The government today reacted sharply to detention of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan at an US airport, saying many such incidents have taken place in that country and suggested a tit for tat.
Advocating self regulation in the broadcast sector, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Thursday defended Press Council chairman Justice Katju for initiating a debate on whether to have a regulatory body and for raising the issue in public.
Ahead of Sunday's reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers, three Cabinet ministers and a minister of state resigned on Saturday, saying they want to work for the party.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Friday accused news channels of helping civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal to malign the image of people by airing his "unsubstantiated allegations of wrong-doings".
Justifying the government's action in seeking a second legal opinion from the Attorney General on Army Chief General V K Singh's age row, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Friday said it was done in view of fresh material and points coming up on the issue. Soni's justification comes in the wake of the Supreme Court questioning the government's action of seeking the Attorney General's opinion for the second time on the issue.
The government on Tuesday said it was open to the idea of holding an all-party meeting on the issue of regulating contents on cable television but maintained that a 'fatwa' or a direction will not help serve the purpose.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Saturday said Law Minister Salman Khurshid will respond to the allegations against him on returning from his foreign visit and questioned whether it was fair to demand resignations by creating pressure through dharnas.
Amid questions over how the then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson fled India, the central government said on Thursday that the group of ministers set up on the Bhopal gas tragedy issue will look into all aspects related to the incident and facts would be presented before the nation.
The stage is set now for a major revamp of the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday with the likely induction of at least ten new faces and promotion of some ministers of state, besides a rejig in the Cabinet, in which Anand Sharma may get the external affairs portfolio.
The ICC on Tuesday agreed to allow Indian TV channels to attend the high-voltage World Cup semi-finals between India and Pakistan following a request from Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
Dubbing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's recent comment on women as "childish", Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Thursday said he is not "sensitive" towards women.
31 satellite TV channels are awaiting the government's approval.
The issue of content code for television news channels will be discussed with all stake holders to find a solution, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said on Friday.
Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni spoke to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt briefly on the current logjam in Parliament over the government's decision allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade.
A US daily's trenchant criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has come under attack from Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, who plans to take up the issue with the External Affairs Ministry so that "strong action" can be taken in the matter.
Home Minister P Chidambaram was on Friday appointed the head of the Empowered Group of Ministers on spectrum auction that was reconstituted after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar declined the job.
Chief ministers of Tripura and Uttarakhand on Sunday joined the anti- National Counterterrorism Center chorus taking to 12 the number of opposing states even as their Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi accused United Progressive Alliance of "attacking" the country's federal structure.
Backing Salman Khurshid, two senior Union ministers Monday said there was no question of the law minister being isolated within the government following allegations of misappropriation of funds by an NGO headed by him.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry today said it could not put in place a regulatory framework for mobile TV service as the available spectrum for the service was far below requirement.
Addressing media persons, Soni said: "India is a proud nation. Mahatma Gandhi uprooted the British empire through power of satyagraha from the Indian soil. Violence has no place in Indian society."
The committee, which submitted its report to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Monday, has taken a serious view of the small sample size used by the two existing rating agencies in India.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is all set to carry a major reshuffle in his Cabinet that is scheduled to take place around 11:30 am on Sunday. The reshuffle is likely to see the inclusion of several young faces
Government has approved Rs. 7,029 crore compensation to states for the losses they suffered due to reduction in central sales tax rate.
Maintaining that the United Progressive Alliance government is not in favour of "censorship but self-regulation" by the media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Monday said certain ground rules for respect of national symbols have to be followed by every Indian citizen.
Taking serious note of mushrooming media schools in the country, government is mulling framing guidelines to protect the interest of students who have to eke out exorbitant fees for these unrecognised courses.
"I cannot agree with any statement which says that there is lack of governance. I cannot agree with that perception at all," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.
The government's move is aimed at implementing the provisions incorporated in the Cable Television Network Rules 1994. Introduced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, the paper suggests that if 'a product that uses a brand or logo, which is also used for promoting cigarettes and tobacco products, then the visual of the advertisement should depict only the product being advertised and not prohibited products in any form or manner.'
As the government faces heat over corruption and black money, it is planning to bring a law to prevent the misuse of benami transactions, a key source of illicit funds.
The Centre on Thursday said the United Progressive Alliance allies were not covered in the reshuffle of the Council of Ministers in view of the upcoming assembly elections in various states."It was not that big a reshuffle. Only the portfolios were shuffled," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said while briefing media on the Cabinet meeting."It was not that big a reshuffle. Only the portfolios were shuffled," Information, Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said
Slamming the Karnataka government for failing to stop attacks by Hindu outfits on young boys and girls in the state in name of moral policing, the Centre on Monday demanded firm action against the "hoodlums" for such acts.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the Union Cabinet has accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Railways for payment of PLB equivalent to 78 days' wages for 2010-11 for all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to increase reservation for women to 50 per cent in panchayats.
The Centre has postponed taking a decision on the suggestion made by a three-member ministerial group regarding the Delhi high court judgment to decriminalise gay sex.
Condemning the killing of a senior journalist of English tabloid Mid-Day in Mumbai on Saturday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said no civilised society can tolerate this kind of attack on the freedom of the press."This act has challenged the freedom of press and the perusal of objective reporting. This incident is a sign of insanity perpetuated by mindless individuals in which innocent citizens are killed," she said.
Facing Anna Hazare's threat to go on an indefinite fast from August 16, the government and the Congress on Thursday hardened its stand, making it clear to activists involved in the drafting the Lokpal Bill that Parliament is the final authority in making laws.
Several complaints had been received about illegal and unlicensed television channels and action had been taken against them, the government informed the Rajya Sabha.
Informing that the Cabinet had approved a resolution in this regard, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told media persons that the high court verdict will be just one step in the legal process and that it did not necessarily end with the judgment unless it is acceptable to all sections.
This will be the second merger of an associate bank with the SBI after a similar exercise with the State Bank of Saurashtra in August 2008.
Though the bill has been pending before the upper house since 24th November,1988 no decision could be reached in the house. "The cabinet has at its meeting held on August 29,1988, approved the proposal to transfer the subject of sports from the state list to the concurrent list of the Constitution of India. The main objective behind proposed Sixty First Amendment bill was to ensure effective implementation of National Sports Policy,1984.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is also not immune to unwanted and unsolicited calls from loan companies.
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