Highlighting that the impact of the financial meltdown on India has been less because of strong domestic consumer demand, the President said, ". . . for us consumer protection is of great significance both as part of a sound business approach as well as for achieving the broader goal of national economic growth."
India's top cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is not new to awards and honours, will be conferred with IAF's honorary rank of Group Captain. Once Tendulkar receives the honour, he would be the first sports person to be conferred a rank by IAF and the first personality with no aviation background to have got this honour.
The Congress leadership has given President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Shehawat for the Amravati Assembly seat in Maharashtra.
Sukanya Verma lists significant memories in our 1996 recap.
The government advised the warring Ambani brothers several times that they should stop fighting, but failed to bring about a reconciliation, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said on Wednesday.
The presidential order paves the way for Sonia Gandhi's re-appointment as chairman of the National Advisory Council, a post that has the rank of a Cabinet minister.
President Pratibha Patil today embarked on her maiden visit to Russia seeking to consolidate the relations between the "close friends and partners" in the changed global geo-political situation.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday recommended the lifting of President's Rule in Jharkhand to pave the way for the formation of a new government there on Wednesday.The home ministry's note was placed before the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who approved it, official sources said.The Cabinet recommendation will now go to President Pratibha Patil who will issue orders for lifting of the central rule imposed on January 19 this year.
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal's name for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports honour, was approved by the government, which announced the list of all the Arjuna and other award winners for the year 2010.
President Pratibha Patil on Sunday accepted the resignation of Governor of Andhra Pradesh N D Tiwari and asked the Chattisgarh Governor to discharge the duties till further arrangements are made.
The Centre has sought a detailed report from the Andhra Pradesh government in the wake of a sting operation purportedly showing state Governor N D Tiwari in a compromising position with three women. Home ministry sources said that state Chief Secretary Ramakant Reddy has been asked to send a detailed report about the allegations made against the governor. The sting operation was telecast on Friday by the ABN Andhra Jyothi channel.
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil had an interactiion with a group of eminent women at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to increase reservation for women to 50 per cent in panchayats.
The Indian Navy and other stakeholders in the maritime domain are playing a pro-active role to avoid a recurrence of 26/11 type terror attacks, President Pratibha Patil said on Wednesday.
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, Vice President Hamid Ansari, music director A R Rahman and noted lyricist Gulzar on Sunday watched the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire at the Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium in New Delhi. Oscar awardee Resul Pookuty and Vikas Swarup, on whose novel Q and A the movie is based, also attended the screening. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson, the two-hour-long special screening was exclusively organised for the President.
Rejecting suggestions by President Pratibha Patil to modify Gujarat Control of Organised Crime bill, the Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party's government on Tuesday re-introduced the bill which was passed by the state assembly.
The Congress on Tuesday downplayed the claim that President Pratibha Patil was behind the government's ambitious farm loan waiver scheme, saying inputs for it had come from diverse quarters. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi was commenting on a remark by Christy Fernandes, the President's Secretary, that Patil had advised the government to initiate appropriate mechanism by which the plight of the farmers could be addressed.
Nearly two months after undergoing heart bypass surgery, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today returned to his normal engagements as he attended the official functions associated with the visit of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Gujarat Congress president Siddarth Patel and state assembly leader Shaktisinh Gohil on Wednesday led a delegation of party Members of Legislative Assembly and state leaders to President Pratibha Patil to seek her 'constitutional intervention' in the state to restore democracy, peace and law and order.
Unfazed by Monday's developments in the Rajya Sabha, President Pratibha Patil said that it will be 'graceful' if the Women's Reservation Bill is passed after consultation 'as far as possible.'
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.
The Union Cabinet and its committees have been given a new 'mantra' by President Pratibha Patil and asked to clear every proposal only after ensuring that it meets the requisites of equity or inclusiveness, innovation and public accountability.The Cabinet Secretariat has shot out a 'secret' demi official letter to all secretaries in the government, citing the President's diktat.
A farmer has accused President Pratibha Patil's husband Devisingh Shekhawat and five of her relatives of land grabbing. Kishor Madhavrao Bansod from Chandrapur (Khallar) village filed a petition before the court of Sub-Divisional Officer accusing Patil's kin of making illegal changes in land record.
To corner the Manmohan Singh government in the Budget Session of Parliament, a united opposition today demanded a debate on price rise on February 23, before the Railway Budget and the Union Budget are placed in the Lok Sabha.
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.
"I am confident that Indians living overseas will join in the endeavour to contribute to India's growth. As members of the Indian diaspora, you know better than others the challenges and opportunities that a resurgent India represents," Patil, who is the first Indian Head of State to visit the UK in the last 20 years, said.
In her letter, the President has said that repeated incidents of ragging of the past few months in educational institutions indicates that 'the perverse practice of ragging has not only become rampant in our educational institutions but acquired hideous proportions costing the sanity and life of some of the students. What is more worrisome is the persistent spread of this scourge both across a range of educational institutions as also across the country'.
Pranab on Sunday met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed budget-related issues with him.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday approved the interim general budget which will be presented in the Lok Sabha by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday. Singh went through the interim budget related papers and after formally signing them, forwarded them to President Pratibha Patil, a Prime Minister's Office spokesman said."The Prime Minister also approved the interim budget speech," the spokesman added.
Rajinder Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil and Congress MLA, on Wednesday denied his family had been accused of land grabbing in Maharashtra.
A large number of ex-servicemen, including General rank officers, returned their medals on Sunday, to the government protesting the non-implementation of their demand for "one rank, one pension" principle.
Britain on Tuesday said it wanted to expand ties in defence and hi-tech sectors with India and was looking forward to President Pratibha Patil's state visit this month to further boost bilateral relations.
President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday indicated that she will seek China's support for India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council during her six-day visit to the country, the first by an Indian head of state in a decade.
Divestment in India has been a painfully slow process. Will the government finally press the gas?
The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on February 22 and the General Budget for 2010-11 will be presented on February 26.
If the the Amendment Bill to the Land Acquisition Act and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill are enacted, it will not only help in better implementation of infrastructure and industrial projects, but also safeguard the interests of the farmers. That is because both the Bills contain clear guidelines to be followed while acquiring land, like the compensation package and the quantum of land to be acquired.
President Pratibha Patil has conferred police medals on sixteen officers of the country's premier investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation
The United Progressive Alliance government on Thursday declared that it will pursue a policy of 'zero-tolerance' towards terrorism from whatever source it originates and seek to reshape its relationship with Pakistan, which should confront terror groups inimical to India. Outlining ten broad areas of priority for the next five years, President Patil, in her address to the jt session of Parliament, said that security and preservation of communal harmony will be among those.
