'He had to change them because he recognises that even with his popularity....could lead to a problem. So, democracy has this way of offering corrections and telling the ruling party or the prime minister that you need to take some steps to compensate for excesses'
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the appointment of Singh as Press Secretary to the President on contract basis initially for a period of one year or until further orders, the Department of Personnel and Training said in an order.
The Congress leaders are among those invited by the prime minister to the ceremony.
'Modi was in as sweet a spot as is possible for an Indian prime minister in mid-term.' 'Why, then, did he plunge into this massive disruption?' 'The answer,' argues Ashok Malik, 'lies in a single word: Belief.'
The iconic Mughal Gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhavan will open for the public from Tuesday after President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates it. The gardens will remain open to public from February 6 to March 9 between 9:30 am and 4.00 pm. However, it will be closed on Mondays for maintenance and on March 2, on account of Holi, said Press Secretary to the President Ashok Malik. President Kovind will inaugurate the annual gardening festival 'Udyanotsav' of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
Diwali celebrations also did not take place last year though the monument was lit with multi-coloured LED bulbs.
The ceremony will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sources at the NSE as well as the President's office rejected media reports that Kovind's pulling out of the event had to do with reasons other than his packed itinerary this week.
'They are not called the President's National Awards for no reason.'
President Pranab Mukherjee presented five Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and forty-three Padma Shri awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday paid rich tributes to renowned author and journalist Khushwant Singh, describing him as a "fearless intellectual" and a "gifted author".
Two years is when the honeymoon surely starts to sour, so what should Prime Minister Narendra Modi focus on ahead of 2019? Devanik Saha offers some ideas.
Girls in the Kashmir valley hurling defiance at the security forces will detract from the legitimacy of India's response and its standing in the world, says Ajai Shukla.
'No one took umbrage, because they knew Laxman had no malice in him.'
'I have no problem with people from the right wing who speak with a certain integrity of position.'
'As in the Panchatantra tale of the cat and the monkeys, it is possible for the clever swing State to play off the two competing powers.'
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