India tests two nuclear-capable missiles

The Indian military successfully tested two short-range nuclear-capable missiles from a facility in the east of the country Wednesday, a defence research official told AFP.

The domestically-developed Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missiles were tested as part of a routine exercise at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur-on-sea in the state of Orissa, S. P. Dash, the range director, said.

The Prithvi-II missile has a range of 350 kilometres (220 miles) and can carry a conventional or nuclear payload.

The weapon was last tested from same launch site on September 24 this year, when it failed due to technical problems.

"Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials earlier," a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official told the Press Trust of India news agency.

The drill followed a test on Tuesday by Pakistan, which successfully fired a medium-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hZWwgxXKq-xyyATt15lp26iRPhbA?docId=CNG.554ed2d754090c2eb6a68e72accf76bb.91

Opposition protesters at assembly held

Dozens of opposition leaders and activists were arrested for the second consecutive day on Tuesday when they marched to the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly in Hyderabad, demanding that the government address the problems of farmers. There was tension in the high security area as protesters, including legislators, tried to advance towards the assembly building.

Led by Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) N. Chandrababu Naidu, legislators of TDP, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist walked to the assembly from the Goshamahal police station, where they had spent the night in police custody following their arrest Monday.

Leaders and activists of the opposition parties and some farmers' organisations too joined the one kilometre march. As the protesters tried to move towards the assembly gate along with the legislators, police pushed them back. As a mark of protest, they squatted on the road but were arrested.

Inside the assembly, opposition parties stalled the proceedings and encircled the speaker's podium forcing Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to adjourn the house. The members, including those belonging to the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), were demanding that the government provide immediate relief to farmers who suffered crop losses during recent rains.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislators also stalled the proceedings demanding the government to withdraw all the cases booked against students during the agitation for separate Telangana state. The government had Monday announced withdrawal of petty cases.

Naidu, who spent the night along with 70 legislators in the police custody, has threatened to launch an indefinite fast from Friday if the government failed to announce a package for the farmers.

Naidu Monday staged a sit-in on the road in front of the assembly building to lodge protests on the "indifference" of the Congress government towards the problems faced by farmers.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Opposition-protesters-at-assembly-held/Article1-638169.aspx

School teacher missing after complaint of harassment

A school teacher has gone missing after being accused of sexually harassing five girl students and police conducted raids in Haryana and Chandigarh on Monday to nab him, police said. Sham Bahadur Thapa, a music teacher at the Army Public School, was booked on Sunday for allegedly sexually harassing

Class 5 students on the basis of a complaint from school principal N R Baberwal.

"We received a complaint against Thapa from the school principal here. We raided his house in Sector 25 (in Panchkula) late on Sunday but did not find him there. We are raiding various places in Haryana and Chandigarh in search of the accused teacher," a police official said.

"Thapa's mobile phone has been put on surveillance and we are hopeful of arresting him soon. We would record the statements of victim students, their parents and the school authorities."

Baberwal registered the first information report (FIR) after he got complaints from the parents of five female students against the music teacher. The school authorities suspended Thapa with immediate effect.

Army Public School, which is over 25 years old, is situated at Chandimandir army cantonment area here, around 10 km from Chandigarh.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Army-Public-School-teacher-missing-after-complaint-of-molestation/Article1-634919.aspx