This must be a Plan for the poor, says PM
A full meeting of the Planning Commission, chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today accepted the Tenth Five Year Plan's growth target of eight per cent but emphasised that the attempt should be to go beyond that growth rate in order to double the country's per capita income in 10 years.

Progress on LAC clarification
India and China have made considerable progress in narrowing down their differences in determining the alignment of a 545-km. border stretch and have constituted an eminent persons group which will draw up a road map for improving ties.

'Cong. has many PM candidates'
The Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, currently visiting the United States, has said her party had several Prime Ministerial candidates, including some who were accompanying her.

Maran against new trade round at WTO
The Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran, has firmly opposed proposals for a new round of trade negotiations at the coming World Trade Organisation ministerial conference at a time when the European Union and the U.S. have banded together to seek ``an ambitious new round''.

Bank frauds, NPAs rising: CBI
As the economy continues on the path of liberalisation and with it the banking sector expands, the law enforcing agencies appear concerned over the rising graph of bank frauds in the country involving mind boggling amounts of public money.

Mass conversion in T.N. village
About 1,000 members belonging to 225 Arundhadhiar families of a village, about 30 km from here, today embraced Christianity in protest against alleged excesses by caste Hindus.

Reforms only option, says Sonia
The Leader of the Opposition and Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, has said that while compulsion might have triggered economic reforms in India, conviction was sustaining them and there was no alternative but to pursue the reform route while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of the state to spur social and economic change.

India, Turkey sign extradition treaty
India and Turkey today signed an extradition treaty whereby they are to cooperate in fighting crime and criminality. It was signed by the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, and Turkey's Justice Minister, Dr. Hikmet Sami Turk.