'A man with a gun commanded respect. I thought if I also got a gun, I could save my family. With this thought, I went to Pakistan and got training there'
'Make-in-India played a key role in India's effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor.'
India's Planning Commission has 31 divisions and seven attached offices, which include the Unique Identification Authority of India and Independent Evaluation Office.
The launch of the first-ever direct train service from Delhi to Kashmir would be a big turning point in the Valley's mood and its integration with India. He had to thwart it at any cost, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
China has announced a 7.2 percent increase in its national defence budget, bringing the total to USD 249 billion for the year. This rise comes amidst China's ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces, including the development of new warships and fighter jets. The budget increase, exceeding last year's 7.2 percent rise, reflects China's commitment to bolstering its military capabilities. Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of the Communist Party's leadership in guiding the military, with President Xi Jinping at the helm of the Central Military Commission. China's defence spending is now three times that of India's and is viewed by critics as a sign of the country's growing military ambitions.
The opposition on Thursday criticised as mere "fluff" and "gimmickry" the government's decision to restructure Planning Commission and rechristen it "Neeti Ayog" and voiced apprehension that it will discriminate against the states and help "corporates call the shots" in policy making.
Moderate turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling across five assembly constituencies across Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala where bypolls are underway on Thursday.
Their shared brief: To assert India's case with clarity, rebut hostile narratives, and secure enduring partnerships for global counter-terror cooperation.
Two members of a three-member judicial commission formed by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the November 24 violence in Sambhal arrived in Moradabad on Saturday and are expected to visit the violence-hit town on Sunday. The commission, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, has been tasked with determining if the clashes were spontaneous or a planned conspiracy and assessing the police and administration's response. The commission will also analyze the events leading to the violence and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Planning Commission's term runs concurrently with that of the government. The commission, whose inputs are vital on important policy related matters, is likely to have new faces when the new team is announced, said a top government functionary who had earlier worked in the apex planning body.
Though the controversy between the Planning Commission and the road transport ministry is old, the trigger for Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath calling the Commission an 'armchair advisor' seems to be a document of the Planning Commission.
This is the second time that the Planning Commission will be scaling down the growth projection for the 12th Plan.
Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday demanded that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state prove with evidence that there was 40 per cent commission during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party rule.
The Planning Commission may go for a correction in the 11th Five Year Plan targets as it gears up for mid-term assessment of goals next year in view of the global financial meltdown's impact on the economy.
Terrorism and insurgency in J&K had subsided when India demolished East Pakistan -- for the simple reason that Pakistan understands power. We need to follow Chanakya's dictum of Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed for strategising against Pakistan, asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd). The ground truth is that unless we are prepared to acknowledge our shortcomings, including massive intelligence failures, punish those responsible and take corrective actions, we will continue in the same vein, asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
Suggestions made by the different experts have been noted and would be forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the Planning Commission rejected its financing plan for the second time, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is preparing a new draft plan. The earlier proposals were rejected citing that NHAI would find it difficult to borrow funds from the market.
On Jawaharlal Nehru's 61st death anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra recalls how India's first prime minister cultivated a unique role for the newly independent country on the world stage.
Paris 2024 opening ceremony to start at 7.30 p.m. local time
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and chief ministers with the exception of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
It projected 8 per cent growth for 12th plan but also said it can be 5-5.5% if reforms are not undertaken.
Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath said on Monday he was forewarned that the Plan panel would not allow him to achieve a 20 km-a-day road-building target.
We have nothing to gain by raising our concerns internationally as our narrative has got entangled with several controversial concepts in the United Nations, asserts Ambassador T N Sreenivasan.
The 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman would also be questioned on his suspected links with the officials of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and his association with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which had orchestrated the attacks.
Several Indian diaspora groups on Tuesday gathered for a festive demonstration outside the India House in London to show solidarity with the Indian mission following the vandalism at its premises by Khalistan extremists over the weekend.
The Planning Commission projected the Centre's fiscal deficit to come down to three per cent of the gross domestic product.
The Adani group has said it will have a capital expenditure of Rs 1.1 trillion in 2025-26 as against this financial year's Rs 92,000 crore, with a focus on core energy and infrastructure. Expenditure will be financed through an internal cash generation of Rs 60,000 crore, and the rest will be raised via equity and debt, according to senior officials.
Tech tycoon Azim Premji's global investment arm, Manipal Group Chief Ranjan Pai's family office and 360 ONE Asset have sought approval from fair trade regulator CCI to acquire stakes in domestic carrier Akasa Air's parent company SNV Aviation. "The proposed transaction involves the acquisition of certain shareholding by each of PIOF, Claypond and 360 Fund (through its various schemes and affiliates) in Akasa Air," said a notice filed with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday.
Fair trade regulator CCI on Tuesday said it has approved the demerger of the hotel business of diversified entity ITC Ltd into a separate entity. After the completion of the demerger, shares of ITC Hotels Ltd, a new entity, will be listed on the stock exchanges. The proposed combination relates to the demerger of the demerged undertaking to ITC's wholly-owned newly incorporated subsidiary, ITC Hotels.
Caste census politics took centre stage on Thursday with the Congress terming the government's decision as a 'diversionary tactic' and a move for headlines management and the Bharatiya Janata Party saying it has exposed the difference between the Centre's 'true intentions' and the 'empty sloganeering' of the opposition party.
The two bodies have been fighting a running battle over the targets for construction of highways.
In addition, the government also plans to float power bonds -- Vidyut Vikas Patra to mobilise Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) to finance various projects in the sector under the Eleventh Plan period. The VKP to be floated on the lines of the Kisan Vikas Patra will have a lock-in period of five years.
The Reserve Bank of India is slated to announce its monetary policy review on January 29, amid industry demand for lowering of interest rates to spur growth.
The government also announced creation of a special open forum on the website mygov.nic.in for suggestions on the new institution.
According to sources, Finance Ministry favours a meagre hike of around 6 per cent in the Plan expenditure for next fiscal over budget estimate of the current financial year.
Six Telugu film actors, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, and Vijay Deverkonda, along with 19 social media influencers have been booked for allegedly promoting betting apps. A businessman filed a complaint alleging that the celebrities and influencers were promoting these apps on social media through pop-up ads and other means. The police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS, Gaming Act, and IT Act based on the complaint and are planning to issue notices to those named in the FIR.
Rajiv Kumar, the 25th chief election commissioner of India, has demitted office after a nearly three-year tenure marked by both electoral successes and allegations of bias from opposition parties. Kumar oversaw the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, among other major elections. During his tenure, he implemented reforms across various aspects of the Election Commission's functioning, including structural, technological, capacity development, communication, international cooperation, and administration. However, he faced criticism from opposition parties and activists on several issues, including the efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines, alleged fudging of voter data, and being "lenient" on the ruling BJP. While the Commission responded to the allegations, Kumar often defended himself and the poll authority through poetry. In his farewell address, Kumar expressed concerns about the timing of petitions raising doubts over poll processes and the impact of freebie promises on the fiscal health of the state. He also criticized the practice of showing early trends on counting day by news channels, calling it "nonsense". Kumar's tenure was marked by numerous controversies, with opposition parties and activists alleging bias and irregularities. While the Election Commission defended its actions, the allegations cast a shadow over his time in office.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday pledged to protect the rights of 'eligible candidates' who lost their jobs after a recent Supreme Court verdict, evoking mixed responses from the affected teachers, thousands of whom turned up to hear the leader speak but remained dangling between hope and despair after she finished.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Border Security Force (BSF), central agencies, and the BJP of fanning tension in Murshidabad by allegedly facilitating cross-border influx from Bangladesh. She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep the Union Home Ministry under control. Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of three people killed during the violence and directed the state chief secretary to initiate a probe into the role of the BSF.
