The government on Sunday rejected Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for removal of Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner, paving the way for his appointment to the key constitutional post. A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said President Pratibha Patil has accepted the government recommendation for rejection of the CEC's report against Chawla and arrived at a "considered opinion".
Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy was on Tuesday elevated to Cabinet rank to take over as Union railway minister replacing Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced to resign after Congress caved in to Mamata Banerjee's pressure.
Delhi Police fired water canons again to disperse hundreds of protestors, mostly students, who had gathered on Sunday morning to vent their ire over the Delhi gang-rape incident that took place a week ago.
The transcript of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech at the Governors' Conference at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Sunday
Pranab Mukherjee will be sworn in as the 13th President of the country on July 25.
Having declared his party's support for Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential poll, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday described him as a "super power" in Congress and said the Opposition should be happy as with his election, the government will become a "lame duck".
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday revealed that his name was proposed for the post of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Chief in the 1980s but he backed out as he has "never held a bat" and put forward the name of N K P Salve in his place.
Delhi government Thursday told the Supreme Court that 8049 police personnel are deployed for giving protection to VIPs in the national capital at a cost of Rs 341 crore to the exchequer annually.
Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G Madhavan Nair, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, historian Ramachandra Guha and noted billiard player Pankaj Advani were among the 63 personalities who received the Padma awards in New Delhi on Tuesday. The recipients also include social activist Sunderlal Bahuguna and veteran actor Helen Khan. President Prathibha Patil gave away the Padma awards at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Savita Kanswal, 26, was posthumously awarded the highest adventure award at Rashtrapati Bhavan this month. She died heroically, as she had lived, doing what no woman had done before her.
Terming as "alarmist" a media report that the Army moved two units towards Delhi in January without informing the government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said such reports "should not be taken at face value".
The sprawling President's Estate has been found to be breeding mosquitoes at many accumulated pools of stagnant water -- with 52 notices slapped on Rashtrapati Bhavan by the New Delhi Municipal Council.
Nobel laureate of Indian origin Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, noted theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi were on Wednesday conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi.
The home ministry on Thursday announced the Padma awards which included five Padma Bhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri.
Parupalli Kashyap, who became the first Indian shuttler to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympics Games, has said he draws inspiration from London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal. Kashyap, who received the Arjuna Award in a glittering ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday, also said he is aiming to break into the top-15 of world badminton ranking by the end of this year.
Mohammad ElBaradei, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency, was on Wednesday honoured with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for his 'impassioned opposition to use of nuclear energy for military purposes.'
At 11 am on July 25 President-elect Pranab Mukherjee will be ready and waiting at his Talkatora road residence having donned the new bandgala, which is being specially stitched for him.
At 11 am on July 25 President-elect Pranab Mukherjee will be ready and waiting at his Talkatora road residence having donned the new bandgala, which is being specially stitched for him.
Narang won four gold medals at last year's Commonwealth Games. The 28-year-old rifle shooter, who was the first Indian marksman to qualify for next year's London Olympics with a bronze in the World Championships last year, was disgruntled at being "ignored" for the award last year.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday indicated that the full Budget for 2009-10 may announce a disinvestment of government stake in public sector companies. A host of companies waiting for the government nod for disinvestment include Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, railway consultancy firm RITES, National Aviation Company, and Ircon.
In a bid to counter the actions of Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj, the state Bharatiya Janata Party led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa paraded 114 members of Parliament before President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday.
Justice S H Kapadia, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, was on Wednesday sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of India by President Pratibha Patil.
An impressive and colourful parade, a traditional attraction of the national event, marched down the thoroughfare connecting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the historic India Gate as President Pratibha Patil took the salute from marching contingents.
Gandhi met the president and handed over a memorandum signed by two crore farmers demanding a repeal of the laws, saying they will not benefit farmers or labourers.
In a curious case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, the Law Ministry has released the letter written by former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami to the President seeking removal of fellow Election Commissioner Navin Chawla while the Rashtrapati Bhawan had declined to make the document public.
The opposition parties are seeking the President's intervention in the matter, claiming that violence in the BJP-ruled northeastern state is continuing unabated.
Sena leader Sanjay Raut said he will meet Mukherjee next week, insisting he has proved to be "best President" and that nobody can doubt his capabilities.
It will now be called the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh denied that he was forced to miss the Padma Shri presentation ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday because of his endorsements and advertising contracts. Some sections of the media slammed the bowler and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for giving the awards function a miss. 'If someone believes that I was in Delhi, and can prove it, I will quit playing cricket today itself.'
Seventy six-year-old Dr Singh drove to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday morning from his 7, Race Course Road residence to greet Patil on the occasion, a PMO spokesperson said.
Alleging a scam to the tune of Rs 63,000 crore in developmental works carried out in the North-East, the Bharatiya Janata Party appealed to President Pratibha Patil to direct the authorities to carry out a detailed investigation into the "loot".
In keeping with the general practice, four new tunes, including Gen Nirmal, dedicated to army chief General N C Vij, were added to the event.
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.
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award from Sports Minister M S Gill after missing out on the August 29 ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan due to the World Championships in Paris.
Pranab Mukherjee had wanted to be reborn as one of the well-bred horses in the President's stable at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, he had jocularly told his elder sister years back when he was a young MP.
Putin was seen taking keen interest in the armament showcased in the parade as President Kalam offered him insight into equipment on display.
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.
Fifteen other top sportspersons, including woman shuttler Aparna Popat and shooter Gagan Narang were presented the Arjuna award.
Vinod Rai, a 1972 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, took oath on Monday as the country's new Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Rai, who replaced V N Kaul, was administered the oath of office by President Pratibha Patil at a brief function at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.
Security guidelines on par with those in force during the Republic Day Parade were issued on Wednesday by the home ministry on the eve of the Olympic torch relay run on Rajpath to ensure that the event passed off peacefully. As per the guidelines, all doors and windows of buildings facing Rajpath should remain closed from 1300 hours to 1800 hours, when the torch relay run will pass through the two-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate.