Kerala: State-wide strike called by RSS, BJP brings life to a stand still
strike organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, brought Kerala to a halt on Tuesday. The strike was called to protest the murder of an RSS functionary by suspected Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers in the state's northern district of Kannur on Monday. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses were stoned by angry protesters and country bombs were hurled at shops that stayed opened in Kannur. Security was tightened, especially in the northern region and most offices, schools and universities remained closed.

Maharashtra: Power outages caused due to technical snag in key power plant
Mumbai was hit by severe power outages for an entire day on Tuesday due to a technical snag in the Tata Power plant, the city's main supplier of electricity. As a result, consumers served by the city's main power distributor Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport were left without electricity,  as also those who are supplied by Reliance Infrastructure. Both BEST and Reliance Infrastructure draw all their electricity from the Tata Power plant. Homes, business and hospitals in two dozen pockets of the city were severely affected by power cuts that went on from  to approximately 10 pm.

Jharkhand: Minor girl gangraped and murdered
A minor girl was gangraped and murdered by five men on Saturday in Gumla district before her body was dumped into a river, 180 km south of the state capital Ranchi. According to local police on Tuesday, the victim was brutalised as part of her assailant's ploy to take revenge on her father. The main culprit admitted to his crime in a note that was thrown into the victim's house. The police are yet to make any arrests.

Andhra Pradesh: CM refuses to disclose state capital, cites astrology
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu refused to disclose the location of the state's new capital on Tuesday, citing advice from astrologers that deemed the day to be "inauspicious". The announcement will be made at the state assembly on Thursday, which coincides with Dasami, an auspicious day in the Telugu calender.

Karnataka: Health Minister launches 'Health Adalat'
Karnataka's Minister for Health and Family Welfare UT Khader on Tuesday launched the country's first alternative dispute resolution centre for the poor that seeks to address their concerns about healthcare facilities in the state. The Health Adalat's first session saw complaints about their inability to obtain decent medical facilities at government hospitals. Many questions were raised on the possible benefits that could be garnered through state government schemes.