Saturday's voting will mark the end to the marathon polling process that began on April 19 month and has already covered 486 Lok Sabha seats in 28 states and Union territories.
The constitution of a committee by the Centre to explore the feasibility of "one nation, one election" has opened up the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held with a string of state assembly polls.
Mainstream political parties in Sikkim have thrown their weight behind the separate Gorkhaland state issue for which the state has witnessed a series of agitations with its economy paralysed. The state's main political force -- the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front -- has openly supported the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state to fulfil what it says the aspiration of the Gorkha people.
DRDO's latest tank will face trial in Rajasthan's summer which will be followed by 'user trials' ahead of facing battle in high-altitude deserts of eastern Ladakh and Sikkim, reports Ajai Shukla.
'China and India would like to conduct useful and meaningful exploration on this issue,' Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said.
As rescue teams continued their march to the inaccessible quake-hit areas of North Sikkim, the death toll in the ravaged Himalayan state on Friday reached 75, with the recovery of one more body.
Official sources in the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday downplayed the controversy related to Chinese activities in the northern most part of Sikkim. Both sides are expected to meet formally to settle the new friction at the border.According to reports, China tried to grab a small tract of land, also known as finger area, in northern Sikkim, which overlooks the Himlayan Valley Sora Funnel.
Pawan Chamling is all set to become CM for the fifth time in a row; SDF party led by him sweeps the assembly polls, winning 22 of the 32 seats. Anurag Kashyap reports.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of reference to the Sikkimese-Nepalese as "people of foreign origin" from its January 13 verdict on tax exemption in Sikkim, following a plea by the Centre and others for modification.
With 20 more bodies recovered in quake hit Sikkim on Tuesday night, the toll mounted to 73 on Wednesday amidst fears that the casualty figure could go up significantly as the rescue party were yet to reach 15 major villages.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday went around some quake-hit areas in Sikkim where the toll has climbed to 50 and promised all help to the state to tide over its major crisis.
The charming town of Pelling can strike a balance between commerce and conservation
The 78-year-old Naveen is on the cusp of creating history. He must win the forthcoming Assembly polls to become India's longest-serving chief minister, a record held by Sikkim's Pawan Kumar Chamling.
Voting for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls will be held on Friday for 88 seats in 13 states with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a second-straight term from Wayanad in Kerala.
Polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, six seats in Madhya Pradesh, five seats each in Assam and Bihar, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.
Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran, facing impeachment proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court on Monday after his transfer to the Himalayan state following allegations of corruption.
A Jaguar fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed in a forest near Lik in Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim on Friday, with the pilot suffering serious injuries.
The PLA said the move has 'seriously damaged' border peace and tranquillity.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman displayed the photographs of the alleged Indian "incursion" into the area during a media briefing.
Lonely Planet has nammed Sikkim the best region to visit in 2014. Here are some snapshots from one of India's most beautiful state.
'The impasse on the India-China border in the Sikkim sector persists, but the Hamburg meeting between the two leaders will certainly have its salutary effects on the relationship between the two countries,' says China scholar Rup Narayan Das.
China will resolutely safeguard its border sovereignty in conflicts with Indian troops even at the cost of war, GT said.
The advisory asked to pay close attention to the security situation and take necessary precautions.
At least 11 people were killed -- six in India and five in Nepal -- after a powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude rocked Sikkim and other parts in the northeast on Sunday leaving. In, India around fifty people have been injured and there has been extensive damage to property. The quake also jolted Bangladesh, sparking panic among the people, though there was no immediate report of any casualty.
According to the Election Commission of India, the code has evolved over the last 60 years to assume its present form.
China on Wednesday accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.
Sikkim's tryst with floriculture marks a new beginning for small growers, but poor market access and a flush of imported breeds may mar its sustainability.
As powerful earthquakes rocked Sikkim, the Central government on Sunday swung into action, rushing specialised teams for rescue, relief and medical operations, besides mobilising the Army and Air Force.
SMU (Sikkim Manipal University) of Distance Education has announced admissions for its 'Spring Drive' in 2009.
India has maintained there is no scope for a third party mediation.
Such private universities are empowered to award general degree programmes without the specific approval of the UGC, the official said.
Days before the first vote for the Lok Sabha polls is cast, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the rival Nationalist Congress Party factions led by party founder Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to abide by its directions on the use of symbols, party names and disclaimers in publicity material for the elections.
Sikkim was cut off from the rest of the country when Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists blocked the National Highway 31A early on Saturday as part of their 24-hour strike in the Darjeeling Hills region. Vehicular traffic between Sikkim and Siliguri via the NH-31A has been totally paralysed since early morning, police officials at Rangpo inter-state border checkpost said. Only a few vehicles belonging to the military forces, press persons and some ambulances were seen.
The Sikkim government is considering a proposal by the Forest and Wildlife Department to market the medicinal herb Cordyceps Sinensis, popularly known as Himalayan Viagra. The herb, whose scientific name is Caterpillar Fungus, is found abundantly in the forests of the Himalayan state.
Which are India's most impressive lakes? Choose and journey there now!
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