During the 45-minute meeting, the President posed some searching questions to the 42-year-old astronaut on how she managed to take care of herself during her record 195-day stay in the space.
President Pratibha Patil is not scared of undertaking a sortie in a two-seater Sukhoi-30 frontline fighter jet plane of the IAF next week at Pune.
The Narendra Modi-led government included neither a 100-day agenda nor its five-year programme of action in the speech it had approved for the president to read out at the joint session of Parliament.
Fifty-seven-year-old Kamat, a five-time MP from Mumbai, who held the portfolio of Minister of State for Home and Communications, wrote to the Prime Minister soon after Tuesday's reshuffle, saying that he wanted to be relieved of his ministerial responsibility.
After its decision to back Patil evoked allegations of betrayal from BJP, the Sena has gone on the offensive, saying 'nobody need teach us Hindutva'.
We had asked our readers earlier this week to cast their vote on who they would like to see enter the Rashtrapati Bhavan in July when its current occupant Pratibha Patil vacates. Following the overwhelming feedback from our readers, we are extending the voting period.
President Pratibha Patil on Sunday said Indian democracy "cannot be allowed to falter" at a time when democracies of the world are operating in complex situations including fractured mandates and explosion of the media. "The big challenge is for democracy to proceed towards being a vibrant but healthy democracy. It is therefore necessary to walk ahead carefully, with determination," she said.
He refused to acknowledge Pratibha Patil, his rival in the Presidential election, as a Shekhawat
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the National Democratic Alliance is stooping too low and carrying out a scurrilous campaign against Congress nominee Pratibha Patil.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday briefed President Pratibha Patil on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the Amarnath land row. During the 45-minute meeting, Dr Singh apprised her of the steps taken by the Centre to restore normalcy in the state, official sources said.
The government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court with a Presidential Reference for its opinion on issues arising out of its 2G spectrum judgement including whether auctioning of natural resources across all sectors is mandatory under all circumstances.
A thick security blanket involving hundreds of policemen besides snipers and commandos would be put in place for the visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Ajmer on April 8.
Expressing commitment to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through dialogue, India on Monday said it looks forward to building upon progress made so far while being mindful of the need for Pakistan to take credible action against terror groups and infrastructure.
President Pratibha Patil on Friday signed the proclamation to revoke Central rule in Karnataka. Patil, who is at present on a visit to Shimla, signed the proclamation and sent it to the Union Home Ministry for issuing of requisite orders.The President's rule, which had expired on May 19, was extended by another six months after a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took a decision in this regard.
Yesteryear actor Waheeda Rahman, singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, music composer Khayyam, former diplomat Brajesh Mishra and pioneer of the test tube baby in India Indira Hinduja were among a host of distinguished people conferred with the coveted Padma awards in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the backdrop of Election Commission's complaint against him to President Pratibha Patil in which the panel accused him of "improper and unlawful" defiance of its orders.
In the thick of controversy over his remarks on minorities' sub-quota, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday refused to comment on Election Commission's move seeking "immediate and decisive" intervention of President Pratibha Patil.
Patil arrived in the Chilean capital Santiago from Mexico Sunday night. The two nations would be inking four projects which also include an agreement on science and technology and increasing cooperation on Antarctica.
President Pratibha Patil walked into a near empty Brazilian Senate for her address, leaving Indian Embassy officials and the hosts red-faced. Only 15 of the 81-member House turned out on Tuesday to greet 73-year-old Patil. A senior Brazilian government official said it was not unusual for sparse attendance during special sessions since only leaders of political parties are invited.
After her inaugural speech at the reception hosted in her honour, the organisers of the function, possibly surprised at an early end of the meeting, asked all those who had gathered to line up for a photo op with Patil.In no time, the entire hall at a five-star hotel saw people queuing up for the photo-op, taking her security personnel by surprise. After nearly 30 minutes, the organisers, unable to cope up with the rush, decided to end the impromptu event.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who is ailing for sometime, is on continuous oxygen and not eating anything.
As per Arjun Modhwadia's memorandum listing out land allotment at a meagre rate to industrialists in Gandhinagar without an auction, DLF was given 1,01,200 sq mt of land in the capital at Rs 5000 per sq mt, when the prescribed stamp duty rate was Rs 19,000 per sq mt and the market price was Rs 30,000 per sq mt. This allotment, Modhwadia contended, cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 253 crore
President Pratibha Patil will do the honours first by taking a ride on the Indian Air Force's Boeing Business Jets from the Palam air base on Monday. "The inaugural flight of the VVIP jets on April 1 will have the President, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, as its first passenger," officials said.
Amid speculation of a reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday met President Pratibha Patil and discussed the upcoming budget session of Parliament. A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said the meeting lasted 45 minutes, during which the two leaders discussed the current economic situation and various other issues. The issues included price rise, internal security and the budget session.
In her address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Patil said coal is the main source of energy in India and the government has allocated 158 blocks with reserves of almost 40 billion tonnes to public and private sector companies in power, cement and sponge iron for captive use. Coal-abundant India has been pushing for the $6-8 billion coal-to-liquid project to cut its dependence on imported oil.
A major disaster was averted at the Mumbai airport on Monday when an Air Force helicopter of President Pratibha Patil's fleet landed on the runway as an Air India plane was about to take off for Delhi. The pilot of the Air India flight to Delhi aborted take off when he saw the helicopter landing on the runway he was about to use, official sources said.
Governors of West Bengal, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh created a flutter in Governors' Conference on Saturday by speaking out their mind on the present law and order, economic and fiscal situation in the country.
Sons and daughters of top leaders made a political debut tasting victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls carrying forward dynastic politics with President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Singh Shekawat leading the pack.
President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Prithviraj Chavan from the Union Council of Ministers and asked Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to hold additional charge of two ministries independently handled by him.
The negotiations will be held in Mumbai on Tueday at the International Civil Aviation Negotiations Conference which will be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to murder convict M N Das, whose mercy petition was rejected by then President Pratibha Patil. A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi allowed the plea of Das who had approached the apex court for commutation of his death sentence on the ground that the President had taken eleven years to decide his mercy plea.
With the stand-off between her party and the Nationalist Congress Party continuing, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was heard asking NCP leader Praful Patel to "do something" to end the crisis.
Glowing tributes were today paid to Captain Lakshmi Sehgal with President Pratibha Patil describing her as a great patriot and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying the country had lost an icon of selfless service in her death.
The Shiv Sena on Sunday announced that it will support the National Democratic Alliance nominee for the post of Vice President of India.
Prince Charles will represent Queen Elizabeth II, ceremonial head of the Commonwealth, at the Opening Ceremony of the Games on Sunday.
Controversial Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Soumitra Sen on Saturday sent his resignation in writing to President Pratibha Patil, raising fresh questions on whether impeachment proceedings against him in the Lok Sabha will go on as scheduled on Monday. "A lawyer on behalf of Justice Sen has handed over a resignation letter to the President this morning. The President is perusing it," a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday called on President Pratibha Patil and briefed her about the consensus resolution passed in Parliament on Lokpal Bill.
Brother of suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Mohammad Qateel Siddiqui, who was murdered at the Yerawada jail in Pune recently, has sought the intervention of President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia for a high-level probe into the incident.
Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang, who won four gold medals at last year's Commonwealth Games, will receive the country's highest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- from the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29. 19 sportspersons will be conferred the Arjuna award.
There was considerable disquiet in the Congress after Mukherjee accepted the invitation of the RSS to address its workers at its headquarters in Nagpur.
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