was black Friday for the Unnikrishnan family as news of their 31-year-old son, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, on deputation with the National Security Guards, being killed in anti-terror operation in Mumbai filtered in on Friday. Sandeep, who passed out from Frank Anthony School in Bengaluru and was later commissioned in the Bihar Regiment in 1999, was among the brave armed forced personnel who laid down their lives in the strike against terrorists in Mumbai
Security is a worry but the Gujarat chief minister will continue is campaign ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
This will be his first visit to India as President.
More than nuclear power, India stands to gain access to a wide range of dual-use goods and technologies, from which it was barred, as a result of the waiver by the 45-country Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
The BSE barometer, which had lost over 415 in the previous trading session, today moved up by 461.14 points at 14,944.97. Similarly, wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 130 points at 4,482.30. It touched the day's high of 4,558.00 and a low of 4,358.30 points.
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.
There may be some changes in the text of the nuclear commerce waiver for India, which is being considered by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, according to United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher. Boucher asserted that the US would "not allow anything to impede the N-deal."
Despite intense lobbying, it is unlikely that the Nuclear Suppliers Group will approve an India-specific draft waiver to conduct nuclear trade with its members during a two-day meet scheduled to begin on Wednesday, a prominent arms-control think-tank opposed to the India-United States nuclear deal has said."The US and India are certainly using strong-arms tactics,"said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association.
Former NSG commando Surender Singh, who risked his life while fighting the terrorists during the 26/11 attacks, finally exposes his predicament after not receiving pension for the last 13 months. Priyanka reports from New Delhi.
India has received a positive response from the Non-Aligned Movement countries, which are members of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group on the Indo-US nuclear deal after it briefed them on the safeguards agreement, which the global nuclear watchdog will consider on Friday.
Three Chinese journalists based in India representing the state-run Xinhua news agency were denied permission for extended stay in the country.
Faced with criticism that an aircraft was not available to quickly ferry the National Security Guards (NSG) to terror-hit Mumbai, the government has decided to hasten the procurement of two planes for dedicated use by the central paramilitary forces, including the NSG.
As the evening progressed, Ram bhajans echoed at virtually each and every street of the temple town and earthen lamps lined the streets from Naya Ghat and Ram ki Paidhi to Hanumangarhi, giving children a perfect selfie background.
'Had this been handled in a correct way, the only lives that would have been lost, presumably, were the lives of the terrorists and that would have been welcome.' The information we had was pure gold. You seldom get information of this kind several hours in advance, exactly where they are going to strike. But we still couldn't act on this intelligence.'
The United States on Monday indicated that it is favourably inclined to the civilian nuclear deal between China and Pakistan, but it should be in compliance with the rules of Nuclear Suppliers Group.
A major general, who returned to the army from the elite National Security Guards before his term was over, is believed to have been asked by the defence ministry to seek voluntary retirement following charges of abuse of official position during his stint in the commando force.
It will coordinate with forensic experts to determine the type of explosive that was used in the blast, which killed a woman.
Experts of the NSG and investigators of the NIA are being sent to Jammu and Kashmir to join the probe into the terror attack.
After the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, the NSG is required to change its guidelines to allow the international community to have cooperation in this field with India.
Addressing the 23rd Raising Day celebration of National Security Guards at the training centre of NSG at Manesar, Gurgaon, Patil praised the service to the nation of dedicated NSG commandos.
This visit has ended on a vastly different note in comparison with Modi's previous visits. Call it a rebuke, call it a censure, call it a distancing from Modi, the sharp message would have gone home, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'We are witnessing a spectacle of breathtakingly creative diplomacy at work, riveted on the firm foundations of the country's strategic autonomy,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Any intelligence to be used in an operation has to be explained to the field staff. Merely retransmitting it without explaining the applicability to the local conditions will only elicit the standard response, V Balachandran tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
'Ajit Doval has done a splendid job in handling the Pathankot attack and certainly helped save heavy destruction of critical air force assets,' says Abhay Jere.
Who took the decision for the prime minister, the nation's single most popular leader, to take the road route when they should have already known about the farmers' protests and also the grave risks involved, when and how, asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
In the latest standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding flying drones, the Central government has given powers to the local police to book a person under 121 and 121A apart from other IPC sections, depending on the nature of offence/threat and distance from the prohibited vital installation/area.
Hailing India for keeping "neutral stand" over the South China Sea issue despite pressure from the US and Japan, state-run Chinese media on Wednesday said there are some contradictions and frictions between the two nations but the overall bilateral relations have been developing smoothly.
The Mumbai terror attack was an audacious attempt by the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Lashkar-e-Taiyba combine to shape policies of the three sovereign nations that include the oldest and the largest democracy," Dutt said. But Dutt's remark, which was aired on television, is reported to have not gone down well with the Union Home Ministry officials as it could be seen as sensationalising the attack by bringing in Al Qaeda's name.
'I could see the silhouettes of three men on the sixth floor.' 'I pointed them out to the NSG personnel standing beside me and suggested they take them out.' 'They did not have the clearance to fire.'
There's a strong sense inside the Democratic leadership that if you care about India, now is the time to stand up for it, says Graham Wisner, counsel at the top international lobbying firm Patton Boggs.
As India scalps its third nuclear deal this month, the vindication and the victory cannot hide the fact that the all-powerful Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which met in Christchurch, New Zealand last week, failed to dissuade China from supplying two nuclear power reactors to Pakistan in pursuance of two that had earlier been supplied.
The United States has said that it will vote against an exemption for China to sell two civil nuclear reactors to Pakistan at the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting, in a new move to step up pressure to get the controversial deal annulled. Making it clear that the US will oppose the recent decision of China to sell two nuclear reactors to Pakistan, a top Barack Obama administration official told lawmakers that Washington will vote against the China-Pakistan deal.
'Unni swung up his MP5 and fired a burst across the atrium. The bullets hammered into the wall. Then he bounded up the stairs leading to the other set of doors opening into the Palm Lounge. It was a terribly risky move because he didn't have a buddy to cover him.'
"Prudence and caution" needs to be exercised, warns China.
Experts have said that the deal appears to be violating international guidelines forbidding nuclear exports to countries that have not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or do not have international safeguards on reactors.
Security was beefed up following a terror alert that said some terrorist have entered the state through Kutch. NSG teams have been sent to Gujarat from Delhi following intelligence inputs, police sources said.
Rediff.com journalists Vaihayasi Pande Daniel and Rajesh Karkera attend an emotionally-charged ceremony marking the killing of Jewish Rabbi Gavriel and his wife Rivka Holtzberg in the attack on Chabad House during the 26/11 carnage. They also attend a parallel ceremony, mourning slain NSG commando Gajendra Singh.
Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation Thomas Countryman said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances