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".
Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani raised the issue of the Chinese envoy's remark.
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.
The assurance was given by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung when India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee called on him in Hanoi.
Far from the rough and tumble of politics, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is in Kolkata at his ancestral home at Miriti in Birbhum district to perform Durga Puja as he has been doing every year.
"I extend puja greetings (Saradiyar Subhecchha) to all people and wish them well," a relaxed Mukherjee said while leaving for his ancestral home with his wife.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met United States President George W Bush at the White House in Washington on Monday and discussed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, including the civil nuclear deal.Bush and Mukherjee are said to have exchanged not only pleasantries but also discussed the width and depth of the United States-India relations that included the civilian nuclear initiative.Specific details of the meeting have not been made available to the media.
Endorsing the Economic Survey's emphasis on the farm and the infrastructure sectors for achieving higher economic growth, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said inflation and widening current account deficit remain major areas of concern.
Encouraged by the industrial production growth rate of 10.8 per cent in October, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday sounded confident that the trend would continue and the fiscal would end with double-digit growth rate.
Maintaining that both India and the US are seriously trying to sort out the 'outstanding issues', he, however, refused to specify when the agreement will be firmed up.
Battling damaging allegations of sexual assault, Strauss-Kahn tendered his resignation from the top post of the IMF on Wednesday, while maintaining that he was innocent.
'I think we will be able able to inspire confidence in the minds of prospective investors,' says Mukherjee.
Mukherjee had stitches in the head at Bethuadahari Primary Hospital and his condition was stable.
Food inflation increased in the week ended September 18 as the prices of cereals, fruits, select vegetables and milk rose on account of supply disruptions caused by heavy rains and floods.
Regarding cross-border terrorism, Mukherjee agreed that in spite of the fencing, infiltration of terrorists from across the border had shown a sharp upswing in the last two months. \n
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee late on Wednesday night rebutted the charges by Team Anna that he had told them the Gandhian's health was not government's concern, saying the remarks were "distorted."
Agriculture output has been reduced due to adverse impact of shortfall in rain or floods in some parts of the country.
The US government had on January 23 offered to check the availability of Tamiflu syrup for children from worldwide stocks, provide technical support for human surveillance, diagnosis, and preparedness and technical support for animal surveillance and culling.
Pranab Mukherjee, who has been selected as the UPA's Presidential nominee, will resign on Sunday as the Union finance minister.
Afghanistan became a SAARC member in 2006.
Grappling with a high rate of price rise, the government on Tuesday expressed concern that increasing prices of crude and other commodities in global markets could add to inflationary pressure in the country.
India's macroeconomic authorities must focus on fiscal stabilisation and Mukherjee has to provide the leadership as finance minister.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday sought to downplay the controversy over austerity measures that had kicked up a row in the cabinet meeting on Thursday saying it could be due to some misunderstanding.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has arrived in Washington as part of his maiden bilateral visit to the United States, during which the civil nuclear deal is expected to dominate the parleys.Mukherjee is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tomorrow at 8:45 am (6:15 pm IST). The minister will go to the White House in the afternoon to meet President George W Bush as well as National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.
As the problem of job losses in the domestic economy continues to grow, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will again take up the issue of "protectionist policies" by advanced countries during his G-20 tour. The Union government feels that these policies will add to the massive job losses in the country, especially in labour intensive sectors engaged in exports.
The newly appointed Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee took charge of his new office in north block, returning to it after a gap of 24 years. The Finance Ministry office, which has been sealed off to outsiders and particularly prying journalists with the vote-on-account preparations in full swing, was on Thursday opened up at 4 p.m. when the media was invited in to cover the taking over ceremony.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said treaties had been signed with a total 37 countries to know the details of money stashed abroad by Indians.
"If this declining trend continues, I do hope it will have a moderating influence on the price front," Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met in New York and reviewed bilateral relations across "a gamut of items of cooperation." "It was a "good meeting," Rice said.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee accused Bharatiya Janata Party of being responsible for the Rajya Sabha's failure to pass the Lokpal Bill by changing its stand within 24 hours.
The group of ministers on Dabhol discussed ways to restart the ailing 2,184 MW project, lying idle for more than three years, but did not reach any conclusion, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
As India continues to push Pakistan to eliminate terrorism, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said he believes President Asif Ali Zardari is sincere about ending the menace, but underlined that his desire should be backed by actions. "I believe he (Zardari) has the desire to fight against terrorism," he said in an interview to a TV channel while describing the Pakistan President as a 'nice man and a gentleman'.
"There is a need to sustain foreign trade, revive foreign investments and generate domestic demand in order to maintain our growth rates," said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also holding the finance portfolio. Boosting the economy was also necessary to "uplift multitudes living below the poverty line." Noting that India cannot remain immune to global crisis, he said, "India faces special challenges from the international financial crisis."
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 will present a record eighth consecutive budget that is expected to contain measures to shore up weakening economic growth and ease the burden on the middle class struggling with high prices and stagnant wage growth while being fiscally prudent.
Refuting charges that India did not hand over all documents on the Mumbai terror attacks to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that entire documents on the matter had been passed on to the neighbouring country."It is a false allegation that we did not hand over all documents pertaining to the attack on India's financial hub... we have given entire documents on the matter to Pakistan," Mukherjee told reporters.
Industrial output growth rate remained flat in April.
Notwithstanding the ruling Congress remaining undecided on who should be its presidential candidate, Congress members of Parliament and members of Legislative Assembly have come out in open demanding the post for Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.