Condemning the killing of a senior journalist of English tabloid Mid-Day in Mumbai on Saturday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said no civilised society can tolerate this kind of attack on the freedom of the press."This act has challenged the freedom of press and the perusal of objective reporting. This incident is a sign of insanity perpetuated by mindless individuals in which innocent citizens are killed," she said.
Facing Anna Hazare's threat to go on an indefinite fast from August 16, the government and the Congress on Thursday hardened its stand, making it clear to activists involved in the drafting the Lokpal Bill that Parliament is the final authority in making laws.
Government has approved Rs. 7,029 crore compensation to states for the losses they suffered due to reduction in central sales tax rate.
31 satellite TV channels are awaiting the government's approval.
These ministers are meeting select group of editors and senior reporters every week to put forward their viewpoints. The wooing of journalists at the ministerial level is unprecedented and shows the defensive mood prevailing within the government.
The ICC on Tuesday agreed to allow Indian TV channels to attend the high-voltage World Cup semi-finals between India and Pakistan following a request from Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
India's food processing minister Subodh Kant Sahay on Thursday met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi ahead of the general\nbudget on July 6.
Government on Thursday cast doubts on the veracity of the National Human Rights Commission report which ruled out rape in Bhatta-Parsaul during the recent farmers' agitation, saying one report cannot negate all the charges.
Facing Anna Hazare's threat to go on an indefinite fast from August 16, government and the Congress on Thursday hardened its stand, making it clear to activists involved in the drafting the Lokpal Bill that Parliament is the final authority in making laws.
Addressing media persons, Soni said: "India is a proud nation. Mahatma Gandhi uprooted the British empire through power of satyagraha from the Indian soil. Violence has no place in Indian society."
The name of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most recommended by various groups for the Bharat Ratna award.
The Centre on Thursday said the United Progressive Alliance allies were not covered in the reshuffle of the Council of Ministers in view of the upcoming assembly elections in various states."It was not that big a reshuffle. Only the portfolios were shuffled," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said while briefing media on the Cabinet meeting."It was not that big a reshuffle. Only the portfolios were shuffled," Information, Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said
The committee, which submitted its report to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Monday, has taken a serious view of the small sample size used by the two existing rating agencies in India.
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered five seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got three, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got two apiece and the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena got one each respectively as all 30 made it to the Upper House after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations drew to close on Thursday evening.
Coming out in defence of its deal with UK-based SIS Live for telecast of the Commonwealth Games, Prasar Bharti on Monday said the selection of the company was made with the approval of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni.
Amid questions over how the then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson fled India, the central government said on Thursday that the group of ministers set up on the Bhopal gas tragedy issue will look into all aspects related to the incident and facts would be presented before the nation.
Informing that the Cabinet had approved a resolution in this regard, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told media persons that the high court verdict will be just one step in the legal process and that it did not necessarily end with the judgment unless it is acceptable to all sections.
In an interesting turn of events, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni decided not to announce the 57th National Awards for films, though it is customary for the minister to do the honours, considering the prestige attached to the awards and the fact that it is the President of India who gives away the awards.
Among the new entrants in the council headed by the Prime Minister, which will now have 147 members, are Ambika Soni, Dayanidhi Maran and Salman Khursheed have made their entry as Union Ministers while BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley have come in as Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively.
This will be the second merger of an associate bank with the SBI after a similar exercise with the State Bank of Saurashtra in August 2008.
The government's move is aimed at implementing the provisions incorporated in the Cable Television Network Rules 1994. Introduced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, the paper suggests that if 'a product that uses a brand or logo, which is also used for promoting cigarettes and tobacco products, then the visual of the advertisement should depict only the product being advertised and not prohibited products in any form or manner.'
At a press conference after a meeting of the party's senior leaders, K C Venugopal said the Congress will also launch a massive signature campaign in which it aims to collect two crore signatures from farmers and the poor people against farm bills.
'This is a fascinating side to Sonia Gandhi, the way she disarms her opponents.'
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to increase reservation for women to 50 per cent in panchayats.
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Several complaints had been received about illegal and unlicensed television channels and action had been taken against them, the government informed the Rajya Sabha.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni urged that private television channels to show restraint and evolve self-regulatory mechanism so that their programmes do not hurt the sentiments of people.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is also not immune to unwanted and unsolicited calls from loan companies.
The opening ceremony of southern regional centre of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Bangaluru on Wednesday witnessed high drama with the artist fraternity and a Karnataka minister entering into a verbal duel, after the minister allegedly dubbed some artists as "pseudo intellectuals".
With the information and broadcasting ministry issuing showcause notices to several broadcasters, the government on Wednesday favoured a self-regulatory mechanism to monitor content that does not violate the laid down norms.
The Centre has postponed taking a decision on the suggestion made by a three-member ministerial group regarding the Delhi high court judgment to decriminalise gay sex.
Surjewala said the party's 10-day agitation was formalised at a meeting in which Rahul Gandhi participated in, but neither he nor Sonia Gandhi would be participating in the state and district level programmes.
The party also made it clear that no one will be permitted to undermine or weaken the party and its leadership. The CWC also resolved that inner-party issues cannot be deliberated through the media or in public fora and all such issues must be raised within the party 'in the interest of propriety and discipline'.
"Prime Minister has directed me to do whatever possible....the bottomline is to procure the memorabilia," Culture Minister Ambika Soni told media-persons as the government made last ditch efforts to stop the auction of Gandhi's personal belongings.
A first look at the actor's latest Malayalam film of the same name.
Brown, his wife Sarah and their two children were among some 1,200 guests who came together at the London zoo to remember Ambika, Lord Paul's daughter, who passed away 41 years ago after she was brought to London for treatment of leukaemia.
Bowing to the pressure from various states, the Union government on Thursday withdrew the bill to put sports in the Concurrent list.
The issue of content code for television news channels will be discussed with all stake holders to find a solution, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said on Friday.
The global meltdown, coupled with economic recession and the terror incidents, has hit the tourism industry adversely. While there is a fall of foreign tourist arrival, hotel bookings are also witnessing many cancellations. Besides rationalisation of luxury tax, ministry has also sought seamless movement of vehicles meant for tourists.
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