India's population pegged at 1,210.2 million

India;s census commissioner says the 2011 count puts the country;s population at about 1,210.2 million people, or 17 percent of the world population.

C.Chandramauli said Thursday that the preliminary results show a 17.6 percent increase from the 2001 census, but indicated that the growth rate is slowing.

The provisional 2011 Census report released on Thursday has pegged India;s population pegged at 1,210.2 million (male ; 623.7 million and female ; 586.5 million).

The country;s population is now bigger than the combined population of USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh, says the Census report. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state and the combined population of UP and Maharashtra is bigger than the U.S.

Child sex ratio in 2011 is 914 female against 1,000 male ; the lowest since Independence.

Highest population density is in Delhi;s northeast district(37,346 per sq km) while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh (just one per sq km), says 2011 Census report.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1587153.ece

Centre may ban book that says Gandhi is bisexual

Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said the Centre was planning to ban the controversial book by Pulitzer Prize-winning former editor of The New York Times Joseph Lelyveld that has quoted correspondence to suggest Mahatma Gandhi was bisexual.

The government has taken a serious note of the book that has made disgraceful statement on the national leader. It is demeaning for the nation,; he said when asked on the government;s reaction to the book during his visit to Congress Bhavan in Pune.

Moily;s statement came even as the Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to approach the Union government seeking a ban on the book.

;The references made by the American author are not acceptable and the government will initiate steps to ensure that the book does not get published in Maharashtra. We will also request the Central government to initiate steps to ban the book which maligns Mahatma Gandhi;s image,; said Industries Minister Narayan Rane in Mumbai.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centre-may-ban-book-that-says-gandhi-is-bisexual/768891/

MBA student commits suicide in south Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) A 21-year-old MBA student allegedly committed suicide in Khanpur area ofsouth Delhi;this evening, police said.

The incident took place in Neb Sarai area at around 7:30 PM.

The deceased, identified as Shikha Tiwari, was found hanging at her residence.

A student of the privately-run Delhi;Institute of Management Okhla, Tiwari was residing in a flat in Khanpur along with her three friends.

She did not leave any suicide note and her body has been sent for postmortem, a senior police official said.

;We are investigating the case. It has as yet not been ascertained as to why she took the extreme step,; he said. PTI SJY

http://in.news.yahoo.com/mba-student-commits-suicide-south-delhi-20110328-113000-507.html