It was a protest which held a mirror to the government of a state taking pride in its commitment to democracy, gender equality and social indices.One person, who in his employed days had known governments and political parties at close quarters, told me that public perception of how the Kerala government handled the ASHA workers' strike had been terrible, reports Shyam G Menon.
Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, was more than assertive when he held the Organising Committee of the Delhi Commonwealth Games responsible for the mess and delay in building infrastructure for the Games scheduled to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14.
Embattled Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Sunday hit back at the Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, saying her aspersions on corruption in the OC were 'most disappointing and uncalled for' and that she must indulge in self-reflection on corruption in her own departments.
Imane Khelif beat Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori by unanimous decision in a welterweight quarter-final fight at the Paris Games on Saturday to ensure Algeria's first Olympic boxing medal since 2000.
The visiting Commonwealth Games delegation has given a thumbs-up to the under-construction Games Village, the organisers claimed in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Delhi and Districts Cricket Association sacked its senior selection committee, comprising former National selector Gagan Khoda, Mayank Sidhana and Anil Bhardwaj, on Thursday after the state team was decimated by Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy group league game.
Top Congress leaders held deliberations on Saturday at the first meeting of the new Congress Working Committee (CWC) focusing on preparing a comprehensive road map for ensuring the party's victory in the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat should be withdrawn from India's Asian Games squad if they lose the upcoming trials for the World Championships.
'Big cricketers can win the World Cup but if a big player gets an opportunity to claim an Olympic medal they will definitely work towards'
Sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi was on Wednesday restrained by the Delhi high court from attending the London Olympics' opening ceremony. The court said his participation in the Games' opening can cause 'embarassment' to the nation.
Tarlochan Singh, Indian Member of Parliament and chairman of the media committee of India's Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, was in Toronto to receive the Queen's Baton.
Despite setting an ambitious target of generating revenues in excess of Rs 900 crore (Rs 9 billion), the organisers of the 'Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi' expect the event to be "revenue neutral", meaning all that is earned through TV rights and other commercial deals will be spent on the game.
'Historically, there hasn't been much representation around para-athletes from a brand perspective.' 'With their best medal tally in Paris, it has triggered considerable organic interest.'
The curtains were brought down on a memorable Asian Games with the celebration of the athletes' stupendous feats and China's cultural heritage at a colourful and technologically mesmerising closing ceremony in Hangzhou on Sunday.
'A disastrous failure of the Games would not be just a failure of an incompetent India. It would be the failure of an emerging India and the damaging of its image as a democratic nation worthy of emulation.'
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shaurya Doval has said he has never expressed desire to contest elections but is open to the idea if the party decides to field him.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday barred Suresh Kalmadi from attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 27. However, the sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman claimed he had only sought permission to attend the IAAF Council meeting in London.
Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a resolution commending the efforts of the Organising Committee (OC) of 2010 Commonwealth Games to get things ready for the grand celebrations of sport beginning in Delhi on Sunday.
No Indian function is complete without a sumptuous spread of food. Fortunately, the controversy-ridden Commonwealth Games Organising Committee will maintain that tradition when guests descend in New Delhi for the October 3-14 extravaganza.
A couple of months back the Games Organising Committee announced on its web site that it hiring staff for various positions. But with exactly 373 days for the Games to open it is still to enlist the required people.
The International Olympic Committee should investigate India's wrestling federation and bolster its tools to report cases of sexual harassment, the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) said
President Pratibha Patil, not Prince Charles, will officially declare the Commonwealth Games open in Delhi on Sunday. This is the first time the royal family has been denied the traditional honour, the Daily Mail claimed.
Imane Khelif, the boxer at the centre of a gender dispute, beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in a Women's 66kg welterweight semi-final at the Paris Games on Tuesday to progress to the final at Roland Garros.
What stood out in his 15-year journey as a member of the political executive at the Centre was his glowing record as India's most successful and effective finance minister. Both as prime minister and finance minister, he understood the importance of gradualism, except when the economy or the polity was in a crisis.
Apparently trying to inject a sense of urgency into the preparations for next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi is eyeing to rope in Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi as "a leader for the Games".
According to the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games, orders have been placed with Tata Motors for nearly 1,800 cars during the games and some more cars, jeeps and trucks for the Queen Baton Relay that would commence its nationwide run from June 25.
A rightful share of the praise heaped on the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for a spectacular inaugural function including the laser show should also go to West Bengal, for the much-required electricity for the Games is being supplied by the state.
The Organising Committee of the games (CWG-OC) hopes to foster business ties with other Commonwealth nations and is in talks with South Africa, Scotland, Australia and the United Kingdom to sign agreements in the areas of IT, pharmaceuticals and tourism.
Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Chairman Suresh Kalmadi said he was happy with the progress made in the Games Village as it got ready to welcome the first of the 7000 athletes and team officials who will reside there during the Commonwealth Games.
The Olympic Council of Asia decided to drop cricket because of their tight schedule.
Hit by delays and escalating cost of infrastructure, the 2010 Commonwealth Games received a massive monetary boost on Thursday with the central government allocating Rs 1620 crore as loan to the Organising Committee of the event.
Phogat and Punia joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, spokesperson Pawan Khera and Haryana Congress chief Uday Bhan.
The suspended WFI, despite being warned of legal action by the Sports Ministry for organising the 'nationals', went ahead with the tournament in Pune from January 29-31.
'If you look at the average age of all our candidates, you will notice that their average age is between 35 and 40. It is a kind of revolution that the MNS is bringing in Maharashtra.'
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday went beyond probing only the officials of the Suresh Kalmadi-led Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to start cracking on those allegedly involved in corruption in construction and renovation of the stadiums.
India's hopes of using the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games to showcase its capital have hit fresh trouble with a parliamentary committee saying not enough has been done to prepare for the expected influx of visitors. Affordable hotel rooms looked likely to be in short supply in the city, the committee told organisers, who are already facing criticism for delays in preparations for the Games.
The Central Bureau of Investigation raided a dozen premises across Delhi on Thursday in connection with the alleged scam in Commonwealth Games overlays contracts. It included an office under the Union Sports Ministry, as it registered a fourth FIR naming a top Games official, V K Verma, for the second time.
The sources said the CBI raids started early in the morning and are focussed on four companies, which had acted as the Indian arm for the same number of international firms. The contracts were bagged by consortium of foreign and Indian firms.
A refurbished R K Khanna Tennis Complex was formally handed over to Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Monday, at a ceremony attended by Union Minister of Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Unlike other stadia, upgradation of which is being undertaken by government agencies like the DDA and NDMC, the tennis venue was completed by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).
Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Monday assured the members of the Coordination Commission (CoCom) of the Commonwealth Games Federation that considerable progress has been made in all areas towards successfully hosting the 2010 Delhi Games.