It is "absolutely clear" that the new laws will finish government mandis (wholesale markets) and private mandis where big corporates will sell and buy will have monopoly, he claimed.
Pakistan's election commission has expressed its inability to hold general elections within three months due to legal, constitutional and logistical challenges, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Disruptions on issues such as Telangana, atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils, sub-quota for minorities, and shortage of fertilisers on Monday marred President Pratibha Patil's Address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
President Pranab Mukherjee, making his first address to a joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session, expressed his concerns about economic slowdown, job insecurity and violence against women. Here is the full text of his speech.
The controversial VVIP chopper scam is set to turn the three-month-long Budget session of Parliament beginning Thursday into a troubled affair for the government with the Opposition raring for an attack eyeing the Lok Sabha polls which are not far away.
Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he said the first prime minister of India (Jawaharlal Nehru) wrote to the first chief minister of Assam (Gopinath Bordoloi), saying there was a need to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants.
Expressing commitment to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through dialogue, India on Monday said it looks forward to building upon progress made so far while being mindful of the need for Pakistan to take credible action against terror groups and infrastructure.
The government on Monday said there will be no compromise on nuclear safety or livelihood of any section of society in India's pursuit of atomic power, a statement that comes against the backdrop of anti-nuclear protests in Kudankulam and Jaitapur.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha announced that toll collection will not be allowed in Rajasthan from February 12.
Badal said farmers are braving the cold and waiting at Delhi's borders but the government's "eyes and ears are shut".
Gandhi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of bringing back the idea of a 'king of India' that was 'smashed in 1947" and targeted the PM saying that the 'idea of a king is back.."
President Pratibha Patil on Monday described the Commonwealth Games held in October last year as a "great success" and lauded Delhiites for showing "exemplary discipline and courtesy".
The issue of separate Telangana was raised on the opening day of the Budget session on Monday with about a dozen Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh staging a dharna to protest absence of any mention of the issue in the President's address.
Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, she said commencement of train services in the Kashmir Valley from Qazigund to Baramulla demonstrates the government's commitment to development of all corners of our country.
10 broad areas of priority" for the United Progressive Alliance government in the next five years were outlined by President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday
In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha noted that the mission has begun to strengthen rural public health infrastructure. The President also said that the vaccine producing institutes in the public sector will be revived to support the immunisation programme.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday criticised the government for proceeding with the presentation of the Union Budget after the death of E Ahamed, accusing it if delaying announcement of the news so that it could present the Budget without any hiccups
Outlining its coordinated action on the energy front, the government on Thursday said it would strive to added at least 13,000 mega watt of power generating capacity each year through a mix of nuclear, hydel, coal and renewable sources.
India on Wednesday said it will seek to 'reshape' ties with Pakistan depending on its sincerity in acting against terror groups operating from its soil. "My government will seek to reshape our relationship with Pakistan depending on the sincerity of Pakistan's actions to confront groups who launch terrorist attacks against India from its territory," President Pratibha Patil said in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
A day's joint sitting of Parliament is likely on November 9 to enable US President Barack Obama to address the members while the Winter session could be convened from the third week of November as usual.
After having prioritised the United Progressive Alliance government's programmes for its second term, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is asking his ministerial colleagues to stick to the agenda listed for the first 100 days in office.Dr Singh is writing a letter to his colleagues in the Union Council of Ministers to focus on the priorities and programmes outlined in President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
Training her guns on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was extremely critical of President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of parliament in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Union Budget for 2009-10 will reflect UPA government's ambitious agenda like Rs 3 kg rice or wheat for BPL families, enlarging NREGA coverage and more focus on infrastructure to bring the economy on high growth.
To further improve rail connectivity and infrastructure development, 22 stations located at metropolitan centres and major tourist centres will be developed through public-private partnership, the President said.
"We have moved closer to complete legal equality for women in all spheres by removing discriminatory legislation, amending existing legislation and by enacting new legislation that gives women equal rights of ownership of assets like houses and land," President Patil said, addressing the joint sitting of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session.
India is currently estimated to have a total workforce of 500 million, which is expected to grow by 20 million every year over the next 10 years. President Pratibha Patil said India is a "nation of young people" and the country's youth can be made employable by investing in skill development. "India's demographic dividends can be realised only if the country invests in developing skills to make our youths employable," she said.
In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil said, "Even in the prevailing adverse global environment, our economy, it is hoped, would still register a relatively high growth rate." Official estimates have pegged GDP growth for FY'09 at 7.1 per cent, considered good at a time when most developed economies are facing recession.
In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil termed the terror attack on Mumbai as an attempt to retard the country's economic progress and said this and terrorist incidents in various cities were assaults on all the values of the country.
Wild celebrations broke out at a joint sitting of parliament when Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced the news.
The Centre has begun consulting states on implementing its Rs 3 per kg rice/wheat scheme for the poor, but discussions got stuck on what would be the basis for defining the beneficiaries.
Every third Indian today owns a phone connection, thanks to a number of steps taken by the government to foster affordable telecom services.
"Since our savings rate is as high as 35 per cent. If all work together, we can achieve a growth rate of 8 to 9 per cent, even if the world economy does not improve," he said while winding up the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's address to joint sitting of Parliament.
Addressing the Joint Sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget Session, President Pratibha Patil said the 11th Plan period will see expansion in the number of technical institutions. Eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management and two Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research in addition to the three in Pune, Kolkata and Mohali, will be set up, she said.
In her address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Patil said coal is the main source of energy in India and the government has allocated 158 blocks with reserves of almost 40 billion tonnes to public and private sector companies in power, cement and sponge iron for captive use. Coal-abundant India has been pushing for the $6-8 billion coal-to-liquid project to cut its dependence on imported oil.
This comes after the government and opposition parties said a consensus has been reached to extend the duration of the allotted time on the discussion on a Motion Thanking the President for his Address to the Joint Sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajaya Sabha at the beginning of the Budget Session, from the currently allocated 10 hours to 15 hours.
Replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the Parliament, Modi said the Congress' 'arrogance' has not gone away despite multiple electoral defeats and its 'misdeeds' seem to indicate that it has made up its mind not to come to power for the next 100 years.
Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran said that free broadband service in India could soon become a reality. He also said that zero-rental landline phones too might soon see the light of day.
Ahmed was taken ill during the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses.
Here are the highlights of the economic agenda unveiled by President A P J Abdul Kalam at the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.
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