A Correspondent In Washington, DC

Stories by A Correspondent In Washington, DC

CBI books IAS officer in disproportionate assets case

CBI books IAS officer in disproportionate assets case

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2011

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against Dhanalakshmi Gowda, an Indian Administrative Service officer (2000 Uttar Pradesh batch), presently working as director in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

Protests, delays reason for low nuclear power generation

Protests, delays reason for low nuclear power generation

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2011

India's target of nuclear power generation of 20,000 megawatt by 2020 has been quietly lowered by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the only government agency setting up the nuclear power plants in the country, to 11,080 MW.

Cold vibes from Cong, Ajit Singh drops demand for cabinet berth

Cold vibes from Cong, Ajit Singh drops demand for cabinet berth

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2011

Perturbed by the Congress for not finalising the electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh yet, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Ajit Singh is understood to have dropped his demand for two portfolios, as cabinet minister for himself and a minister of state post for his MP son Jayant Chaudhary.

Sensex will fall 400 pts if FDI in retail not approved: Pranab

Sensex will fall 400 pts if FDI in retail not approved: Pranab

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2011

Why the Union Cabinet was so impatient to allow FDI in multi-brand retail flummoxed many.

Governor Joshi in Delhi to discuss UP division

Governor Joshi in Delhi to discuss UP division

Rediff.com   23 Nov 2011

Uttar Pradesh Governor BL Joshi is in New Delhi to consult the central leadership on Uttar Pradesh assembly's resolution to split the state into four parts.

DMK-AIADMK draw strategies ahead of winter session

DMK-AIADMK draw strategies ahead of winter session

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2011

In New Delhi The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam during winter session of Parliament would maintain neutrality, but will oppose the United Progressive Alliance-II's stance on price rise and the Kudankulam issues.

Don't paralyse govt with draconian lokpal, PM told

Don't paralyse govt with draconian lokpal, PM told

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2011

A former Delhi chief secretary and currently Delhi's public grievance commission chairman has warned the prime minister not to strangle the 'doers' in the bureaucracy and paralyse the government while the 'non-doers' go scot free in the euphoria over ushering in a strong anti-corruption ombudsman.

No entry for VIPs to Parliament unless endorsed by MPs

No entry for VIPs to Parliament unless endorsed by MPs

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2011

Visitors will be issued entry passes only if an MP fills up the prescribed certificate and affirms that the VIP is known to him/her personally.

PM welcomes greater investment, technology flow from Singapore

PM welcomes greater investment, technology flow from Singapore

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2011

A day after attending the India-Asean summit and the East Asia Summit in furtherance on India's Look East policy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday credited Singapore for leading to the strategic shift in the nation's foreign and economic policies.

Alagiri red-flags fertiliser price decontrol

Alagiri red-flags fertiliser price decontrol

Rediff.com   19 Nov 2011

In a terse note to the prime minister, Union Minister of Fertilisers M K Alagiri has opposed the UPA-2 government's move to decontrol urea that was left out from the 2010 policy enforced on the phosphatic and potassic fertilisers known as NPK, pointing out the disaster of allowing the manufacturers and importers instead of the government to fix the maximum retail price of these fertilisers.

PAC pulls up DoT over mobile tower radiation

PAC pulls up DoT over mobile tower radiation

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2011

A draft report of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has expressed shock that Department of Telecommunication has no monitoring mechanism to verify authenticity of the self-certification of the operators, deprecating "such a mindless arrangement made by the DoT to check the radiation level."

EC guidelines to keep a tab on paid news

EC guidelines to keep a tab on paid news

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2011

A four-point charter issued by the Election Commission to bring about uniformity in the election process requires chief electoral officers to secure all details and have standard advertisement rate cards ready six months before the expiry of the state assembly.

Claiming injustice, DMK to occupy TDP Parliament chamber

Claiming injustice, DMK to occupy TDP Parliament chamber

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2011

Members of Parliament from the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam have threatened to forcefully occupy the office of Telugu Desam Party inside Parliament house next week.

SC notice to Andhra govt on plea against Telangana stir

SC notice to Andhra govt on plea against Telangana stir

Rediff.com   11 Nov 2011

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh government, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and other associations on a petition complaining that normal activities in the state have been disrupted because of the Telangana stir.

SC to examine PILs on Telangana agitation on Friday

SC to examine PILs on Telangana agitation on Friday

Rediff.com   10 Nov 2011

The Supreme Court will examine a batch of pending public interest litigations urging it to restrain the Centre from carving out a separate Telangana state on Friday.

Sardarpura riots case: A chronology of events

Sardarpura riots case: A chronology of events

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2011

A special court in Gujarat on Wednesday convicted 31 of the 73 accused in the 2002 Sardarpura post-Godhra riot case, in which 33 people of a minority community were burnt alive. Mahesh Langa brings you a chronological order of how the case unfolded.

Congress likely to state decision on Telangana by weekend

Congress likely to state decision on Telangana by weekend

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2011

All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi is studying AICC observer Ghulam Nabi Azad's note on Telangana and a decision is likely to be out by this weekend.

Misuse of Skype, VOIP bring them under IB scanner

Misuse of Skype, VOIP bring them under IB scanner

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2011

Police asked to develop de-encryption software to improve gathering of technical intelligence on terror groups, who were using it to avoid detection.

2G scam: 29-page long sentence for Raja!

2G scam: 29-page long sentence for Raja!

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2011

Special Judge O P Saini, hearing the 2G spectrum scam, has set a record of sorts with an unwieldy sentence running into 29 pages in the order he passed on October 22, framing charges against former Telecom Minister A Raja and 16 others.

Pawar meets Sonia, triggers speculation

Pawar meets Sonia, triggers speculation

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2011

Nationalist Congress Party chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's courtesy call to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursdayevening fuelled intense speculation even as both the parties insisted that it had nothing to do with politics.