in India arStates of India, and the head of the council of ministers in a state is chief minister. Power is divided between central government and state governments. While central government handles military, external affairs etc., the state government deals with internal security (through state police ), and other state issues. Income for central govt. are through customs duty, excise tax, income tax etc., while state government income comes from sales tax (VAT), stamp duty etc.

e the governments ruling 

Sarkaria Commission was set up to review the balance of power between states and the union. The centre can dissolve state government in favour of President's rule if necessary. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has higher autonomy comState governments' legislatures are bicameral in seven states and unicameral in the rest. All the members of lower house are elected for a five-year term, and one-third of the members of the upper house, in bicameral states, are elected every two years for a six-year term.

The Indian Constitution allows states to have either a unicameral or bicameral legislature. A state is said to be unicameral if it has only one house of parliament. The numbers in the brackets indicate the number of seats in the lower and upper house respectively. Most of the newer states are unicameral and only a few of the older states (6 states out of 28) still remain bicameral. In a state with a bicameral legislature, the lower house is called the Legislative Assembly or Vidhan Sabha and the upper house is called the Legislative Councilor Vidhan Parishad. By law, the upper house can not be more than 1/3 the total size of the lower house but must have more than 40 seats (except in the case of the state ofJammu and Kashmir which is allowed by special legislation to have less than 40 seats in its Legislative Council.)

The upper house, Vidhan Parishad, has limited legislative powers, and was primarily intended for consultation and can not hold up legislation passed by the lower house, the Vidhan Sabha, for more than a few months. The lower house, Legislative Assembly, is composed of members directly elected from individual constituencies; while the upper house, the Legislative Council, consists of members elected by the Lower House, members nominated by the State government, and members elected from specially designated teacher's and graduate's constituencies.

There is overall 4120 Assembly seats in states and UTs in India.^] Andhra Pradesh abolished its legislative council in 1984, but has set up a new legislative Council following elections in 2007pared to other states by Article 370.

New Delhi: Hitting out at the BJP government at the Centre, AAP on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led dispensation of wanting to keep the power of transfers and postings of bureaucrats with itself through the Lt Governor as it is a "million dollar industry".

In a series of tweets, AAP leader Ashutosh also alleged that lakhs of rupees were being paid as bribe to get lucrative postings in the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Naresh Sharma/Firstpost

"Ask anybody in Delhi and people will tell you that BJP led MCD is the most corrupt body. AAP has stopped bribe in transfer/posting.

"Lakhs of rupees are paid as bribe to get a lucrative posting and money is distributed top to bottom. Every body has a share. Why MODI govt wants to keep transfer/posting with itself through LG? Because it's a million dollar industry & major source of corruption," he posted on Twitter.

The senior AAP leader also took a jibe at bureaucrats a day after over 100 serving and retired IAS officials of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories) cadre expressed "anguish" over the way senior officials were being treated in the ongoing tussle between the AAP government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over appointment of officials.

"It will be interesting to study how many belonging to IAS association were clean when in service!

"IAS association was sleeping like Kumbhkaran when Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary were humiliated and removed," he tweeted.

Jammu: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar will begin his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

SD Goswami, spokesman of the army's Udhampur based northern command said, "The Raksha Mantri (defence minister) will begin his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI

"Accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, the Raksha Mantri (defence minister) will visit all the three regions of the state during this visit.

"This will be Shri Manohar Parrikar's second visit to the state since he took over as the defence minister in November last year".

Parrikar will first visit the Ladakh region of the state where he is arriving on Friday morning alongwith Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

Lieutenant General DS Hooda, chief of Indian army's northern command and Lieutenant General, BS Negi, commander of army's Leh based 14th corps will receive Parrikar at the Leh airport on Friday morning.

Defence sources told IANS that Parrikar will discuss the situation along the line of actual control (LAC) that forms the de facto border between India and China in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

A briefing is scheduled to be given to the defence minister regarding the situation on the LAC that occasionally hits news headlines because of incursions by the Chinese army.

"The defence minister will reach Srinagar in the afternoon where he will hol d discussions with state Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. He will spend the night in Srinagar," sources in the state government said.

Lieutenant General Subrata Saha, commander of army's Srinagar based 15th corps will brief Parrikar about the situation on the line of control (LoC) and also about the anti-militancy situation in the hinterland, according to Defence sources.

Parrikar will visit the Jammu region on Saturday where he is likely to interact with the soldiers on the forward positions in Poonch district.

During his Jammu visit, Lieutenant General KH Singh, commander of army's Nagrota based 16th corps will accompany Parrikar.

Before concluding his visit on Saturday, Parrikar will pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishnoo Devi Shrine in Reasi district of Jammu region.

Reports also said in order to get a firsthand account of the extremely hostile weather and terrain conditions under which soldiers are guarding the country's frontiers, the defence minister may also visit the Siachin Glacier in Ladakh region.

Situated at 5,400 metre above the sea level, Siachin is the world's highest battlefield.

On April 13, 1984, the Indian army snatched the control of the Siachin Glacier from Pakistan army.

Naib subedar, Bana Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir received the country's highest bravery award, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) for leading the Indian army's Siachin operation from the front in 1984.

After an early morning meet, J Jayalalithaa was re-elected legislative party leader of the AIADMK on Friday morning with reports saying that she will be returning as Chief Minister as early by Saturday.

AIADMK legislators including chief minister O Panneerselvam assembled at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai on Friday morning and re-elected Jayalalithaa as its party legislative chief. The re-election paves the way for Jayalalithaa to be re-appointed as chief minister and she is likely to meet the governor later today to inform him of the decision.

PTI image

Party Treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneeerselvam forwarded the motion to elect her as legislature party leader which was seconded by Electricity Minister Natham R Vishwanathan, the sources said, adding, it was adopted unanimously.

A beaming Cooperative Minister, Sellur K Raju, when asked if Jayalalithaa had been elected as LPP leader, said: "this is the happiest day of our life."

In the resolution moved by him, Panneerselvam praised Jayalalithaa, describing her as the "permanent General Secretary" of the AIADMK.

He asked the MLAs present there to show their sign of approval by giving a "loud applause".

The meeting was also attended by some rebel MLAs of the Opposition DMDK.

Later, Panneerselvam, accompanied by some of his senior cabinet colleagues, visited the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa will also pay floral tributes to party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian icon C N Annadurai and rationalist leader Periyar EV Ramasamy. Panneerselvam left after the meeting to meet with the governor.

Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court on 11 May after a special trial had convicted her on 27 September last year in a disproportionate assets case and sentenced her to four years in jail. She was automatically disqualified as an MLA following her conviction under the law. Recently, an MLA resigned from RK Nagar constituency in the city raising speculations that she may contest from there.

A stream of party workers arrived in Chennai to gather at the party headquarters and other events across the city.

"We are at the cusp of victory after crossing all the hurdles. Our politics and administration should be based on legal principles and guidelines. That is how we have been functioning," the 67-year old leader had said earlier this week after her acquittal.

"That is why, our successive steps are being taken according to a planned itinerary. There is no confusion regarding this; no problems," she had said apparently in reference to eagerness among party workers to see her re-elected soon.

"Those things desired by my dear party siblings will happen at the right time. Nobody can stop this. So there is no need for concern," she had said in a statement.

After an early morning meet, J Jayalalithaa was re-elected legislative party leader of the AIADMK on Friday morning with reports saying that she will be returning as Chief Minister as early by Saturday.

AIADMK legislators including chief minister O Panneerselvam assembled at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai on Friday morning and re-elected Jayalalithaa as its party legislative chief. The re-election paves the way for Jayalalithaa to be re-appointed as chief minister and she is likely to meet the governor later today to inform him of the decision.

PTI image

Party Treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneeerselvam forwarded the motion to elect her as legislature party leader which was seconded by Electricity Minister Natham R Vishwanathan, the sources said, adding, it was adopted unanimously.

A beaming Cooperative Minister, Sellur K Raju, when asked if Jayalalithaa had been elected as LPP leader, said: "this is the happiest day of our life."

In the resolution moved by him, Panneerselvam praised Jayalalithaa, describing her as the "permanent General Secretary" of the AIADMK.

He asked the MLAs present there to show their sign of approval by giving a "loud applause".

The meeting was also attended by some rebel MLAs of the Opposition DMDK.

Later, Panneerselvam, accompanied by some of his senior cabinet colleagues, visited the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa will also pay floral tributes to party founder MG Ramachandran, Dravidian icon C N Annadurai and rationalist leader Periyar EV Ramasamy. Panneerselvam left after the meeting to meet with the governor.

Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court on 11 May after a special trial had convicted her on 27 September last year in a disproportionate assets case and sentenced her to four years in jail. She was automatically disqualified as an MLA following her conviction under the law. Recently, an MLA resigned from RK Nagar constituency in the city raising speculations that she may contest from there.

A stream of party workers arrived in Chennai to gather at the party headquarters and other events across the city.

"We are at the cusp of victory after crossing all the hurdles. Our politics and administration should be based on legal principles and guidelines. That is how we have been functioning," the 67-year old leader had said earlier this week after her acquittal.

"That is why, our successive steps are being taken according to a planned itinerary. There is no confusion regarding this; no problems," she had said apparently in reference to eagerness among party workers to see her re-elected soon.

"Those things desired by my dear party siblings will happen at the right time. Nobody can stop this. So there is no need for concern," she had said in a statement.

Children, there is not a single country in the whole world where the name of Mahatma Gandhi is not known. Do you know why Gandhiji became so famous? It was because he dedicated his whole life to the service of the motherland, and service of humanity. Today, I am going to tell you in brief, the story of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation, or Bapuji, as he is affectionately called. In the early days our country was made up of a large number of small Princely Kingdoms. Porbandar in Gujarat was one such Princely Kingdom. Gandhiji's father Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Kaba, was a Minister there. Kaba Gandhi was an honest, upright man, a strict disciplinarian, and very hot tempered. His wife Putlibai was a extremely religious person. She would not have her meal until she had worshipped the sun. Hence sometimes in the rainy season, she would go hungry for two-three days at a stretch. She was a very loving person, and immensely hard-working. To these parents a son was born on October 2nd, 1869. He was their youngest son. He was called Mohandas. He was our Gandhiji. The strict discipline of his father, the religious bent of mind of his mother, all influenced Gandhiji greatly. He was deeply attached to his parents and brothers. The values of truthfulness, honesty, integrity were instilled in him from the very beginning. As a child he was not very brave. He was mortally afraid of the dark, of ghosts and spirits, and also of snakes and scorpions. At night he would cry in fear. The maid who looked after him scolded him very often. "You should be ashamed of yourself" she would say. "What will you do when you grow up?" She then told him that everytime he was frightened he should take the name of God Rama. Gandhiji took her advice, and gradually he overcome his fear. Soon it was time for him to go to school. As his father was in Rajkot at that time, he attended the school there. Being extremely shy, he did not mix with the other children. Most of the time he kept to himself. In the beginning he did not like some of the subjects that were taught to him, but with encouragement from his teachers he studied them, and began to enjoy them. From then onwards he took his studies very seriously. Mohan was very shy. As soon as the school bell rang, he collected his books and hurried home. Other boys chatted and stopped on the way; some to play, others to eat, but Mohan always went straight home. He was afraid that the boys might stop him and make fun of him. One day, the Inspector of Schools, Mr Giles, came to Mohan's school. He read out five English words to the class and asked the boys to write them down. Mohan wrote four words correctly, but he could not spell the fifth word `Kettle'. Seeing Mohan's hesitation, the teacher made a sign behind the Inspector's back that he should copy the word from his neighbour's slate. But Mohan ignored his signs. The other boys wrote all the five words correctly; Mohan wrote only four. After the Inspector left, the teacher scolded him. "I told you to copy from your neighbour," he said angrily. "Couldn't you even do that correctly?" Every one laughed. As he went home that evening, Mohan was not unhappy. He knew he had done the right thing. What made him sad was that his teacher should have asked him to cheat. As was the custom in those days, when he was about 13-14 years old, he got married. His wife's name was Kasturba (and she was as old as him). It was at this time that Gandhiji fell into bad company and picked up many bad habits. It was because of these bad habits, that unknown to his parents, he was once forced to sell a part of his gold bracelet. However, he soon realised his m