The 10-day Ganesh festival began on Saturday under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, with devotees restricting celebrations to their homes and using online platforms to get 'darshan' of the Lord at temples, amid strict COVID-19 restrictions imposed by governments.
As many as 31 corruption cases were registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against IAS and IPS officers since 2011, the government said Wednesday.
The controversial bill for quota in government job promotions on Thursday faced obstacle in Lok Sabha with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi Party opposing its consideration for different reasons.
Residents of the union territory had got relief for a while on Friday when there was some let up in the downpour but it started raining heavily again on Friday night.
The government on Friday rejected former Central Bureau of Investigation director U S Mishra's allegation that he faced political pressure when he was investigating the disproportionate assets case against former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
With the Comptroller and Auditor General reports providing ammunition to the Opposition to attack the prime minister, Congress on Friday dismissed Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for his resignation while party chief Sonia Gandhi held a "strategy meeting" with senior ministers and party leaders.
Announcing his agitation, Hazare has asked the Centre to "show courage" in bringing in the bill in the Winter session of Parliament, beginning from December 5.
Government is considering a proposal to make Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into a multi-member body, a move that came under sharp criticism from the opposition and civil society.
Battered by various Comptroller and Auditor General reports on alleged scams, government says it is "actively" considering a proposal to make the official auditor a multi-member body.
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 contentious anti-corruption Lokpal bill will come up for discussion next month in Parliament after the ongoing one-month recess of the budget session, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said on Sunday.
Charges and counter-charges flew thick and fast minutes after the controversy in the Lok Sabha, when Samajwadi Party member Yashvir Singh snatched the copy of quota in promotion bill from Union minister V Narayansamy and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi intervened to stop him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday supported the Bill providing for reservation to SCs/STs in promotions in government jobs but asked the government to make certain changes so that it does not create reverse discrimination.
Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed high drama when two Samajwadi Party members were directed to leave the House for causing disruptions over a quota bill, leading to arguments and counter-arguments before all members of the party walked out.
The much-delayed Kudankulam nuclear power project is expected to be commissioned by April, government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday offered a chadar at the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti on the occasion of the 801st Urs. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy offered the chadar on behalf of Dr Singh.
A majority of Congress leaders said the party will face desertions if Rahul Gandhi does not remain the leader.
Hitting out at the government for calling Team Anna members "anti-national", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said it is not right and unjustified to level such allegations against those critical of the policies of the United Progressive Alliance dispensation.
The much-hyped Lokpal Bill will be delayed further with the government on Wednesday saying it will bring the measure in the Rajya Sabha in the budget session with required amendments in the light of the report of the Select Committee.
Controversy-embroiled Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will once again miss the target as the time frame of commissioning of the first unit has now been revised to the new year.
The government on Sunday maintained that it will ensure all safety aspects of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project are fully taken care of before it is commissioned.
The government has given approval for setting up six nuclear power plants with assistance from French company Areva at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, minister of state in the Primke Minister's Office V Narayanasamy told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
As many as 129 officers above the rank of joint secretary and above have been booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has registered 97 corruption cases against such officers during the last three years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
The government on Wednesday said the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered 600 corruption cases in 2011.
Over 2,500 officials working in various government offices were booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation for their alleged involvement in corruption during the last three years.
Gandhi said he has "received tremendous love and affection from people of Tamil Nadu and it is my duty to stand with people of Tamil Nadu and protect their history, their culture and their language."
A bill to provide for setting up a regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose information on corruption or wilful misuse of power by public servants, including ministers, was passed by Parliament on Friday.
Hitting back at Union Minister V Narayanasamy for alleging that his close associate benefitted from coal allotments, BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that all those making such baseless charges should apologise or face criminal and civil suits from him.
Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena on Thursday thwarted an attempt in the Rajya Sabha to take up for passage the contentious Bill providing for quota in promotion for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs.
The much-delayed Kudankulam nuclear power project is expected to be commissioned by the end of this month, the government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha.
In yet another twist, the controversial Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill was on Monday referred to the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha, further delaying the setting up of the anti-graft ombudsman which has been hanging fire for 42 years.
Government on Thursday said former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair was given a "due and adequate chance" by a high-level panel to put forth his views on the action taken against him in connection with irregularities in the Antrix-Devas deal.
After attacking the Comptroller and Auditor General, Union Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy Sunday demanded an apology from Bharatiya Janata Party for "misleading" the people that the 2G spectrum allocation in 2008 had resulted in a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.
The controversy-hit Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will start its production by the first week of December and the first tranche of entire 1,000 MW of power will go to Tamil Nadu, Union minister V Narayanasamy said.
In a bid to allay concerns of states and political parties alike, the government appears to have decided to delink the provision of Lokayuktas in states from the Lokpal Bill.
Even after a thorough search, the documents pertaining to imposition of Emergency could not be traced in prime minister's office records, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
The government is yet to take a call on former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair's request to the Prime Minister's Office to order an inquiry into the reasons behind annulment of the controversial Antrix-Devas deal and the procedure followed.
Launching a vitriolic attack on Team Anna, Union Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday charged that Anna Hazare was surrounded by "anti-national elements" and those supported by "foreign forces". "Anna is a simple man, but he is surrounded by anti-national elements and people who have been supported by foreign forces," the minister of state in PMO told the media at Chennai airport.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the 18th Biennial Conference of the Central Bureau of Investigation and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux (ACBx) on October 21, 2011.
Union Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday said it is the responsibility of the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government to allay fears of locals over the Koodankulam nuclear power plant and asked religious groups not to instigate anti-nuclear protesters.
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