2050: India to be most populous

Washington (Kyodo): India, now the second most populous nation, is expected to outrank China in 2050, the US commerce department’s census bureau has said.

The census body said India’s population will be around 1.6 billion in 2050. China’s population then is estimated to be around 1.4 billion.

The global population has topped 6.5 billion, the population clock of the census bureau showed on Saturday.The clock revises its estimates every five to 10 minutes.

The department says if the population grows at the current pace, it will exceed 7 billion in 2013 and reach 9.2 billion in 2050.

In 2006, the population is estimated to grow by around 74 million, or 1.14 per cent, from 2005, with 4.1 people being born every second and 1.8 people dying.

The global population is estimated to grow for the next 50 years, although the pace of growth has been on the decline.

Husain summoned by court

Indore (PTI): A local court on Monday issued summons to painter M.F. Husain for allegedly painting the picture of Bharat Mata in an obscene manner.

The petitioner, a city-based advocate, alleged that by painting the picture of Bharat Mata in an obscene manner the painter has tried to disrupt the unity and diversity of the country and promoted vulgarity.

The petition also cited earlier occasions when Husain allegedly hurt popular sentiments by painting nude pictures of goddess Durga.

Husain was asked to be present in the court on March 22.

Rajkumar ill

Bangalore (PTI): Kannada thespian Rajkumar, 78, was admitted to a private hospital here on Monday after he complained of severe chest pain, breathing difficulty and sweating.

His condition was stable and he had not suffered a heart attack, doctors attending on him said. He had an episode of angina.

Farmers’ suicide

Akola (PTI): Three debt-ridden farmers in Maharashtra’s west Vidarbha region have allegedly committed suicide due to crop failure, police said.Two farmers are from Akola and one from the adjoining Buldana district.

Militant duo held

New Delhi (PTI): Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were held from the New Delhi railway station on Sunday evening and 3 kg of RDX seized from them, a senior police official said on Monday. Two pistols and Rs 40,000 were also found on Shaheen and Shamil.

The Delhi cabinet on Monday approved a Rs 459-crore suspension bridge to be built across the Yamuna. Modelled on the London Bridge, it will have a two-level platform with two lifts.