This will be the last visit of Zoellick as President of World Bank as he is retiring on June 30.
A few days after praising the Aam Aadmi Party government, Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday attacked it, saying Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues were an "embarrassment" and not "sober people" for governance.
Observing that the United Progressive Alliance government's Land Acquisition Bill is "a political response to a political problem", Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said his party leader Rahul Gandhi was the force behind the speedy introduction of the bill in Lok Sabha.
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday met Jan Satyagrah activists and agreed to their demands for framing a National Land Reforms Policy, defusing a crisis that could have been triggered by their march to the national capital.
The scheme guarantees 100 days work per household in a year and had been providing a major chunk by June each year.
The Group of Ministers on Telangana is set to discuss the draft bill for the creation of Telangana on Saturday.
Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday attacked the Central Bureau of Investigation for initiating preliminary enquiry against ex-SEBI chairman C B Bhave and ex-member K M Abraham on the issue of granting sanction to MCX Stock Exchange, and alleged that "larger forces" were working to fix them.
An Empowered Group of Ministers on drought headed by Sharad Pawar on Friday sanctioned Rs 480 crore as immediate relief to Gujarat for rural drinking water and also announced increase of man days under MGNREGA from 100 to 150 per person.
Bihar boy Sushil Kumar, who hit the Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million) Kaun Banega Crorepati jackpot, was on Monday named by the Centre as the brand ambassador for its flagship rural job guarantee scheme MNREGA.
In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN's Deputy Editor Sagarika Ghose, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that there was nothing ideological about Maoists anymore, as they were extortionists and criminals.
In what Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has called the UPA's 'slog overs', several policy changes were announced, and proposed laws cleared.
Nomination papers of Pranab Mukhejee, for the Presidential poll on July 19, are being readied, according to sources. Senior Union ministers and Members of Parliament have been summoned to Parliament House on Wednesday to affix their signatures on Mukherjee's papers.
Another all-party meeting will attempt to resolve political concerns about the Land Reforms Bill.
Activists created a climate of opinion against MFIs, while politicians capitalised on the frenzy.
New members of the Union Council of Ministers, including Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo, were introduced to both Houses of Parliament by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday. Dr Singh also introduced Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who were recently inducted as Cabinet ministers, to members of both Houses.
Amid a raging controversy over land acquisition, the government on Friday unveiled a new draft Bill putting in place a transparent, legal framework aimed at giving adequate compensation to land owners and ensuring rehabilitation of those displaced.
Congress party circles are talking about a major Cabinet reshuffle on September 18. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Public Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik are said to be tipped for party organisational work, while party spokesman Janardan Dwivedi and his junior Manish Tiwari are likely to be included in the Union Cabinet.
India has assured Bangladesh that agreements on the Teesta Water Treaty and demarcation of land boundaries will soon become a reality.
Several Congress ministers have reportedly said that they want to be relieved of their ministerial berths. These include Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The much-talked about Land Acquisition Bill, which provides for enhanced compensation to land owners and other benefits, was Monday approved by the Union Cabinet notwithstanding reservations from some senior ministers on some aspects.
Not all ministers are on board on certain critical provisions, want revision.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday began his three-day tour to take stock of four drought-hit states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Withdraws petition from green tribunal, makes fresh plea for Lanjigarh project.
In an apparent answer to crusader Anna Hazare's team mobilising the masses suffering corruption of the lower level bureaucracy, the government has quietly kicked of drafting of a Bill for creating a mechanism for the public services grievance redressal.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday termed as "deeply disturbing" Narendra Modi-led BJP's massive victory in the Lok Sabha polls and said that "very difficult days" are ahead if he rules India the way he governed Gujarat.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh interacts with readers on Rediff Chat as he discusses the period that changed India's history, forever.
Union Minister for Rural Development on Thursday met nine Union Ministers with the draft of a Bill for lower level bureaucracy, which is likely to be presented in parliament by early next week.
Union minister Jairam Ramesh termed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a "blot" on the country and the Congress and suggested that more needs to be done for the victims and to bring the guilty to book.
The new Land Acquisition Act, which he hoped to notify by January 1, 2014, does not have under its purview 13 different acts, which dealt with land acquisition for various government projects, including the national highways, power transmission and railways.
The Supreme Court, by a majority view of 3:2, upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs.
The Land Acquisition Bill, passed by Parliament during the Monsoon Session to replace a 119-year-old legislation, became a law with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to it on.
Hundreds of rural women who gathered to collect forms for a newly announced government scheme in Jorhat district of Assam left their queues to greet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was leading the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' through the area on Thursday.
West Bengal is yet to implement the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the law that replaced the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, on January 1 this year.
The Opposition on Tuesday termed the Union Budget as a 'kursi bachao budget' driven by political compulsions and claimed that it ignored opposition-ruled states in a bid to 'appease' Bharatiya Janata Party's allies.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate the new building to house the Environment Ministry.
The Opposition party said that Prime Minister Modi congratulating Eshwarappa for not rebelling despite not being given a poll ticket "is unacceptable".
The actor met Indian Minister of Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at an event in New York on Thursday.
Ramesh's reply came when he was asked whether grants would be provided to Karnataka for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Indira Awas Yojana as the state was now under the Congress rule.
Reaching out to youths in Naxal-hit areas, the Centre on Friday launched a placement linked skill development scheme targeting 50,000 rural men and women, mostly tribals, in 24 worst affected districts.
Telugu Desam Party MP Venugopal Reddy, who was involved in a fracas over Telangana bill in the Lok Sabha today, termed as a "lie" the allegation that he was carrying a knife inside the House and claimed that he was assulated by 10 members.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances