Nellore villagers spot Unidentified Flying Objects, twice

People of Yelloku, a tiny village in Doravarisathram mandal of PSR Nellore district, are keeping their eyes on the sky. On June 24, some residents reportedly spotted unidentified flying objects (UFO) twice in the sky. Since then, everyone has become a bit of a skygazer.

“Initially we thought it was an aircraft. But we were taken aback when the object came close to the earth from the west and remained stationary for a while before gliding off towards the east at an unimaginable speed at about 7.30 pm,” Mr K. Mahesh and Mr B. Shalim, both residents of the village, said. Mr Shalim said he again spotted the object in the eastern sky at about 2 am.

Another villager, Mr Mahesh, even managed to click pictures of the UFO using his cellphone. Although the images are blurred, a bright circular light can be seen. Mr Mahesh said he noticed colourful lights as well.

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Steep hike in oil prices

In a surprise move, the Union government bypassed the Cabinet to raise the price of petrol by Rs 4 per litre and that of diesel by Rs 2 a litre with effect from Wednesday midnight. In the state, the hike was Rs 4.44 for petrol and Rs 2.17 for diesel.

The petroleum minister, Mr Murli Deora, told reporters that the hike was necessitated because of rising international crude oil prices which have doubled to $70 a barrel. Mr Deora only consulted party leadership and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to decide on the hike. The decision was rushed through since the Parliament’s Budget session is to begin on Thursday and the government wanted to act before that. The weekly Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

Mr Deora said the government will not raise the domestic LPG and kerosene prices though the public sector oil companies are losing Rs 92.96 per cylinder and Rs 15.26 per litre of kerosene respectively.

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After 17 years, Liberhan Babri report with Centre

The report on the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was submitted by retired judge M.S. Liberhan to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday. It took the commission of inquiry headed by Justice Liberhan 17 years and 48 extensions to arrive at this point.

The government says it is prepared for a full debate on the report in the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins on July 2. It will table the report, along with the action taken report, within the session, which ends on August 7.

The BJP, meanwhile, appears to have already gone on the defensive. Government and Congress sources said the BJP would be completely isolated on this issue, adding that no party in the NDA, barring the Shiv Sena, would support it.

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Cheif Minister to get executive jet for Rs 150 crore

The government is planning to buy a new executive jet costing Rs 130 crore to Rs 150 crore for the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy. The infrastructure and investment department put up the proposal to the finance minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, who held a budget preparatory meeting with officials on Monday.

Sources told this correspondent that the chief secretary, Mr P. Ramakanth Reddy, gave in principle approval for the purchase and forwarded it for approval from the finance wing. The finance ministry was asked to allot Rs 80 crore in the present budget which would be paid as advance for the jet.

The jet will be put to exclusive use of the Chief Minister for long distance travel within the state and outside.

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Only 3 Indians on International Cricket Council list

Only three Indian greats, left-arm spin magician Bishen Singh Bedi, prolific opener Sunil Gavaskar and champion all rounder Kapil Dev, have been named by the International Cricket Council in its 55-strong Hall of Famers list, which has 22 Englishmen in it.

The ICC, while announcing Colin Cowdrey as the 19th cricketer to be formally inducted in its elite list of cricket greats, provided the list of persons who have been chosen for the Hall of Fame, but yet to be formally inducted.

The list contains 22 Englishmen, 11 Australians, 13 West Indians, three each from India, Pakistan and two South Africans and a lone New Zealander.

Strangely, none from Sri Lanka was found good enough to make the list though it has won the World Cup in 1996. Apparently the list does not contain cricketers who have retired after 1995.

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Sibal makes it easy for students

The Union human resources development minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, proposed big bang education reforms, envisaging a single school board to be set up at the all-India level, replacing all state-level boards, and to make the board examination at the Class 10 level optional for students.

The minister said it was not possible to do away with the Class 10 board examination altogether for a number of reasons. Those students who do not intend to leave school or change schools after Class 10 should not have to sit for Class 10 board exams. For them internal assessments should be enough to move up to Class 11, he said.

Later, he cautioned students hopeful of immediate reforms that it was not going to happen this year, or even next year. Study hard, he urged them.

There was an urgent need to reform the entire process, he said, adding that this would be done after a consensus was arrived at with the state governments.

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Coming: 3 eclipses in a row

For those who look skywards, there is much celestial entertainment in store in the coming weeks, with three eclipses occurring in a span of 30 days from July 7.

The penumbra lunar eclipse, in which the moon will be darkened by the earth’s shadow, will occur on July 7 and August 6, and a total solar eclipse is set to occur on July 22. Astronomers have asked people not to miss it since the next total solar eclipse will only happen in 2064.

Interestingly, another lunar eclipse is slated to occur between 1 am and 2 am on the night of December 31, darkening the New Year celebrations.

Though astronomers are excited at the series of eclipses, astrologers are wagging a finger

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