In the wake of ongoing Ramzan month, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited has decided to exempt all district headquarters and cities, specially those having sizeable Muslim population, from power rostering during night hours.

The decision has been taken on the directives of Chief Minister Mayawati and efforts would be made to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the state, UPPCL chairman Navneet Sehgal said.

The Karnataka government today said employees of private schools and colleges as well as engineering and medical colleges and other educational institutes would come under the ambit of ESI, giving benefits to lakhs of people.

Labour minister B N Bachegowda made the announcement after a meeting to discuss insurance schemes for workers as well as social security covers for unorganised sections of labour.

The centre's proposal to introduce Constitution Amendment Bill in the current Parliament session to pave the way for rolling out the Goods and Service Tax (GST) today hit a road block, with the BJP-ruled states demanding more time to respond to the draft.

"The states have got hardly two working days to examine the revised draft and take a decision thereon...," Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghawji said at the states GST panel meeting here.

Governance Now is organising a day-long seminar on Bihar as a precursor to the elections there. The overall theme of the event is BIHAR ON THE MOVE. The event is on Saturday, August 21 at the India Islamic Centre, at Lodi Road, New Delhi.

With a view to attract more investments into the maritime sector, the Shipping Ministry plans to introduce a new maritime policy expected to be finalised in the next one month which will replace the existing National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP).

The new plan will have a 10-year validity beginning this year (2010) and extending up to 2020.

In a bid to check food quality and hygiene standards in food units across Gujarat, the state food authorities have geared up to put in force the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA)-2006, a top official said here today.

The new Act, which focuses on checking food quality and hygiene at outlets, will replace Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954, which was confined to only checking of adulteration in food items.

The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is working out a medical tourism package, seeking to cash in on growing worldwide interest in the state as an ideal destination to combine treatment with holidaying.

The scheme is being evolved as a collaborative venture of superspeciality hospitals, foreign tour operators and state agencies, KTDC Chairman Cheriyan Philip said in a press release here today.

The Jammu and Kashmir government is likely to announce an amended employment package for youth today.

It has been decided to cover all unemployed youth in the amended package, official sources said.

"The employment package under S K Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY) is likely to be announced tomorrow," the officials said on Tuesday.

A Cabinet sub-committee, constituted on August 18, to review SKEWPY met here for second time today.

In response to the Santhali Rajyabhasa Andolan (SRA), the Railway ministry has decided to use 'al-chiki' scripts alongwith languages already in use in all notice boards, signboards in tribal-dominated stations in Eastern India.

With the fate of POSCO and Vedanta projects hanging in balance over green norms, Orissa government has constituted a squad to monitor implementation of different environmental and forest laws by the industries.

The top decision making body of Shiv Sena-BJP controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to give double increments to Marathi post graduates among the 1.2 lakh civic staff, sparking protests from the Opposition.

"The BMC is likely to issue a circular to the effect today," Rahul Shewale, Chairman of BMC's standing committee which passed the proposal, told PTI.

Asked to name the number of BMC staff who will benefit from the decision, Shewale said, "we are collecting the data."