India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for trying to create 'war hysteria', saying it was aimed at diverting attention from the real issue of ending terrorism emanating from that country.Reacting to comments by Pakistan's Army Chief General Pervez Kayani that the armed forces had the right to defend borders in case of any aggression, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said, "The talk of war or creating war hysteria is diversionary."
Among the other challenges, the big one is to maintain energy security in tune with the pace at which the country's economy is growing.
The 2009 Budget had raised the rate of MAT to 15 per cent. The industry wants it to be lowered to at least 10 per cent in the forthcoming Budget.
India will prefer to voluntarily surrender the grant it receives from United Kingdom if the British government decided on cutting it, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
"Australia wants to take the relationship with India to the front ranks of the partnerships we have," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said at a joint press briefing with visiting External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee after the agreements were signed in Canberra. The two countries agreed to further strengthen their relationship by forming a new body to hold yearly talks and by signing treaties to increase anti-terror efforts.
Neither the Indian government nor any other agency had anything to do with any terror operations in Balochsitan, External Affairs Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee said in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.
The finance minister today grapples with the same fiscal worries of two decades ago
Government has announced a slew of measures to give impetus to electric cars.
There is immense hope that the FM will help turnaround the tepid sentiment in the country.
At the IMF, India is expected to link announcement of additional resources to the IMF to the implementation of 2012 quota reform.
Farmers have either dropped or delayed sowing of summer crops due to poor rains.
12 defence personnel were awarded the Shaurya Charkra for their acts of bravery, including Captain A Rahul Ramesh and Naik Krishna Kumar who were given the honour posthumously.
India invited aerospace companies to leverage its low cost, high talent workforce and infrastructure for building aircraft and systems for the world market.
According to the finance minister, India was compliant with most of the internationally accepted standards in banking, securities markets and insurance sector.
Mukherjee said Prime Minister Narendra Nodi and Chinese President Xi Jinping Would be meeting soon on the margins of G-20 summit scheduled to be held in China later this year.
With the financial meltdown eating into global economic growth, including India's own, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who also holds the finance portfolio, warned that ignoring rural economy could prove to be disastrous. "Global financial institutions need to put more resources for developing countries in rural economy, build social infrastructure... The government will take further steps to ensure labour-intensive sectors are less adversely affected," he said.
India and the US on Friday operationalised the "path-breaking" bilateral nuclear deal as they signed the 123 Agreement here, with New Delhi insisting that the accord is "legally-binding" on both sides.
"Secretary Clinton expressed her desire to work together with the external affairs minister to take the relationship between India and the US to a new level," the ministry said in a statement.
Former NSA Shivshankar Menon said the defence minister did not have a right to voice his personal opinion on nuclear policy in public, particularly when that opinion contradicted the country's official policy.
"I do not agree to that. Because this is totally wrong. The situation is not at all comparable," Mukherjee said when asked whether Israeli type offensive against Hamas in Gaza Strip could be an option for the Government against Pakistan.
Why are the poor turning Right instead of turning toward far-Left parties, ponders Pranab Bardhan.
"Iran and India enjoys close friendly relations," the spokesman was quoted in Tehran Times as saying.
Giant effigies of 10-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran went up in flames marking the triumph of good over evil as fervour marked Dussehra festivities across the country on Thursday.
"Asia, in particular, is the home to by far the largest number of terrorist groups in the world. India has been facing this curse since the 1980s, first in Punjab, then in Jammu and Kashmir, and now in other parts of the country as well," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
Officials in Islamabad said the Indian side is waiting for Pakistan to respond to a comparative assessment of proposals from both sides that was presented to Kasuri during his talks with Mukherjee.
India on Wednesday gave a clarion call for a strong response and broad-based international cooperation against terrorism, asking the international community to deny the use of territories to terrorists.
Gymnast Dipa Karmakar and discus thrower Vikas Gowda were the other sport spersons to receive the honour on Thursday.
India has reaffirmed its strong commitment to the Non-Aligned Movement and stressed its "enduring relevance" in the current international situation.
Here's a recap of the events from the past 24 hours.
If India feels it is necessary to conduct a nuclear test because of the geo-political situation, India will do it, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha.
India's per capita expenditure on defence is less than $10, while the average expenditure of the top ten spenders in Asia is $800 approximately.
India on Wednesday asked industralised countries not to put the onus on developing nations in bringing down greenhouse emission levels as it would affect their development.
He also said that India is in touch with other member countries of the multilateral body in this matter.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday exuded confidence the economy would soon break the double-digit growth barrier and said the stimulus measures will not be fully withdrawn until a robust recovery is achieved.
Financial services company Morgan Stanley's Asia chief Stephen Roach is more bullish on Indian economy than China.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to oppose suggestions to introduce a financial transaction tax, commonly known as tobin tax.
President Pranab Mukherjee presents the national awards to outstanding sportspersons at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi.
The minister said that during his recent visit to Islamabad, he had stressed that Pakistan should provide transit facility to Afghanistan through land.
