Britain on Tuesday said it wanted to expand ties in defence and hi-tech sectors with India and was looking forward to President Pratibha Patil's state visit this month to further boost bilateral relations.
President offers prayers at Somnath temple
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel shared deep respect for each other and there were no disagreements between them.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajinder Shekhawat, who was given the Congress ticket for the Maharashtra Assembly polls raising eyebrows, today rejected allegations his mother played a role and said she has been "deliberately" dragged into his election foray.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said his ministerial colleague Sunil Deshmukh would face disciplinary action by the party if he contests against Rajendrasingh Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, in the October 13 assembly elections.
Amid speculation that the candidature of Rajendra Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, has been cleared for Maharashtra Assembly polls, the state Congress leadership left it to the party high command to decide the issue of tickets to kins of senior leaders.
The scheduled caste organisations submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil on Saturday night seeking her intervention in upholding the rights and equal opportunities bestowed upon them by the Constitution and 'infringed' by TTD in respect of worship and employment.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat is pitching for a Congress ticket to contest from the Amravati Assembly seat in Vidarbha.
The office of Wing Commander Vikram Dutta, which is located in the health club of the Presidential Estate, was burgled on Wednesday and the thieves walked away with his computer, police officials said.
The government is also likely to appoint another election commissioner along with Chawla's elevation. This would mean till April 21, 2009 the Election Commission might have four members.
Asked about the timing of his move against Chwala, CEC Gopalaswami said, "This argument regarding timing is unfair. I was dictated by circumstances. It was not a deliberate decision. I had to wait till the Karnataka elections get over. He (Chawla) took five months to reply to me. For one month he went on leave. I have taken only one and a half months to prepare my opinion once I got his (Chawla's) response (to the charges made against him)."
Union Law Minister H Bharadwaj on Monday slammed Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami for 'overstepping his powers' by recommending the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla to President Pratibha Patil."The CEC overstepped his powers. His allegations are unfortunate. He cannot behave like a political boss," Bharadwaj told mediapersons in New Delhi on Monday. He added that Chawla will take over as the next CEC once Gopalaswami demits office on April 20.
A High Court bench in Nagpur has dismissed a criminal case against Devisingh Shekhawat, husband of President Pratibha Patil, relating to abetment of suicide by a school teacher. A single judge bench of Justice Arun Choudhary, while allowing application of Devisingh Shekhawat and three others under section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code has quashed the judgment passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Khamgaon in Buldana district on February 7, 2007.
With Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami recommending the removal of his colleague Navin Chawla, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday demanded "firm action" on the issue saying the "credibility" of the poll panel is "at stake".
An impressive and colourful parade, a traditional attraction of the national event, marched down the thoroughfare connecting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the historic India Gate as President Pratibha Patil took the salute from marching contingents.
"No country can afford to take an ambivalent attitude in this fight. Arguments that terrorism is being perpetuated by independent actors are self-defeating and cannot be accepted," Patil said without naming Pakistan in her address on the eve of the 60th Republic Day.
Unfazed by Monday's developments in the Rajya Sabha, President Pratibha Patil said that it will be 'graceful' if the Women's Reservation Bill is passed after consultation 'as far as possible.'
President Pratibha Patil has cleared the names of slain former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, sub-inspector Tukaram Gopal Omble and National Security Guard commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who laid down their lives during the Mumbai terror strikes, for Ashok Chakra. A senior Rashtrapati Bhavan official told rediff.com, "All that I can tell you is that she has cleared the file and it has been sent to home ministry."
India's top cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is not new to awards and honours, will be conferred with IAF's honorary rank of Group Captain. Once Tendulkar receives the honour, he would be the first sports person to be conferred a rank by IAF and the first personality with no aviation background to have got this honour.
Cautioning against corruption in flagship welfare programmes, President Pratibha Patil said on Friday that she favoured reform of governance for effective delivery of public services for which administrators must be responsive to the needs of the people.
Major Mohit Sharma and Major D Sreeram Kumar have been awarded the country's highest peace time gallantry award Ashok Chakra.Major Sharma will be decorated with the Ashok Chakra posthumously.Major Sharma, 31, belonged to the Para Regiment. He was deputed in Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir. He lost his life along with four others while fighting terrorists in the Hafrada forest of Kupwara district in March this year.Major Sreeram Kumar, 28, is of the Artillery Regiment.
President Pratibha Patil asserted that the country is determined to create a secure environment in J&K to defeat the divisive designs of terrorism and violence, while inaugurating the Institute of Kashmir Studies at the Kashmir University on Monday in Srinagar.
President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday paid homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 17th death anniversary. Amid a continuous drizzle, the departed leader's widow and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, along with her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Vadra, reached his memorial 'Vir Bhumi' to pay their tributes. A prayer meeting was organised in the premises of the memorial.
To corner the Manmohan Singh government in the Budget Session of Parliament, a united opposition today demanded a debate on price rise on February 23, before the Railway Budget and the Union Budget are placed in the Lok Sabha.
Notwithstanding the chill in bilateral relations, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have sent their New Year greetings to their Indian counterparts.Zardari and Gilani have sent their greetings to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh through the Ministry of External Affairs, sources said on Wednesday.
Rajinder Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil and Congress MLA, on Wednesday denied his family had been accused of land grabbing in Maharashtra.
India is sending two naval ships with relief and medical supplies to Myanmar, where a severe cyclone claimed over 3,000 lives and rendered thousands more homeless. The ships, carrying food items, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines will sail to Yangon from Port Blair, the External Affairs Ministry announced in New Delhi. The top leadership has conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief assistance and to assist Myanmar in its rehabilitation efforts.
President Pratibha Patil on Saturday presented the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development to Microsoft founder Bill Gates for his charity work.
The new portal, http://helpline.rb.nic.in, which was launched on Friday by President Pratibha Patil promises to process your petition and direct it to the ministry or the department concerned directly within seven working days. Not only that, you will also get a Unique Registration Number with which your can track the progress of your petition.
Divestment in India has been a painfully slow process. Will the government finally press the gas?
The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on February 22 and the General Budget for 2010-11 will be presented on February 26.
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal's name for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports honour, was approved by the government, which announced the list of all the Arjuna and other award winners for the year 2010.
President Pratibha Patil released a Special Commemorative Stamp in honour of Late Field Marshal Sam Bahadur Manekshaw at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
On the eve of a brief session of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil and discussed internal security, the Mumbai terror attack and other issues of national importance. The hour-long meeting took place amid speculation that the prime minister would soon be undertaking a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and indisposition of Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was present at the singing ceremony along with visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil, said India was an 'important' partner for his country in the Asia-Pacific region. The first agreement calls for cooperation in air services between the two countries while the second one was related to enhanced ties in the energy sector.
Ram Jethmalani, Hema Malini, Dara Singh and four other nominated members of the Rajya Sabha will complete their term on August 26, enabling the United Progressive Alliance government to get own choice of persons of eminence nominated by President Pratibha Patil.
President Pratibha Patil on Monday embarked on a ten-day visit to Vietnam and Indonesia to give a new thrust to India's 'Look East' policy and bolster its bilateral ties with these economically and strategically important neighbours in the ASEAN region.
Huge backlog of cases in the courts is a major issue and the solution lies in changing laws and strengthening judicial institutions, President Pratibha Patil said in Thane on Saturday.
President Pratibha Patil has approved the award of Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak for Rukhsana Kosser, the Jammu girl who braved the bullets of Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants and killed one of them to save her family.
The Rajasthan Dharma Swatantraya Bill, 2008, reintroduced by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje last week, prohibits conversion by use of force, allurement or fradulent means. It was passed by voice vote, even as Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Lok Janshakti Party Legislative Assembly members demanded that it be referred to a select committee.
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