Naxalism is a wake-up call for the country, former Union home secretary G K Pillai said in New Delhi, while blaming poor governance for the rise in the problem.
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Wednesday discussed the situation in Nagaland with Governor Nikhil Kumar and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the wake of Manipur government opposing National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah leader T Muivah's visit to his village.
The National Investigation Agency, which was formed to investigate cases relating to terrorism, was not roped in for the investigation into the Pune blast.
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Saturday visited border areas of Suchetgarh and Abdullian in Jammu region to review situation along the International Border.
Former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Thursday said that the affidavit submitted to the Gujarat high court in 2009 about Lashkar-e-Taiyba links of Ishrat Jahan and her accomplices, who were killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004, was changed at the "political level".
'Even though he knew full well that the manipulation went against the facts as he knew them, Pillai nonchalantly contented himself with stating that since the file came from the minister himself, he just passed it on as it was,' says B S Raghavan.
The home secretary said software companies in India were now realising this fact and they were taking their own measures to protect themselves. "And the government is also in partnership with many of the companies to make an effort to provide adequate security," he said.
Ahead of Thursday's Foreign Minister-level talks, Pakistan expressed disappointment over Indian Home Secretary G K Pillai's remarks on the Inter-Services-Intyelligence's involvement in the Mumbai terror attack citing leads from Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Headley's interrogation.
Union Home Secretary G K PIllai has said Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana. MPs from the non-Telangana areas will meet Home Minister P Chidambaram and Law Minister Veerappa Moily.
The resignation came hours ahead of a scheduled board meeting of MCX-SX, where former LIC Chairman Thomas Mathew T has taken over as new Chairman.
David Coleman Headley, arrested by the FBI for plotting a major terror attack in India at the behest of the LeT, had visited the country, including Mumbai, several times, Home Secretary G K Pillai said today.
Terming Thursday's attack on a passenger train in Jharkhand as a 'cowardly act', Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said on Friday that Maoists were terrorists and he had no sympathy for them.
Concerned over spurt in Naxal violence, Union Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai will arrive in Raipur on Monday on a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh during which he will take stock of the security situation, redeployment of paramilitary forces and visit some worst Maoist-hit areas.
The apex court-appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha committee moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to appoint former home secretary G K Pillai as an observer to guide' the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the administrative works including award of contracts, transparency norms and holding of future domestic, international and Indian Premier League matches.
With the US economy in recession, the Obama administration is coming under a domestic pressure to protect its economy by restricting outsourcing of manufacturing and services. Newly appointed US trade representative Ron Kirk said in Geneva on Wednesday that countries like India and China which are seeking leadership position in WTO should agree to give improved market access.
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Tuesday said the West Bengal government had committed a mistake by negotiating the release of an abducted police official in exchange of releasing tribal women, who were reportedly supporters of Maoists. "I think they (the state government) did make mistake. They should have acted a little tough," Pillai said when asked by a TV channel whether the West Bengal government made a 'fatal mistake' while carrying out the swap.
The Home Ministry, on Tuesday, convened a meeting of chief secretaries and police chiefs of nine states which are most hit by the left-wing extremism. Official sources said the 24th meeting of the Coordination committee on left wing extremism, chaired by Home Secretary G K Pillai, discussed the developmental activities that needs to be undertaken in the Naxal affected states.
In the first Chennai Test against Bangladesh, Pant scored a magnificent century and returned to Test side with a bang.
The Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate have been asked by the government to pull up their socks and expedite disposal of cases related to terror financing in various parts of the country.
Home Secretary G K Pillai backtracked on his statement given earlier on Friday where he said that Hyderabad would be the capital of the proposed Telangana state.
"Whatever we have given in the affidavit is a fact available with the Home Ministry...we are not backtracking from the affidavit," Home Secretary G K Pillai told media-persons in New Delhi. However, he went on to add that "terrorists cannot be killed in cold blood", indicating that due process of law had to be followed.
In an exclusive interview with rediff at his New Delhi residence this week, former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai categorically stated, "Smaller states have the advantage of effective administration as well as speedy development."
Singh, now a Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament from Bihar, said what was the reason for the change of the affidavit when the Intelligence Bureau had said that Ishrat had links with Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists.
Set to retire on June 30, Home Secretary GK Pillai said that if militant leadership in Kashmir wants it can join the peace process. But a dialogue is not something that these jihadists are looking at. With declining support from locals the terrorists in Valley may be down but not out, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
'Maritime security is not easy. There are lakhs of fishing boats, and it is almost impossible to monitor each one of them,' says Home Secretary G K Pillai.
Home Secretary G K Pillai talks to rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa about the lack of information from the United States on Lashkar operative David Headley
Handing over of United Liberation Front of Asom leader Anup Chetia to India, cooperation in anti-terror steps and firing along the international border will be high on the agenda during the home secretary-level talks between India and Bangladesh beginning Wednesday.
Home Secretary, Government of India, G K Pillai has assured that the Sanjay Dutt-Bipasha Basu drama will release as planned.
Two days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plays host to his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani at Mohali during the World Cup semi-final match between the two neighbours, the home secretaries of India and Pakistan are scheduled to hold talks on a range of bilateral issues at New Delhi on Monday. The talks are scheduled to start at the Ashoka hotel in the capital at 10 am.Pakistan Home Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman arrived in India on Sunday.
In an open letter, they said, "We are witnessing a frenzy of hate filled destruction in the country where at the sacrificial altar are not just Muslims and members of the other minority communities but the Constitution itself."
Probe into the 26/11 case will be completed within four to six weeks by the National Investigation Agency and a charge-sheet will be filed after that, Home Secretary G K Pillai said on Thursday
Prasad, additional secretary in the home ministry, will inquire into the circumstances in which the files related to the case of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, went missing.
India has proposed two sets of dates -- March 21-22 and March 28-29 -- to Pakistan for Home Secretary-level talks, where counter-terrorism, including progress in Mumbai terror attacks trial and the demand for voice samples of 26/11 accused are expected to be discussed.
Marking the first step in the resumption of the stalled dialogue process, home secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold talks in New Delhi on March 28 and 29 on a range of issues including terrorism and the 26/11 trial.This will be the first structured bilateral secretary-level meeting on counter-terrorism after the recent Indo-Pak decision to resume comprehensive talks.Islamabad has conveyed to New Delhi its consent to the meeting.
Government sources said the hawkish elements in Pakistan, which do not want dialogue between the two countries, were upset when the talks between the Home Ministers and Home Secretaries went off well last month.
India and Nepal on Friday launched their crucial two-day home secretary-level talks in Kathmandu. The two sides are expected to ink an extradition treaty and formulate a border security and management strategy. Home Secretary G K Pillai, who arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday evening, commenced the bilateral security meeting with his Nepalese counterpart Govinda Kusum and is likely to seek tough action against those carrying out anti-India activities from this country.
An under secretary serving in the home ministry has filed the FIR at the Parliament Street Police station in New Delhi under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants) of the Indian Penal Code asking police to probe "why, how and under what circumstances" five documents related to the case went missing.
With the Lodha Committee seeking direction from the Supreme Court on appointment of former Union Home Secretary GK Pillai as observer to "guide" BCCI, the top brass of the board are unaware as to how the process of awarding nearly 100 pending tenders will be carried out.
In an exclusive interview to rediff.com, Pillai, who is retiring on Thursday after 39 years of service, said, "At the moment they are scattered, they are very few. I would say, if we talk about so-called armed people, there will be fewer than 100 Hindu radicals in a country of our size. It's not the major problem. It's more out of retaliation for what happened."
For the first time in its 31-year-long struggle, the banned United Liberation Front od Asom will hold face-to-face unconditional talks with the Centre tomorrow in an attempt to usher in peace in insurgency-hit Assam. An eight-member ULFA delegation led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa will meet Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.