Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) The Supreme Court Monday favoured increasing the random physical verification of VVPAT slips in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls and told the EC that "no institution should insulate itself from improvement, including the judiciary".

It was not the question of "casting aspersions", rather a matter of "satisfaction" of the electorate, the top court said.

It asked the EC to file response as to whether it can increase the number of sample surveys of VVPAT slips from one in each assembly segment for the upcoming general and assembly elections.

New Delhi, Mar 24 : The CPI Sunday announced the candidature of former JNU students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, days after the party was left out of the RJD-led opposition alliance in the state.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), which was expecting to get the seat for Kumar as part of the 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), has now decided to go alone.

"Kanhaiya Kumar will be our candidate from Begusarai seat. CPI(ML) has pledged their support to us too," senior CPI leader D Raja said.

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) A boarding pass issued by Air India with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has come under criticism, days after the PM's photo on railway tickets created a furore.

The airline said the passes featuring the photographs, which were third-party advertisements, would be withdrawn if they are found to be in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and other leaders of the unit Monday discussed the possibility of an alliance with the AAP for the Lok Sabha polls in the city in a meeting with party chief Rahul Gandhi.

The opinion on the issue remained divided and everyone in the meeting was unanimous that Gandhi should take a final call on it in the larger interest of the party, said a participant of the meeting.

Lucknow, Mar 24 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party Sunday released its first list of candidates in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections.

Rajya Sabha MP and AAP state in-charge Sanjay Singh said the party has fielded Yogesh Dahiya from the Saharanpur parliamentary seat and Shweta Sharma from Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Satish Chandra Sharma is the AAP's candidate from Aligarh, he said.

The party is likely to contest the polls from 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

For rest of the seats, the process to select candidates is in the final stage, Singh said.

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) A 37-year-old man was arrested for allegedly abducting a woman from Outer Delhi's Mundka and sexually assaulting her in Haryana, police said Sunday.

Sonu, a native of Jhajjar, Haryana, had contacted the victim on the pretext of doing her bridal make up, they said.

During interrogation, Sonu disclosed that he came in contact with the victim's brother and took her mobile number after persuading him for the bridal make up of his sister on Saturday, a senior police officer said.

New Delhi, Mar 23; PTI/GANASHAKTI: President Ram Nath Kovind Saturday  administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the country's first Lokpal.

The oath was administered at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a communique issued by the President's office said.

Justice Ghose, a former Supreme Court judge, was Tuesday named the country's first Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Vice Admiral Karambir Singh was appointed as the next chief of naval staff, succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30, the defence Ministry said Saturday.

Vice Admiral Singh, who is at present serving as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, will be the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff. He will take charge as Navy Chief on May 31, the defence ministry said.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday appointed Union minister Uma Bharti, who has decided not to contest the Lok Sabha polls, its national vice-president.

Bharti, who represents Jhansi in the Lok Sabha, was brought in as a senior office bearer after she conveyed to the BJP leadership her wish to not contest the coming general elections.

The Hindutva leader has said she wants to go on a 18-month-long pilgrimage from May.

Cuttack, Mar 23 (PTI) The Odisha police Saturday apologised for arresting a wrong person in connection with a non-bailable warrant and forwarding him to court from where he was remanded to jail custody.

The police of Lalbag police station here had arrested a person called Chandan Maharana of Chandni Chowk here on the night of March 11 while executing a six-year-old pending NBW.

He was thereafter forwarded to a local court, which in turn remanded him to jail custody the next day.