-The Hindu MADPAL (SOUTH CHHATTISGARH): The Chhattisgarh police have killed two activists of the Salwa Judum, a government-backed militia to take on Naxalites, which the Supreme Court declared illegal and unconstitutional. A couple of eyewitnesses told The Hindu that the villagers, of the Muria Gond tribe, were "killed in cold blood by the police." A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, which has angered the residents of several villages in Bijapur...

-The Business Standard Defying the Election Committee's suggestion last week, the state announced a two-phase election to be held in April The tug-of-war between the West Bengal government and State Election Commission over Panchayat poll schedule may head for a legal battle, with both sides showing no sign of compromise. After a three-hour long meeting at its office here, the state election commission today refused to accept government-announced panchayat poll dates and sent...

-The Indian Express Kolkata: West Bengal's notification for the panchayat elections marks a flash point in an ongoing tussle between the Mamata Banerjee government and the state election commission. The government notification, issued last week independently of the election authorities, has declared polls in two phases, on April 26 and 30. The election commission, headed by Meera Pandey, has been insisting on three phases. On Monday, the commission wrote to the government...

-The Times of India JORHAT: Kaziranga National Park authorities on Sunday launched a rhino census for a headcount. The two-day exercise will be conducted in all the five ranges of the park - Kohora, Bagori, Burapahar, Agoratoli and Biswanathghat. More than 250 personnel from the state forest department, NGOs and media groups have been engaged in the operation. Park director Sanjiv Kumar Bora said the census operation is a scheduled one. "The headcount...

-The Times of India VRINDAVAN: They sang and danced, laughed and shed tears. They threw flowers at each other and played with gulal. The widows of Vrindavan celebrated Holi with a riot of colours on Sunday, defying tradition that bids them to stay away from festivities of all kind. These widows of the holy town - tragic icons of institutionalized oppression against women - have been observing Holi for decades. But it...