In a path-breaking move, the government on Friday decided to grant permanent commission to future batches of women officers in the armed forces, but restricted it to non-combat arms of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
President Pratibha Patil accorded sanction to the defence ministry's proposal, which was agreed to by the three services, hitherto an exclusive domain of men.
Pachauri has also been accused of stalking and criminally intimidating the victim with gesture or act intended to insult her modesty.
The Budget to be presented in the first week of July is likely to spell the intention of the government to disinvest, but may not give the clear picture on the time-frame and other details on the policy structure, the source added. The exact roadmap for disinvestment will include the extent and coverage of disinvestment, categories of companies -- Navratnas, mini-navratnas or sick companies -- to be included in it.
With India Inc rapidly expanding its global presence, President Pratibha Patil said on Wednesday the country must strive for opportunities in new fields of high-end-technology to maintain the trend.
The godman is very popular in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh because of his spiritual and social works.
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.
Republic day was celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, with unfurling of the tricolour and peace prayers held by the Indian community in these countries.Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen unfurled the tricolour at a function held at the Indian Embassy in Washington, with a large number of community members from in and around the capital attending the event, at which President Pratibha Patil's message was read out.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday strongly condemned the serial blasts in the national capital and appealed to the people to maintain calm
Welcoming President Pratibha Patil on her three-day state visit to this Latin American country, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said India should become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. She said that Chile wanted a more transparent Security Council. The comments from the Chilean President came after the signing of four agreements with the visiting President.The two leaders discussed international affairs during their one-to-one meeting.
Leaders of the Left parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Telugu Desam Party will meet President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday to demand immediate convening of Parliament session. The meeting comes in the wake of the Left demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should quit for "lying to people and Parliament" on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
It was astonishing that the statement of a 86 year old leader, virtually retired and who by his own admission is not even in the party, should create so much turbulence in the BJP. From the way the party reacted, it seemed as if he was about to snatch away the PMship from Advani, says Neerja Chowdhury
President Pratibha Patil gave protocol jitters as she inadvertently passed the tricolour at the ceremonial reception without bowing, but quickly went back after her attention was drawn by the Mexican guard commander. Patil, who was inspecting a guard of honour by the Mexican Presidential Guards, walked past the Mexican flag without realising that her Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon had stopped to pay respect to his country's flag.
The newly-elected Lok Sabha that will be constituted after the elections will have a full budget session in June which will go on till August.
President Pratibha Patil's maiden state visit to Mexico began on an unpleasant note as one of her important engagements -- an address to the joint session of Parliament -- was today cancelled at the last minute in view of the blockade of the House by Left-leaning legislators. Despite intense last-minute negotiations, the Mexican officials informed the President's Secretariat about the cancellation of her address officially.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni became only the second cricketer, a decade after Sachin Tendulkar, to be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour, at a glittering function at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Delhi, on Friday. India's ODI captain could not attend the function as he was leading the team in the fifth and final One-Day International against Sri Lanka in Colombo. His father Paan Singh received the award on his behalf.
Commending the economic growth, President Pratibha Patil emphasised on Tuesday the need to make development socially inclusive, particularly for the disadvantaged and marginalised sections. Inaugurating the annual India International Trade Fair in New Delhi, she said all the regions of the country should benefit from the fast economic growth.
President Pratibha Patil congratulated boxer Vijender Kumar for clinching a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. ''I am very happy and proud that you have won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in the middleweight division of the boxing competition,'' the President said in a statement on Friday.
Against the backdrop of escalating violence in Jammu and Kashmir over the Amarnath land row, President Pratibha Patil on Thursday appealed for calm and said differences could be addressed through 'dialogue and reconciliation'.In her second address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, Patil made no direct mention of the simmering crisis but said "whatever the problem, whatever the cause, whatever the reason, there is no place for violence in our society."
President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Abhinav Bindra on his "golden performance" in bagging India's first-ever individual gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. In separate messages, Patil and Singh lauded the achievement of 25-year-old Indian shooter, with the Prime Minister describing the feat as a "golden performance".
The Union home ministry was in constant touch with the Gujarat police, the state chief secretary and state administration, seeking details of the blasts, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told reporters in New Delhi
A Muslim body fighting for rebuilding Babri Masjid in Ayodhya will not organise any protests on Saturday, on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque, to express solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.The All India Babri Masjid Re-building Committee said it will, instead, send a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil urging her to order the rebuilding of Babri Masjid at its original site in Ayodhya or refer all disputes related to the SC.
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.
India will resume the dialogue process with Pakistan 'when conditions permit', President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.
Samajwadi Party leaders Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav met President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday. Amar Singh handed over to the President a list of Lok Sabha MPs who contested under the SP symbol.
The Left Front leaders, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat, have reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit their letter withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance government to the President. Following the withdrawal of support by the Left parties the strength of the ruling coalition has been reduced to 230.
The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said it would give a fresh letter of support for the government to President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday.
With the Left deciding to snap ties with the United Progressive Alliance, President Pratibha Patil will face her first real test on whether to ask Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek a trust vote in Parliament or not.Patil, 72, will find herself in the spotlight at the end of a fortnight-long political manoeuvering and intense speculation on whether the Manmohan Singh government will have the numbers to survive a floor test.
The Left parties will submit by July 10 to President Pratibha Patil their letter withdrawing support to the UPA government, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said on Monday.
The monks termed the advertisement as disrespectful to Lord Buddha, adding that it hurt Buddhist sentiments.
"Buddhism is more relevant today than ever," said President Pratibha Patil after visiting Bodh Gaya and Nalanda
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 that day, IAF officials said in New Delhi.
"Parliament, being the national legislative body, also bears the responsibility of setting standards for state legislatures, local bodies and indeed all elected bodies," Patil said.
Dr Singh said Manekshaw, popularly called Sam Bahadur, had served the army with great distinction for over four decades beginning with the very first military engagement free India was dragged into in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir.
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.
'I am happy Sanjay Raut and Sharad Pawar changed the game of Maharashtra politics.'
The President will give away the Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed Award to noted film personality Shabana Azmi and journalist Shekhar Gupta at a function to be organized at the Pragjyoti ITA Cultural Complex, Machkhowa in Guwahati on Sunday evening.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday hailed Sachin Tendulkar as a 'genius' after the master batsman eclipsed Brian Lara to become the highest run-getter in Test cricket. Tendulkar surpassed Lara to become the highest run getter in Tests on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at Mohali.
In an alarming disclosure, police on Tuesday said they intercepted a car displaying fake national emblem, moving along the route that President Pratibha Patil was to take in Pune on Saturday night. The two suspects in the vehicle, however, had managed to flee, they said.
The VHP leaders presented a memorandum to the President, seeking an immediate ban on the conversion activities of Christian missionaries and foreign funds to these organisations. They also demanded a thorough scrutiny of the accounts of these Christian missionaries and urged the President to ensure that no foreigner is allowed to practice religious conversion in the country.
