
Chandigarh: The Punjab government has initiated a probe into the distribution of text books containing allegedly vulgar and irrelevant content in government schools, a minister said on Wednesday. Bathinda District Education Officer Surjit Singh Khuram was put under suspension for laxity in this connection.
Punjab Education Minister SS Maluka inspected the books supplied to the schools in the state which have sparked a controversy due to the alleged vulgar content. He was accompanied by officers of the school education department.
Maluka said that the principal secretary of school education was asked to probe how the books with vulgar content were passed by education department.
"The education minister found that the books dispatched to schools under the inspection of Director General School Education Kahan Singh Pannu are of sub-standard quality having vulgar content, which may cause adverse effect on the minds of the children. He found that 70 per cent of the books were sub-standard and totally irrelevant," said a spokesman of the education department....
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02:35 AM, May 23, 2013

Chandigarh: Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine on Tuesday claimed a "clean sweep" in the zila parishad and block samiti elections. An Akali Dal spokesman said that the combine was winning a clear majority in six of the total 22 zila parishads and 43 out of 146 block samitis. "The alliance is leading in most of the seats as per the results and trends available till this evening,"...

05:24 AM, May 22, 2013

New Delhi: Delhi Police claim they have evidence to prove that another attempt was made by Sreesanth to spot-fix an IPL game, sources said. Sreesanth made an attempt to spot-fix a Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab match on May 9, sources added. Sreesanth has admitted to this in a taped conversation. He admitted that he bowled a no ball on the last ball, but his attempts to spot-fix the...

11:27 PM, May 21, 2013

New Delhi: Expect another hot day on Tuesday across North India and parts of the South. Met department officials say temperatures will continue to be 3 to 4 degrees above normal for this time of the year in many parts of North India. The current prolonged heat wave, the second time in 10 years, is expected to last at least till May 24. As North India boils, the intense heat...

11:59 AM, May 21, 2013

New Delhi: As the spot-fixing scandal puts a black spot on the Indian Premier League, Kings XI Punjab owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia have come up with suggestions like putting franchise owners in the IPL governing council, legalising betting and carrying out random polygraph tests on players. Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Preity said, "There should be stronger measures by the anti-corruption unit to monitor it and I...

09:36 AM, May 21, 2013

New Delhi: The heat wave has well swept across North India with national capital Delhi simmering at 44.6 degrees celsius on Sunday, making it the hottest day of this season. The mercury even soared to over 46 degree Celsius in some parts of the capital. Palam area recorded 46.1 degree Celsius while Ayanagar weather station recorded 45.8 degree Celsius and Ridge station recorded 45 degrees. The Met department has predicted...

08:16 AM, May 20, 2013

Chandigarh: Amid sporadic violence, nearly 70 per cent of 1.1 crore rural voters on Sunday exercised their franchise for Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in Punjab. An estimated 70 per cent polling was reported as per initial reports, State Election Commissioner SS Brar said. The elections were by and large peaceful and no major incident of violence was reported from any part of the state, he said. However, skirmishes...

08:50 PM, May 19, 2013

Mohali: Girls outshone boys in the class XII examinations conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), the results of which were declared on Saturday. "More than three lakh students took the examinations in March and the total pass percentage was 78.97 per cent. The last year's percentage was 72.31 per cent," state Education minister Sikander Singh Maluka, who was along with PSEB Chairperson, Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, told reporters in...

12:37 AM, May 19, 2013

Dharamsala: We had often seen Adam Gilchrist massacring the opposition bowlers and taking some stunning catches behind the wickets, but on Saturday we saw him in a different 'Avatar'. Playing his last IPL match, Gilchrist not only bowled for only the second time in his 17-year long career, but also picked up his only wicket off the first ball. And the reaction after the dismissal said it all, with Gilchrist...

08:17 PM, May 18, 2013

Chandigarh: Amid tight security, the stage is set for Sunday's elections to Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads in Punjab, the campaigning for which was marred by violence in which four persons were killed. Security force personnel had been deployed in strength to ensure smooth, free and fair elections, said state Election Commissioner SS Brar. As many as 760 candidates were in fray for elections to 331 zones of 22 Zila...

07:40 PM, May 18, 2013

Dharamsala: Coming to form during the later half of the tournament, Punjab posted a a stiff total of 184 that eventually turned out to be too much for the visitors, Mumbai Indians. Mumbai went in with the same side as in the game against Rajasthan Royals. Sachin Tendulkar once again missed the fixture to rest his injured hand, which meant Mumbai's opening combination remain unchanged. However, it did not work...

07:39 PM, May 18, 2013

Live updates from Game 69 between Punjab and Mumbai at Dharamsala Against the spectre of spot-fixing, the Indian Premier League will continue on its road to the play-offs as Mumbai Indian and Kings XI Punjab play their last league fixture here on Saturday. While Punjab's outside chance of reaching the top-four has already been blown away by Sunrisers Hyderabad who beat Rajasthan Royals on Friday to register their ninth win,...

03:00 PM, May 18, 2013

Chandigarh: With the Punjab and Haryana High Court coming down heavily on the lewd lyrics of songs sung by singer-rapper Honey Singh, the Punjab Police Friday booked him for singing vulgar songs in public. A case was registered against the singer under provisions of Section 294 (singing, reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place) of the Indian Penal Code in Punjab's Nawanshahr...

08:45 AM, May 18, 2013

Chandigarh: In the wake of alleged political violence in the state, Punjab Congress on Friday demanded the resignation of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal saying, he was the main architect behind "political murders and growth of mafias". "Sukhbir is a total failure as state's home minister and he has no right to continue in power. "Punjab is heading to a state of total anarchy as no rule of law...

03:50 AM, May 18, 2013

Mohali: Australian cricket great Adam Gilchrist has called for life bans if the players arrested for their alleged role in spot-fixing in the ongoing IPL are found guilty. "For my mind, any player found involved in any implications where they are proven that they have handled illegal bookmakers' bets or whatever, there is no place for them in the game whatsoever ever again. It's so clear now, we are so...

10:32 PM, May 17, 2013

Dharmashala: Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit and may play in Mumbai Indians' IPL match against Kings XI Punjab here on Saturday. Tendulkar missed his side's last match against Rajasthan Royals due to a sprain on his left hand. "Sachin has recovered from the injury and is fit now, he may play tomorrow at Dharamsala," said Anil Kumble, Mumbai Indians' chief mentor. Fans visiting the HPCA stadium here...

08:47 PM, May 17, 2013

Chandigarh: A day after one person was killed immediately after an election rally in Bhatinda district, two more were gunned down on Friday in a village in Amritsar in an exchange of fire between two groups, pushing the toll in the run up to the May 19 panchayat polls in Punjab to four. Tension was brewing between two groups in Chak Mishri Khan village over a consensus to elect the...

05:43 PM, May 17, 2013

Dharamsala: Almost a year to the day he announced that he had played his last game of cricket, former Australia wicketkeeper turned captain of Kings XI Punjab has confirmed that he will step away from the game at the end of IPL 6. Gilchrist revealed his decision to quit after playing a role in Punjab's seven-run win over Delhi Daredevils on Thursday, which kept their flickering hopes of making the...

05:24 PM, May 17, 2013

Dharamsala: Against the spectre of spot-fixing, the Indian Premier League will continue on its road to the play-offs as Mumbai Indian and Kings XI Punjab play their last league fixture here on Saturday. While Punjab's outside chance of reaching the top-four has already been blown away by Sunrisers Hyderabad who beat Rajasthan Royals on Friday to register their ninth win, Mumbai would want to finish with a win to consolidate...

04:55 PM, May 17, 2013

Dharamsala: On a dark day that seriously threatened the IPL's credibility, Kings XI Punjab maintained their focus of trying to make it to the play-offs with a seven-run win over Delhi Daredevils at their second home of Dharamsala. Delhi picked five bowlers and opted to field but the desired impact was sorely missing as Punjab's big three batsmen produced busy innings to drive the score to 171 for 4, which...

11:31 PM, May 16, 2013