The government plans to convene a special session of Parliament for passage of the Food Security Bill as a divided Cabinet Thursday shunned the idea of promulgating an ordinance to implement the watershed legislation.
Yesteryear actor Waheeda Rahman, singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, music composer Khayyam, former diplomat Brajesh Mishra and pioneer of the test tube baby in India Indira Hinduja were among a host of distinguished people conferred with the coveted Padma awards in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
Before filing her nomination papers at the Collectorate Rae Bareli, the UPA chairperson held a roadshow and offered puja at the Congress central office.
United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that the twin bomb blasts that rocked Hyderabad recently were the handiwork of forces inimical to India's progress.
Accusing the government of going back on its assurances to give a strong Lokpal Bill, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Friday threatened to start another country-wide agitation to achieve his demand of a pro-people Jan Lokpal. Slamming the government Lokpal draft, Hazare took on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and accused them of not fulfilling the promises made to him.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw some amendments it had proposed to the Right to Information Act after protests from civil society, which was also backed by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi. A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to withdraw the amendments which had sought to restrict disclosure of file notings only to social and development issues under the transparency law.
The Union Cabinet is likely to be reshuffled on Sunday. Speculation has been rife about a possible reshuffle in the wake of the exit of Trinamool Congress ministers and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam representatives A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran in the last two years.
Congress president and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has directed all party-ruled states to subsidise three additional cylinders a year for domestic liquefied petroleum gas, raising the cap on subsidised cylinders from six to nine.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday charged that there were differences between Congress party and the government on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and dared United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders to make their views public on the matter.
Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi demanding a high-level probe into alleged bias against prisoners belonging to the minority community in Maharashtra jails.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday announced an ad-hoc financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to flood-ravaged Assam, where floods and landslides have claimed 81 lives so far.
With United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi naming Pranab Mukherjee as the Presidential candidate, priests at Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri sought the Lord's blessings for him.
The Dravida Munettra Kazhagam is hopeful of getting the railway portfolio in the next reshuffle, say our sources in Delhi. Buzz is that the DMK had specifically asked for railways even in 2004, which did not happen.
The Congress President says that corporate strategy should have social investments.
The mortal remains of Assamese litterateur Indira Raisom Goswami were consigned to flames in Guwahati on Wednesday with full state honours.
Four persons have been invited to the inaugration of Barack Obama in Washington. America. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and Dr Surat Singh, a lawyer at the Supreme court who was Obama's class mate at Harvad Law School.
The United Naga Council on Monday lifted its 100-day economic blockade on the Manipur side of two national highways without any condition but with a caveat that agitation would be re-launched if the government did not make an 'alternative arrangement' for Nagas in the state.
Hours after United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi, started their five-day China visit, the Bhartiya Janata Party slammed the Communist country for staking its claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Addressing newsmen at the party headquarters, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy accused the Chinese of infiltrating the Arunachal Pradesh border 140 times and encroaching on 40,000 sq kilometers of land.
A stalemate continued over the BHEL disinvestment issue with Left parties ruling out any dilution of their opposition to it, after their meeting with United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
On his first official visit to India, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday met leaders across the political spectrum and discussed issues of bilateral interest. Prachanda called on President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
Dr Singh hosted a private dinner for the French leader and his wife Carla Bruni at his official residence in New Delhi, which was attended by United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and some senior Cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon.
"The decision of Delhi government to make ID proof mandatory will hit thousands of migrant labourers from Bihar going to Delhi in search of a livelihood," the protestors said.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade this year. An official release stated that the King and Queen of Bhutan will pay a state visit to India from January 23 to 30. The King has been invited by President Pranab Mukherjee.
National Advisory Committee-pushed plan might be part of Budget 2013-14.
In a statement issued in New Delhi, he said United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi will announce the name of the Congress candidate after consultations with allies and supporting parties.
In a telephonic talk with DMK parliamentary party leader and Union Minister T R Baalu on Sunday night, Sonia said, "Let us continue to concentrate on pubic service without being cowed down by such threats."
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a visit to India after a gap of nearly four decades as part of New Delhi's ongoing engagement with democratic and multi-party polity in that country.
After nearly a gap of 40 years, Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will travel to India on November 13 at the invitation of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Mehbooba has also met with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
210 millionth Aadhaar number to be handed over UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to also be present.
During his meetings with the UPA boss and the prime minister, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader is expected to discuss two thorny issues affecting Dr Singh's government -- the 2G spectrum row involving Telecom Minister and DMK MP A Raja and the continued absence of his son M K Alagiri, the Union chemicals and fertilisers minister, from Parliament and Cabinet meetings.
She was warmly received by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil arrived in Purnea in Bihar on Thursday for a visit to the flood-hit districts. Dr Singh, Gandhi and Patil will undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts in an Indian Air Force helicopter.Dr Singh is scheduled to review the relief and rescue measures at a high-level meeting with senior officials of the state government, before returning to Delhi.
PM meets senior leaders over Natwar issue
External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh briefed the leaders on the high-profile visits at an hour-long meeting.
It was noise and pandemonium all around but Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rail Budget speech chugged on in the Lok Sabha on Monday non-stop till it reached its destination.
The JMM would contest 35 seats and the Congress 33. The remaining 13 seats in the 81-member house have gone to the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Left parties.
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