The clarification came amid a demand, including from Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, that the landslide tragedy in Kerala's Wayanad be declared a national disaster.
"One can understand when a woman is raped once. But what if she repeatedly says it. A woman with self respect will either die by suicide after she is raped or try not to be sexually assaulted again."
Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran told the Rajya Sabha about India's efforts to boost maritime security and stated that an amount of Rs 260 crore has been allocated to tackle this problem.
The government has decided not to confer Padma Awards to serving bureaucrats, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said a decision has been taken by the government to keep its officials and employees out of the category of Padma Awards. "Serving government servants are not eligible for Padma Awards as per a decision taken by the government," he said.
Thirteen mercy petitions, including that of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, were pending with the government, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
A steady stream of mourners led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday paid homage to veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram where his mortal remains are kept.
The government on Friday ruled out granting refugee status to Pakistani Hindu immigrants who have crossed over to India to escape persecution there.
Asked whether online social networking has become a a big tool for criminals and terrorists, Minister of state for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said, "Yes sir, The criminals and terrorists are using online social networking. The Delhi police, however, is continuously upgrading its technological strength by inducting latest components/gadget to counter this challenge."
The government on Wednesday said mercy petitions of 20 death row convicts, including Afzal Guru, are under various stages of consideration and that the Constitution does not specify any time limit within which a decision should be taken.
Insurgent groups like ULFA and NSCN-K have been using Myanmar as safe sanctuary and have set up bases there, despite that country's repeated assurances not to allow its territory for activities inimical to India, Government said on Tuesday.
The government has frozen accounts of 32 Non-Governmental Organisations and banned 72 other voluntary organisations from receiving foreign contributions for alleged irregularities.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that during the current year, eight ceasefire violations have been reported along the LoC.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said that on the basis of complaints received in the past and enquiries made, 41 NGOs or associations were prohibited from receiving foreign contribution.
The government on Wednesday said it has received requests from various quarters to confer the Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar, adding that a proposal to confer the country's highest civilian award to sportspersons was under consideration.
Karnataka Police is making all out efforts, including questioning more than 5,000 auto drivers, to nab the culprits involved in abduction and gang rape of a medical student in Manipal, the Centre was informed Wednesday.
Admitting that the country was facing a persistent problem of illegal immigration, the government on Friday ruled out a fresh legislation to deal with the issue saying stringent mechanisms were already in place.
Delhi has witnessed around four rape cases a day this year, almost double the last year's rate, in an indication that crime against women has not abated in the capital despite campaigns and stepped up police action.
Pakistan has violated on 115 occasions since 2012 the ceasefire agreement between the two countries, the government said on Tuesday.
There is no proposal to bring the Delhi police under the Delhi government, the Centre said on Tuesday amid demands raised by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that certain aspects of policing in the capital should be handed over to the city administration.
India will issue 3,000 visas to Pakistani fans and an additional 300 visas to VIPs of that country to witness the upcoming Indo-Pak limited over cricket series beginning December 25, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Taking a step forward for a final view on the fate of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the home ministry has submitted his case to the President's secretariat for a decision.
Chinese intrusions have been noticed in the past "two years" along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said there were 228 cases of transgression of the Indo-China border by the People's Liberation Army in 2010, 213 cases in 2011, and 64 cases till April 2012
Infiltration from across the border and through the ''porus'' coastal belts were posing serious threats in the efforts to safeguard internal security of the nation,Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappalli Ramachandran said on Tuesday.
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said that an officer has been designated as Nodal officer in-charge to monitor all activities on a day-to-day basis on the Andaman Trunk Road passing through the Jarawa Reserve.
The Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu is one of the targets on the radar of terrorists, the ministry of home affairs told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Union Minister of state for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran on Monday said the law-and-order situation in Kerala was "not very sound" and asked the state government to take firm steps to address the issue.
It may be for the first time that any leader in any political party in Kerala had taken such a step to register their protest against the party leadership for denying poll ticket.
Several people are still feared trapped in the debris after a series of landslides that occurred in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad.
In a setback to the Congress in Kerala, senior party leader K Sudhakaran on Thursday said he would not contest against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadom constituency in northern Kannur district.
Government on Wednesday said it has not made any request to the US to track down the country's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim.
Sixteen former ministers of the United Progressive Alliance government are staying unauthorised in government bungalows for over a month now and have been served eviction notices, the Lok Sabha was told on Wednesday.
Amid outrage over the menace of forcing minor Muslim girls into wedlock, police have arrested three persons, including the mother of a United Arab Emirates national, who forcibly married a minor girl in Kozhikode, Kerala.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would accompany him to Wayanad.
The consent is akin to a blanket nod for the agency to probe scheduled offences specified in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DPSE) Act, 1946.
He said his party will continue to fight the "worst sentiments" the prime minister represents.
After coming under fire for his sexually-coloured remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, former member of Parliament Joyce George on Tuesday withdrew his comments and expressed regret publicly, even as the national party demanded his arrest while the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist distanced itself from the slur.
Congress on Monday appeared to claim credit for effective handling of cyclone 'Phailin', saying all steps are being taken under its rule to make the country "disaster-resilient" which was evident from the Indian Meteorological Department's accurate prediction and "record" evacuation of over one million people in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
"If the Opposition gets into singing praises, then democracy will be destroyed," Sharma said.
Rahul Gandhi succeeds his mother Sonia Gandhi, who remained in the post for 19 years.
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