proposal for States Statistical System through a centrally sponsored scheme in the Eleventh Plan at an estimated cost of Rs. 705 crores.

"The decentralized statistical system, National Statistics in many cases is derived from State level. Therefore as a need for States to have separate department of statistics and also a strong statistical machinery at local levels, he added.

New Delhi, Sept 9: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday asked the country’s statisticians to develop a system for independent evaluation of flagship programmes in education, health and rural employment sectors.

Dr. Singh was addressing a conference of representatives of State and Union Territories on Management of Statistics here today.

New Delhi - At least 14 Hindu pilgrims drowned after a boat capsized in a river in India's north-western state of Rajasthan, police said Tuesday.

The ferry carrying 35 pilgrims capsized Monday evening in the Chambal River in Karauli district, about 150 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Jaipur.

"As the boat started sinking, the passengers jumped into the river," Sarwar Khan, district police chief said by telephone. "Bodies of 14 victims, including six children and a woman, were fished out."