However, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, hosting a meeting of the leaders of the Third Front in Chennai on Sunday, said the Front would 'choose a nominee' for the presidential election.
The recent helicopter incident in which President Pratibha Patil had a narrow escape was enough for the Supreme Court to pooh-pooh government's suggestion for airlifting victims of disasters to safety.
President Pratibha Patil allocated the additional charge to Sharma on the advice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said late Saturday night.
Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Sunday turned 83 with President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being among the first to wish him on the occasion.
Wrestler Sushil Kumar and pugilist Vijender Kumar, who won a bronze each at the Beijing Olympics, pose with the India President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The President, who is the first Indian head of state to visit United Kingdom in last 20 years, said the British experience of public-private partnership and public sector capacity building would be especially useful to India.
The Mumbai terror attack was discussed during the State Banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth in the honour of President Pratibha Patil, with the British monarch paying tributes to the 'courage and steadfastness' shown by the Indian people, in the face of the appalling incident."We are mindful that in a month's time, India will mark the anniversary of the appalling terrorist attacks on Mumbai, in which so many Indians were killed," the Queen said during the Banquet.
The Indians in Beijing celebrated the Independence Day on Friday with Ambassador Nirupama Rao hoisting the tri-colour at a function at the embassy. Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and other key Indian Olympic Association members also attended the ceremony.
Even as it sought to 'internationalise' the Jammu and Kashmir situation, Pakistan said on Thursday it was committed to improving relations with India and resolving all outstanding issues in a just and peaceful manner for the progress and prosperity of the two countries.
President Pratibha Patil has asked Indian Institutes of Technology to address the problems of rural areas by producing cutting-edge solutions for them.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday and discussed the internal security in the country and the forthcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit meeting in Sri Lanka.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel shared deep respect for each other and there were no disagreements between them.
Sources said Modi also called up various leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Dravida Munnetra Kazagham's M K Stalin and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party deciding to move its Karnataka battleground to Delhi to parade its 105 MLAs before President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday, the Congress core committee, which met on Monday evening, decided to wait and watch the situation and not take any decision in haste.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajinder Shekhawat, who was given the Congress ticket for the Maharashtra Assembly polls raising eyebrows, today rejected allegations his mother played a role and said she has been "deliberately" dragged into his election foray.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said his ministerial colleague Sunil Deshmukh would face disciplinary action by the party if he contests against Rajendrasingh Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, in the October 13 assembly elections.
in payment of compensation to land owners by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.
Amid speculation that the candidature of Rajendra Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, has been cleared for Maharashtra Assembly polls, the state Congress leadership left it to the party high command to decide the issue of tickets to kins of senior leaders.
President Pratibha Patil has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to meet her on Thursday in the wake of Left parties withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance government. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued on Wednesday, hours after the four Left parties submitted letters snapping ties with the UPA government, said, "Keeping in mind these political developments, the President has requested the Prime Minister to meet her tomorrow to have his views."
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday afternoon soon after a meeting to decide on the modalities of withdrawal of support, Community Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat said with the prime minister announcing his decision to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency over the nuclear deal, no useful purpose will be served by continuing to support the government. The Left will be releasing documents to show that the government has lied to people.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat is pitching for a Congress ticket to contest from the Amravati Assembly seat in Vidarbha.
The office of Wing Commander Vikram Dutta, which is located in the health club of the Presidential Estate, was burgled on Wednesday and the thieves walked away with his computer, police officials said.
Union Home Minister Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday denied that any decision has been taken with regard to the mercy petition filed by Afzal Guru, who has been given death sentence in the Parliament attack case.
The Bhartiya Janata Party lashed out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday over the selection of Telecom Secretary P J Thomas as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner. The Opposition party claimed that the Centre had appointed Thomas to scuttle the ongoing probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the Rs 60,000 crore spectrum scam. The BJP urged President Pratibha Patil to cancel the appointment of Thomas, who will be administered the oath of office by her.
Major Mohit Sharma and Major D Sreeram Kumar have been awarded the country's highest peace time gallantry award Ashok Chakra.Major Sharma will be decorated with the Ashok Chakra posthumously.Major Sharma, 31, belonged to the Para Regiment. He was deputed in Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir. He lost his life along with four others while fighting terrorists in the Hafrada forest of Kupwara district in March this year.Major Sreeram Kumar, 28, is of the Artillery Regiment.
Images from the Arjuna Awards presentation at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday.
President Pratibha Patil on Saturday presented the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development to Microsoft founder Bill Gates for his charity work.
The new portal, http://helpline.rb.nic.in, which was launched on Friday by President Pratibha Patil promises to process your petition and direct it to the ministry or the department concerned directly within seven working days. Not only that, you will also get a Unique Registration Number with which your can track the progress of your petition.
Infosys chief mentor N R Narayan Murthy and renowned hotelier P R S Oberoi were also conferred with the award. The first man to step on the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary was conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament and senior leaders met President Pratibha Patil on Thursday and submitted a memorandum and crores of signatures as part of its campaign against "abject failure of the UPA government" to control price rise.
Ram Jethmalani, Hema Malini, Dara Singh and four other nominated members of the Rajya Sabha will complete their term on August 26, enabling the United Progressive Alliance government to get own choice of persons of eminence nominated by President Pratibha Patil.
Huge backlog of cases in the courts is a major issue and the solution lies in changing laws and strengthening judicial institutions, President Pratibha Patil said in Thane on Saturday.
It was the DMK, whose opposition to divestment in the Nevyeli Lignite Corp, led to the previous UPA decision to put on hold all its divestment decisions and proposals.
After having prioritised the United Progressive Alliance government's programmes for its second term, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is asking his ministerial colleagues to stick to the agenda listed for the first 100 days in office.Dr Singh is writing a letter to his colleagues in the Union Council of Ministers to focus on the priorities and programmes outlined in President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
Training her guns on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was extremely critical of President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of parliament in New Delhi on Thursday.
India will resume the dialogue process with Pakistan 'when conditions permit', President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.
The monks termed the advertisement as disrespectful to Lord Buddha, adding that it hurt Buddhist sentiments.
Paving the way for formation of a popular government in Meghalaya, the Centre on Friday night decided to revoke the President's rule imposed in the state nearly two months back.
At the At Home hosted by President Pratibha Patil, the diminutive French leader was something of a rock star as guests vied with each other for his autograph.
President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the nation on Saturday in mourning the loss of lives in the Mangalore plane crash. As a mark of respect to the deceased, the government cancelled all functions to celebrate the first anniversary of the second term of the United Progressive Alliance government today. Dr Singh announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the crash.