Mukherjee, who was in South Korea for a three-day official visit, came to the Korean Demilitarised Zone for a brief time.
Some tax reliefs are proposed to be announced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday, amid demands from various Opposition parties to review service tax proposal for the housing sector in the budget.
"To achieve 9 per cent growth (it) will require little longer time", Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, participating in a function organised by a private TV channel. Mukherjee said this fiscal 'we will have six per cent plus growth.'
On instructions from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Intelligence Bureau has taken up the task of identifying a sudden quantum jump in the amount of foreign money flowing in the country through withdrawals by foreigners on credit and debit cards issued by foreign banks.
The two major changes include: keeping an option open for supplying more than 3 kg of subsidised foodgrains to general households and widening its reach to include lactating women, destitute and aged people and providing nutritious food to children.
Putting to rest speculations that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was reluctant to address the Parliament -- on the Indo-Pakistan joint statement issued at Sharm el-Sheikh -- the Prime Minister's office has clarified that both the PM and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will speak on the subject.Media reports on Tuesday night had claimed that only Mukerjee would address the Parliament.According to sources, new additions have been made to the PM's earlier statement.
Mukherjee said Fernandes approved the visits, which the commission claimed was for inspecting weapons systems under probe, on December 22, 2003, when it was inquiring into 14 major defence deals.
Amid fears of double-dip recession, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday called for concerted action by G-20 nations to provide impetus to the world economy and deal with the related problems.
In 2021, the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. But many wonder, why despite the public sentiment the country's highest civilian honour continues to elude the man who put Indian hockey on the world map.
In a move which could further rock the United Progressive Alliance and create fresh fissures at the highest level in the government, union Home Minister P Chidambaram has fired a salvo against Finance Minister Pranab mukherjee on the issue of price rise saying that inflation is the biggest tax which the people have to face.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday stepped into the 2G spectrum row that has engulfed the government by meeting Home Minister P Chidambaram and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee amid unconfirmed reports that the former had offered to quit.
The meeting, slated for 1300 hours, could not commence on time and was delayed by over half an hour.
"She is a guest and should behave like a guest. She should not do anything that would hurt the people's sentiment," Pranab said while denying a report that the author was virtually under house arrest.
In the past three years, agreements on defence cooperation have been entered into by India with several countries, including China, Russia, the UK and France, Mukherjee said.
Mukherjee, who held the External Affairs portfolio in the P V Narasimha Rao government till May 1996, said he was happy to be back.
Lagarde said that she had elaborate discussions on the general economic situation.
The minister handed over to Sichuan Province Vice Governor Huang Xiaoxiang the supplies brought by an Indian Air Force aircraft to Chengdu as part of the $5 million aid announced by India. Huang said the provincial government and the people were grateful to India for offering help during difficult times, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The discussion on the joint statement would start after a special discussion on the issue of price rise of essential commodities, an issue that led to protests from several opposition parties in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.
Agitated over the police action against protesting Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing activists in New Delhi on Tuesday, senior BJP leader L K Advani on Wednesday complained to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the orders seem to have come directly from Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Anna Hazare-led activists on Monday reacted sharply Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for accusing the civil society of trying to undermine democracy and said his statement betrayed a "distorted understanding of democracy and arrogance of power".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday held discussions with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser M K Narayanan on the deliberations in the Nuclear Suppliers Group where a consensus on a waiver for India is still elusive.
Justifying the government's austerity drive, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday the restrictions on foreign visits and other expenses are aimed at curbing wasteful expenditure and containing fiscal deficit.
Earlier, the minister visited the site of the Indian National Army memorial and described it as a "poignant moment".
The Mumbai attacks came up for discussion when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday, with the Indian side apprising him about Pakistani linkages to the terror strikes and urging him to press Islamabad to cooperate.
The India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday monsoon rains are expected to be below normal at 95 per cent of the long period average, with margin for error of plus or minus 4 per cent.
Elements in Pakistan responsible for Mumbai attacks according to preliminary information with us, says External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to talk to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday on the Mumbai attacks, Mukherjee added.
Terrorism, trade and port transit issues are likely to dominate the bilateral talks as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee becomes the first high-level Indian dignitary to visit Bangladesh since the assumption of office by Sheikh Hasina.
During the two-day visit, Mukherjee will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and discuss the latest situation in the northern part of the island nation, sources said. Mukherjee is expected to impress upon Rajapaksa government the need for finding a political solution to the ethnic problem to ensure lasting peace.
Hours after his angry outburst led to an hour-long adjournment of Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday expressed his "regret" for losing temper, saying it was not appropriate.
"Unprecedented" direct taxes collection of Rs 7.90 lakh crore in 2010-11 has "greatly strengthened" the country's efforts for fiscal consolidation, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
According to sources in the government, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is firmly against activist Anna Hazare's demand for formally constituting a joint committee, with representatives from the civil society and the government, to draft a strong anti-corruption bill. Hazare has been on an indefinite fast in New Delhi since Wednesday to press for his demand.Mukherjee has stopped the government from issuing a notification to make the joint committee formal.
The Indian Air Force will soon place orders for the first batch of 20 Light Combat Aircraft with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday. \n\n
The US has shared with Pakistan "strong evidence" about involvement of Lashkar-e-Tayiba in the Mumbai attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday and asked Islamabad to hand over the perpetrators for which an extradition treaty is not required.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Harbin early on Wednesday for the third standalone meeting of the foreign ministers of India-Russia-China scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was re-nominated on Sunday by the Congress from the Jangipur seat in West Bengal for the coming Lok Sabha polls
Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani raised the issue of the Chinese envoy's remark.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered the 12th day, Pranab Mukherjee said the situation was "moving out of hand" and "a crisis" had been created even as he asked lawmakers to "seize the moment and demonstrate the commitment" in dealing with corruption which is "gnawing at the vitals of our polity".
On the eve of his visit to China, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday made it clear that Arunachal Pradesh is not disputed and that India will not give up its right over it.Talking to reporters in Chennai, he acknowledged that Chinese troops have been indulging in incursions and that Indian security forces had been asked to be alert and maintain vigil along the border to stop such intrusions."We have a democratically-elected government there," he said.
"It is the job of Parliament to legislate. We (government) had several rounds of discussion with him (Anna Hazare) and his team. We know their viewpoints. About nine rounds of meetings have already been held with them. Thereafter also, through interlocutors some discussions also took place with them," Mukherjee told media persons at his south Kolkata residence.