President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday attended the Victory Day Parade as the 'Guest of Honour' in Dhaka as Bangladesh marked 50 years of victory in the Liberation War against Pakistan by showcasing its military might which included spectacular aerobatics and display of defence acquisitions.
A constitutional amendment bill for holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously is likely to be introduced in Parliament on Tuesday and could be referred to a joint committee of the two Houses.
President Droupadi Murmu and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived at Kartavya Path for the 76th Republic Day parade in a traditional horse-drawn buggy, a practice that made a comeback after a 40-year gap last year. The gold-plated, horse-drawn buggy is a black carriage with the national emblem embossed on it in gold. It was discontinued after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 but was revived by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014. The buggy's history dates back to the British era, with India winning ownership through a coin toss after independence.
Bharatiya Janata Party President (and Health Minister) J P Nadda and two of his predecessors (Defence Minister) Rajnath Singh and (Home Minister) Amit Shah called on former BJP president (1991 to 1993) Dr Murli Manohar Joshi on his 91st birthday.
The Indian Parliament will introduce a constitutional amendment bill on Tuesday that seeks to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously. The bill, popularly known as "one nation, one election", will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and is likely to be referred to a joint committee of both houses for wider consultations. The bill also aims to align elections in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and the NCT of Delhi. The move has been met with mixed reactions, with some supporting the idea of reducing election-related expenses and others expressing concerns about its impact on democratic processes.
President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Devi on Friday boarded a special train from Safdarjung railway station in New Delhi for his native place in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday on a maiden three-day State visit during which he will hold talks with his counterpart and attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan.
On Thursday, Droupadi Murmu was elected as the 15th President of India.
The government has listed two bills related to 'one nation, one election' for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a tweet that he had spoken to the director of AIIMS to enquire about President Kovind's health.
Kovind said the UP legislature has a glorious history of dignified amicability between the ruling party and the Opposition.
President Ram Nath Kovind is undergoing a check-up at the army's Research and Referral hospital in New Delhi.
Kovind, aged 76, was sworn in as the 14th President of India on 25 July, 2017.
Kovind, 75 , had on March 30 underwent a cardiac bypass surgery at AIIMS.
President Kovind, who arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day on his maiden State visit at the invitation of his counterpart M Abdul Hamid to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, held delegation-level talks with him which was followed by a banquet.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took a major step to implement its key plank of "one nation, one election" as the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the constitutional amendment bill to roll out the concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, sources said.
The condition of President Ram Nath Kovind is stable and he is being referred to the All India Institute for Medical Studies for further investigation, the Army's Research and Referral hospital said on Saturday.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee, while legal affairs secretary Niten Chandra will be secretary to the panel.
What India needs more than one simultaneous election is better governance both at the central and state level. Yes, we need reforms, but our priority should be to make elections less expensive, make it more democratic, do away with freebies which are actually bribes before elections, allow only those who are educated to contest, and bring in a bill to make it impossible for criminals to contest, advocates Ramesh Menon.
The government may have to move 18 amendments to the Constitution to implement the concept of simultaneous elections as recommended by a high-level committee chaired by former president Ram Nath Kovind.
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera is now renamed Narendra Modi Stadium.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said that indiscreet remarks, even if made with good intention, give space for dubious interpretations to run down the judiciary and asked judges to exercise utmost discretion in their utterances in courtrooms.
Ahead of the introduction of bills on holding simultaneous polls, the government Tuesday said the concept is not new to the country.
The temple was totally destroyed by the Pakistani Army's operation codenamed 'Operation Searchlight' in 1971, targeting the resistance movement in the country.
This year's Padma awards took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on Monday. Mohanlal Viswanathan, Prabhu Deva and Shankar Mahadevan have been conferred with honours. Take a look.
According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, President Kovind, along with the First Lady and other members of the family, joined the fellow citizens and expressed their gratitude towards all those who are safeguarding the health of the nation in spite of grave risk to them and their families. President Kovind also donated one-month salary to PM-CARES fund and has decided to forego 30 per cent of his salary for a year, it said in a series of slides mentioning various initiatives and work done during the third year of his presidency.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him about the chopper crash near Coonoor that killed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 armed forces personnel.
Addressing the troops, she said in difficult situations like heavy snowfall and minus 50 degrees temperature, they present extraordinary examples of sacrifice and tolerance in protecting the motherland.
Opposition parties on Wednesday opposed the 'one nation, one election' proposal by calling it impractical and a 'cheap stunt' by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The retired president is also entitled to a secretarial staff consisting of a private secretary, an additional private secretary, one personal assistant, two peons, and office expenses up to Rs 1 lakh per annum.
Kharge also hit back at the BJP for criticising his party colleague Rahul Gandhi over a copy of the Constitution with a red cover. He showed a picture of PM Modi gifting a similar copy to former president Ramnath Kovind.
The president was in the city to inaugurate the underground Bunker Museum at the Raj Bhavan.
Remembering the soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation with indomitable courage and valour, the President said: "The nation salutes the soldiers and officers of the 19th Infantry Division, who have been safeguarding our borders in the most hostile terrains under adverse weather conditions as our frontline troops. They have scripted exceptional stories of indomitable courage, bravery and sacrifice."
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government will implement 'one nation, one election' within its current tenure, sources said, exuding confidence that the reform measure would receive support across party lines.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday visited Gir National Park, the only abode of Asiatic lions, during his two-day Gujarat tour. Here are glimpses from his lion safari.
'One nation, one election' is not possible under the present Constitution. It requires at least five constitutional amendments'
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister late Kalyan Singh, often termed as a Hindutva icon, and actor Victor Banerjee were among the 65 distinguished personalities who were conferred with Padma awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday.
Donald Trump, accompanied by US First Lady Melania Trump, was received by Kovind at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan along with his wife Savita.
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi will discharge the functions of the Governor of Bihar, in addition to his own duties.
Efficient management of time and speedy decision-making have been the focus of President Ram Nath Kovind.
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