New Delhi, Feb.11 (ANI): Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Wednesday informed mediapersons that at least 39 items and legislations would be taken up during the 15th Session of the Fourteenth Lok Sabha and the 215th Session of the Rajya Sabha, which commences on February 12 and may conclude on February 26.

He said that the session would have ten sittings spread over a period of 15 days.

New Delhi - Eight members of a family were shot and beheaded before their bodies were dumped in a river in India's eastern state of Bihar in a dispute arising from a secret marriage, officials said Wednesday.

Police in Naugachia in Bhagalpur district - located 225 kilometres east of the state capital, Patna - found the bodies in the river Tuesday.

Naugachia police chief Gopal Prasad said the killings took place after Ratan Mandal, 21, eloped with Kanchan Kumari, 18, and married secretly, fearing their families would never approve owing to an old rivalry.

"The girl's family had called the boy's family to settle the dispute but instead shot and beheaded eight of them," Prasad said. "Two managed to escape."

New Delhi, Feb 11 : Addressing a function to mark the 56th death anniversary of BJP patron Deen Dayal Upadhyaya at the party headquarters here today, senior leader L K Advani said there is no place for untouchability in politics.

Questioning the social stigma attached to certain sections of society, Advani said, "If we cannot tolerate untouchability in social life, why should we ever even think of untouchability in politics?"

Advani urged BJP cadres to follow Upadhyaya''s example in their political career.

New Delhi, Feb. 11 : Amity University has announced plans to offer students from Ethiopia a wide variety of courses.

The plans reached fruition after a university delegation headed by Chancellor, Atul Chauhan met Ethiopian Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi and that country's envoy to India, Gennet Zewide, to discuss potential areas of collaboration in the field of education.

The university delegation apprised the Prime Minister of Ethiopia about the initial talks with Ethiopia's Education Minister Ato Demeke Mekonnen in Addis Ababa in December 2008.

New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved a policy to offer compensation to urea plants running on other fuels for conversion into gas-based units.

The new policy provides for a special fixed cost towards reimbursement of the cost of conversion to the urea unit after its conversion to gas is completed.

The conversion of these units will lead to increase in efficiency of urea production in the country and also add to usage of natural gas, which is the most efficient and cleaner fuel for production of urea in the country.

New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved a proposal of the Department of Posts for the computerization and networking of post offices, divisional offices, sub divisional offices.

By the end of the financial year 2009-2010, all post offices excluding single handed and the Gramin Dak Sewak post offices will be computerized and networked.

All administrative offices up to sub divisional office will be computerized. This includes 6915 post offices, 2222 administrative offices and 23 accounts offices of the Department of Posts.