Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who is accompanying President Pranab Mukherjee on his trip to Mauritius, reports on the spectacular celebrations of the 45th anniversary of independence of the island nation
People's mandate is sacrosanct and has to be above any iota of reasonable doubt, Pranab said.
Pranab Mukherjee was on Wedneday sworn n as the country's 13th President at an impressive ceremony in the packed and historic Central Hall of Parliament.
In a major embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka unit, Pranab Mukherjee, United Progressive Alliance's candidate who was on Sunday elected President of India, got more votes than expected in the BJP-ruled state.
Amidst all-out efforts by the government and RBI to tame inflation, now hovering around 9 per cent, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said it would be ideal for the economy if it is managed at 5-6 per cent level.
Perturbed by high inflation despite the Reserve Bank of India's monetary tightening initiatives, India on Monday asked Britain for lessons to rein in price rise.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said Indian markets cannot remain immune to the Eurozone debt problems and will feel the impact if the $1 trillion bailout package by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund does not inspire confidence.
Amid souring ties, the president visited Beijing for three days. On his return to India, a hope of better ties has arisen, says senior correspondent R Rajagopalan, who travelled with Pranab Mukherjee to the Asian superpower.
The tsunami of recession that originated in the Wall Street and spread to Europe did not affect India because our banks are conservative, said Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi while addressing a seminar at the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Jaipur on Sunday.
Inflation has remained stubbornly close to double-digit levels during the first quarter of the current fiscal.
The presidents were escorted by the President's Bodyguard -- "Rashtrapati Ke Angrakshak".
Ahead of a scheduled discussion in Parliament on the Finance Bill, 2012, for its clearance next week, top bosses of Vodafone Plc met senior functionaries of the government on Tuesday to discuss tax issues that have emerged due to the proposed retrospective amendments in the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Capping a 45-year-long run in government and politics, Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday embarked on a new and momentous journey as the country's 13th President putting behind political affiliations and who could play a crucial role in the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2014.
Former Union minister C K Jaffer Shareif, in a letter to Mukherjee, expressed surprise over the move and said he like other secular people was 'stunned' to hear about his attending the RSS function.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Islamabad on Wednesday. Mukherjee arrived in Pakistan on a two-day official visit on Tuesday, to hold talks with his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in India's first high-level contact with the new government. Qureshi and Mukherjee are expected to discuss various issues including terrorism, Kashmir, exchange of prisoners, bilateral trade and confidence building measures.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee left for New Delhi on Tuesday concluding his first visit to Australia during which both the sides inked treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties including the possible sale of uranium to India.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said the Indian economy could grow by 7.5 to 8 per cent during the current financial year, though price rise and fiscal consolidation remained areas of concern.
President Pranab Mukherjee created a flutter in the Congress party by agreeing to meet 40 Congress MLAs from Andhra Pradesh.
The President has begun studying Constitutional and Presidential precedents in anticipation of a fractured mandate in next year's general election, reveals R Prema.
With the Supreme Court declining to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage on Tuesday, a section of the LGBTQ+ community, petitioners and activists highlighted the positives in the ruling and called for legislative action while others expressed dismay and concern.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday on a day's visit, during which New Delhi is expected to share with her evidence on the Mumbai terror strikes, pointing towards involvement of 'elements' based in Pakistan.
'Was there an element of orchestration between Mukherjee and Mohan Bhagwat about their speeches to the effect that the former would leave out any reference to Muslims while the RSS chief will not talk about a Hindu rashtra?' asks Amulya Ganguli.
"My consultations with President (Rajkeswur) Purryag have been frank and cordial. We reviewed the co-operation between our governments and discussed regional and global issues of common interest," President Pranab Mukherjee wrote in the visitors' Book after meeting the President of Mauritius.
'He told senior journalists a few days after the Babri Masjid demolition, 'Jo hua theek hua. Maine isliye hone diya ki BJP ki rajniti hamesha ke liye khatam ho jaye.'
Scripting a new chapter in his illustrious career, Pranab Mukherjee will on Wednesday take over as India's 13th President.
Gandhi came along with Mukherjee and while the former president left after sometime, the Congress chief offered to drop him back but Mukherjee politely refused.
'If democracy has succeeded, it is largely due to perfect conduct of elections by election commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners'
Communist Party of India general secretary A B Bardhan and national secretary D Raja will go to Kolkata and represent their party at the cremation.
'Rashtrapati Ji, it has been an honour to work with you, as your Prime Minister,' Modi said.
With the strain and anxiety of the longest Lok Sabha polls now behind the leaders, governance, with consensus, is the next step.
President Pranab's four-day visit to China that saw him meeting the top Chinese leadership and discussing the sticky boundary issue and cooperation in combating terrorism besides the need for a predictable nuclear regime.
"The decision will be left to the wisdom of the authority at that point of time."
The Sena leader further said the RSS's agenda behind inviting Mukherjee as the chief guest to one of its event, held in Nagpur on June 7, would only be clear after the 2019 general elections.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee with Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Nyan Win. Win is in India to enhance bilateral ties, particularly in trade and energy fields. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He spoke on 'public policy for inclusive development' before students of the post graduate programme in management, the flagship course of the premier business school, the IIM-A said.
Can an active politician like Pranab Mukherjee ever be an apolitical President? Dilliwalla took questions from Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy and Abhishek Mande.
Pradyut Guha, Pranab Mukherjee's personal assistant since the last eight years and one of his most loyal disciples of more than 30 years, tells Sheela Bhatt all you wanted to know about India's new President
