In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil said, "Even in the prevailing adverse global environment, our economy, it is hoped, would still register a relatively high growth rate." Official estimates have pegged GDP growth for FY'09 at 7.1 per cent, considered good at a time when most developed economies are facing recession.
In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil termed the terror attack on Mumbai as an attempt to retard the country's economic progress and said this and terrorist incidents in various cities were assaults on all the values of the country.
Gathering under the aegis of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), the ex-servicemen are disillusioned since their demand for "one-rank, one-pension" (OROP) has not been implemented by the government. The ex-soldiers' demand under the OROP is: "Two individuals retiring after equal length of service and from the same rank must get equal pension."
After getting a pat from President Pratibha Patil on Friday for her bravery, 22-year old Rukhsana termed the occasion as a 'red letter day' of her life. "It was a red letter day for me and my family, as the President was here to boost my morale and praised the brave act. It was an honour to talk to her and get clicked," Rukhsana told reporters soon after her 15-minute interaction with the President. "I am encouraged by her pat," Rukhsana said.
"The fact is that all human beings are one and our behaviour should be based on this basic truth. People create distinctions in their own mind and believe them to be true. Today, it is the perceived differences that are dividing people," Patil said while inaugurating the Global Vipassana Pagoda in suburban Gorai near Mumbai.
Ruksana had killed a top Pakistani terrorist belonging to Lashkar-e-Tayiba and injured another at Kalsian village in Rajouri district, about 217 km from Jammu on the night of September 27.
The Centre has begun consulting states on implementing its Rs 3 per kg rice/wheat scheme for the poor, but discussions got stuck on what would be the basis for defining the beneficiaries.
To be fair, the President's speech does separate the mention of large foreign investment flows (particularly foreign direct investment) from 'the need to augment resources in the banking and insurance sectors,' in turn 'to serve the needs of society better.' But the sentences follow each other -- the kind of wording which permits either forward movement or backtracking, depending on how matters develop, says Govindraj Ethiraj.
Giving extensions to secretaries after fixing their tenure is unfair to the rest.
For the sake of neutrality of the Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners, CEC N Gopalaswami wants a bar on their joining any political party for ten years after retirement or taking up any government post. In a three-page note to President Pratibha Patil sent on January 16 when he separately recommended removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla, he has sought amendment in the Election Commission Act for the purpose.
The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to honour World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Daleep Singh Rana alias Khali. "The state will honour Khali, a native of Sirmaur district," Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's office told PTI on Tuesday.
India is sending two naval ships with relief and medical supplies to Myanmar, where a severe cyclone claimed over 3,000 lives and rendered thousands more homeless. The ships, carrying food items, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines will sail to Yangon from Port Blair, the External Affairs Ministry announced in New Delhi. The top leadership has conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief assistance and to assist Myanmar in its rehabilitation efforts.
Move to help India Inc access funds in the absence of foreign funds.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was present at the singing ceremony along with visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil, said India was an 'important' partner for his country in the Asia-Pacific region. The first agreement calls for cooperation in air services between the two countries while the second one was related to enhanced ties in the energy sector.
The Air India Office in Chennai has received a letter warning attacks by 'suicide bombers' and threats to disrupt the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) beginning in the city on Thursday, police said.
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 National Investigative Agency Bill and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill on Tuesday became a law as President Pratibha Patil gave her assent to those legislations which were passed in the last session of Parliament."NIA will be established to investigate terrorist offences. As and when any case is assigned to the NIA, it will take up investigation," he said. Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters that the presidential assent has been received today.
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.
The Rajasthan Dharma Swatantraya Bill, 2008, reintroduced by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje last week, prohibits conversion by use of force, allurement or fradulent means. It was passed by voice vote, even as Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Lok Janshakti Party Legislative Assembly members demanded that it be referred to a select committee.
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.
Glimpses from the trust vote debate in Parliament.
Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday accused Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of being behind the lodging of FIR against him and his wife in a graft case.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting will be held on Tuesday, which will take up the issue of deployment of NSG in places like Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, where there is a need for beefing up security.
To further improve rail connectivity and infrastructure development, 22 stations located at metropolitan centres and major tourist centres will be developed through public-private partnership, the President said.
"We have moved closer to complete legal equality for women in all spheres by removing discriminatory legislation, amending existing legislation and by enacting new legislation that gives women equal rights of ownership of assets like houses and land," President Patil said, addressing the joint sitting of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session.
Expressing concern over slow growth in the farm sector, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Wednesday asked the policy makers to keep agriculture at the centre stage of the country's development agenda.
Denouncing the Mumbai terror strikes as 'mindless' acts, President Pratibha Patil on Thursday appealed to people to maintain calm and expressed confidence that the perpetrators of the attacks would be brought to justice.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has informed the Bombay high court that G N Patil, brother of President Pratibha Patil, and two others had refused to undergo a lie detector test during the agency's probe into the three-year-old murder of a Congress leader from Jalgaon in Maharashtra
President Pratibha Patil has given her assent to the delimitation proposal, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said, amid indications from the Law Ministry that it would come into immediate effect in almost all parts of the country. This is except Meghalaya and Tripura, where the assembly poll process is already on, and therefore it would come into force from March 20. Also excluded are four north-eastern states-- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland and Jharkhand
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.
A commemorative stamp of late Joachim and Violet Alva was released by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi today, coinciding with the birth centenary year of the couple.
President Pratibha Patil wrapped up on a positive note her four-day visit to Bhutan, where she attended the coronation of the world's youngest monarch Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck, giving a fresh momentum to close bilateral ties.
A young techie of a top software firm was arrested on Wednesday in Chennai for sending hate mails sent to President Pratibha Patil in the last three days.
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh along with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banjeree met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday and apprised them of how farmers faced a tough time in Singur because of anti-farmer policies of the West Bengal government. He accused the Tatas of ditching people of West Bengal, especially Singur, over their failure to honour the terms of the agreement and leaving the state for Gujarat.
Security of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who arrived in Pune on Friday on a four-day visit, has been beefed up following an E-mail threat. The President was provided a new bullet-proof vehicle, official sources said, adding that the vehicle was requisitioned from Mumbai.
Every third Indian today owns a phone connection, thanks to a number of steps taken by the government to foster affordable telecom services.
Following is the trascript of President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sittingof Parliament on Thursday.
