A Correspondent In Washington, DC

Stories by A Correspondent In Washington, DC

Guvs demand medical, secretarial allowance post retirement

Guvs demand medical, secretarial allowance post retirement

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2011

Home Minister P Chidambaram has agreed to consider the two demands of medical and secretarial allowance raised by governors at an informal meeting chaired by President Pratibha Patil during the three-day governors' conference that ended on Sunday.

BJP leaders skip event to mark Sardar Patel's birth anniversary

BJP leaders skip event to mark Sardar Patel's birth anniversary

Rediff.com   31 Oct 2011

Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday failed to show up at the Central Hall in Parliament to pay tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of the birth anniversary of India's first home minister. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Speaker Meira Kumar and innumerable Union ministers were present at the function. A senior BJP leader admitted that the absence of the party's Members of Parliament at the function was a lapse on their part.

Muttemwar too fails as Sonia's monitor of central schemes

Muttemwar too fails as Sonia's monitor of central schemes

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2011

The appointment of Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar, a former Union minister, in July as the party's general secretary to monitor central programmes appears to have failed in delivering any results so far.

Pranab fumes over 'lousy' notes to Cabinet

Pranab fumes over 'lousy' notes to Cabinet

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2011

Stressing that the Cabinet notes meant for Group of Ministers should be in line with the procedures, a Cabinet secretariat circular cites Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee pointing out mistakes galore in the notes submitted to him for one of many GoM meetings he chairs.

Report reveals manifold rise in murders, rapes in India

Report reveals manifold rise in murders, rapes in India

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2011

The 'Crime In India-2010' publication of the National Crime Records Bureau shows that burglaries and house breaking declined by 38.8% (from 1,47,379 in 1953 to 90,179 in 2010) and dacoity by 21.9% (from 5,579 in 1953 to 4,358 in 2010).

CBI registers corruption cases against top NCL execs

CBI registers corruption cases against top NCL execs

Rediff.com   25 Oct 2011

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered three separate cases against senior officials of Northern Coalfields Limited, a mini-ratna company and a major subsidiary of the Coal India Limited at Singrauli, in connection with alleged corruption cases related to procurement of mining equipment and financial irregularities.

EC plans elections to 5 states by Feb, 2012

EC plans elections to 5 states by Feb, 2012

Rediff.com   20 Oct 2011

The 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly's tenure ends on May 20, 2012 and that of the 40-member Goa assembly is up to June 14, but the Election Commission has indicated to the Centre that it is not inclined to hold their elections separately after conducting first in the three states -- Punjab, Uttrakhand and Manipur -- where the assembly terms end in March.

PM to inaugurate CBI anti-corruption conference on Oct 21

PM to inaugurate CBI anti-corruption conference on Oct 21

Rediff.com   19 Oct 2011

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the 18th Biennial Conference of the Central Bureau of Investigation and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux (ACBx) on October 21, 2011.

Exclusive! Prez appoints AP's Narasimhan as doyen of governors

Exclusive! Prez appoints AP's Narasimhan as doyen of governors

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2011

President Pratibha Patil nominated Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan as the doyen of governors to discharge responsibilities and conduct the three-day conference of governors starting October 29 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

'Hisar win foundation of BJP-HJC govt in Haryana'

'Hisar win foundation of BJP-HJC govt in Haryana'

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2011

It is a victory for Kuldeep Bishnoi in Hisar. But indirectly, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made roots into the fort of Bhajan Lal sympathisers.

PM to leave for South Africa on Monday for IBSA Summit

PM to leave for South Africa on Monday for IBSA Summit

Rediff.com   16 Oct 2011

In the backdrop of the global economy being buffeted by a series of ill winds that have put a question mark over the profligacy of European nations and brought to the fore the resultant debt crisis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave for Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday to attend the fifth trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit.

Govt feels Jaya will eventually support Kudankulam N-project

Govt feels Jaya will eventually support Kudankulam N-project

Rediff.com   13 Oct 2011

The assessment of government in New Delhi is that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha will, eventually, support the Indo-Russian joint venture Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.

'The goondas barged in and started hitting Prashantji'

'The goondas barged in and started hitting Prashantji'

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2011

Senior lawyer and Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan was attacked by three youths on Wednesday at around 4.15 pm when he was getting ready for an interview with a TV channel. Bhushan is fighting scores of cases against the United Progressive Alliance, and also the petitioner of the case related to 2G scam.

BJP gears up for Advani's 'yatra' with a theme song

BJP gears up for Advani's 'yatra' with a theme song

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2011

The Bharatiya Janata Party has adopted the anti-corruption yatra of its patriarch L K Advani, which starts from Bihar on Tuesday, as its own. It has been named the BJP Jan Chetna Yatra and is aimed at 'awakening the masses' against the United Progressive Alliance government by highlighting its lack of good governance and clean politics. The party has also coined a theme song for the yatra that will be launched at the BJP patriarch's presence at his residence.

No President's rule in Andhra Pradesh

No President's rule in Andhra Pradesh

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2011

"There will be no President's rule in Andhra Pradesh," said a senior All India Congress Committee functionary on condition of anonymity.

PM summons AP Governor to Delhi

PM summons AP Governor to Delhi

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2011

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh summoned Governor of Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan to New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the political situation in Andhra Pradesh, including the ongoing agitation on Telangana.

To mobilise crowd, Modi goes Team Anna way

To mobilise crowd, Modi goes Team Anna way

Rediff.com   16 Sep 2011

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is all set to copy anti-corruption crusaders Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal's strategy to mobilise crowd to make his proposed fast for 'sadbhavna' a super success.

Top cops to discuss terror, cyber crime

Top cops to discuss terror, cyber crime

Rediff.com   14 Sep 2011

Terrorism, left-wing extremism and cyber crime will be the subject of discussions at the three-day director general of police conference that commences on Thursday.

2012 US presidential polls: Bobby Jindal backs Rick Perry

2012 US presidential polls: Bobby Jindal backs Rick Perry

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2011

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is backing Rick Perry for president, a major endorsement for the Texas governor as the campaign for the Republican nomination enters the crucial fall stretch of the primary calendar, CNN reported.

Teesta fallout: Ties between Mamata, Pranab sever

Teesta fallout: Ties between Mamata, Pranab sever

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2011

In an affront to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to relieve an Indian Administrative Service officer he wanted as his private secretary in what appears to be fast soiling relations between the two since differences cropped up over Teesta river deal with Bangladesh.