After three straight quarters of decline, India's housing market is pinning hopes on the ongoing festival season to revive sales momentum. While 2025 may still end with sales volumes below 2024 levels, developers believe the seasonally strong October-December quarter could narrow the gap, aided by stable interest rates, festive incentives, and resilient demand in the premium segment.
PricewaterhouseCoopers' new chairman is busy putting the past behind the consultancy and raising the bar on risk and quality.
Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on Thursday met his United States counterpart and other top ranking military officers and discussed various issues including joint training and exercises between the two countries. General Kapoor, who is on a five day visit to the US, met Joint Chiefs of Staff committee Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, US army chief General George W Casey Junior and Central Command Chief General David H Petraeus in Washington.
His discussions with the US defence officials would delve on defence cooperation including joint training and exercises, exchanges and military equipment.
He will replace the present incumbent General Joginder Jaswant Singh, who retires on September 30.
'Ex-Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor joined Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Kapoor was indicted in the Adarsh scam along with other senior Army officers'
Amid severe cold and fog, the march resumed in the morning from Dodwa in Karnal's Nilokheri region and entered the Kurukshetra district later in the day.
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred Distinguished Service Awards, including 52 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, on 84 serving and retired personnel of the armed forces and the Indian Coast Guard.
Sibal, who quit the Congress last year, said the party's Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra "optically" seems to have succeeded and gotten the support of non-Congress elements as well.
The cross-country foot march stayed in the news almost right through, mostly for the barbs between the BJP and the Congress and occasionally for other reasons, including infighting in the opposition party.
The Congress' rebuttal came after the Gujarat police on Friday opposed activist Teesta Setalvad's bail application.
'The biggest problem that faces the Opposition in Gujarat is just a day or two before voting is scheduled, Modiji goes on a spree of emotional appeals.' 'That process has been set in motion much earlier this time in Gujarat.'
Young MPs show interest in joining Territorial Army
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday differed with former Army chief general Deepak Kapoor's deposition before the Adarsh Commission that the high rise was not a security threat.
Former Army Chief Deepak Kapoor on Thursday told a judicial panel conducting inquiry into the Adarsh Society scam that he didn't think that the high-rise would be a security threat due to its proximity to a military station.
Systematic military intelligence analysis, of the kind that is routine in Rawalpindi and Beijing, would leave Pakistan and China with no doubts about India's military weakness. But the Indian public might miss the broader picture.
Holding that the Adarsh Housing scam was a classic case of fence eating the crops and 'consistent failure' of Centre and Maharashtra government, the Comptroller and Auditor General on Tuesday said rules were bent to benefit relatives of politicians, public servants and senior service officers including former Army chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor and N C Vij.
Some terror camps in Pakistan have reinitiated operations against India which has conveyed its worries over United States military aid to Pakistan finding its way to terrorists, Army Chief Deepak Kapoor has told top American official, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
There has been 'no decline' in support from Pakistan to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and top militant leaders including Hafiz Saeed are operating with impunity from its territory despite international pressure after Mumbai terror attacks, Army Chief Deepak Kapoor has said.
If the government of the day would like to set in place a smooth and well-planned changeover and facilitate the incoming chief to chalk out his action plan well in advance, the announcement of a successor needs to be done early, observes Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).
After blowing the lid off the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai, Trinamool Congress MP Ambica Banerjee has now alleged that another defence land in the metropolis was given away to a private pharma company through a NOC from the army.
A top military official, Lt Gen Awadesh Prakash, allegedly involved in the Sukna land scam faces court martial with the Union Defence Minister A K Antony asking army chief General Deepak Kapoor to initiate disciplinary action against the officer.
The top Indian general received an insignia, sword and citation from President Yadav at a special function in the Rastrapati Bhawan on Thursday evening.
"Troops should enhance vigil on the border and the LoC keeping in view the increased attempts of infiltration from across the border in 2009 as compared to last year," he told the Unified Headquarter's meeting in Jammu.
Responding to Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor's statement that the Indian Armed forces were ready to fight Pakistan and China simultaneously, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervz Kayani said the situation in the region could get out of control due to such "dangerous adventurism".
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani described the Indian Army chief's comments about the possibility of a limited war under a nuclear overhang as "irresponsible" and said "conflicts" between Pakistan and India could only be resolved through dialogue.
"We do expect enhanced attempts at infiltration this summer and the trends for that are already there. Infiltration are aided and abetted by our western neighbour," Kapoor told media persons after his farewell Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns in New Delhi.
Noting that infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan will continue, Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said on Tuesday that the solution to the problem lies with the neighbour as it was helping them to sneak into Indian territory.
Sources in the Home Ministry said at least 60 attempts were made by Pakistan-based militants to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir since the beginning of this year, sparking "serious concern" in the government.
'In the absence of any further testing of nuclear warheads, it is essential to focus upon the associated structures of nuclear defence.'
Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor said on Friday that Pakistan was continuing to push in militants from across the border into Jammu and Kashmir but the armed forces deployed there were capable of tackling it.
Pakistan on Thursday said it was "disturbed" by reports that India could be preparing for additional nuclear tests and hoped a unilateral moratorium on testing would remain in place in the region.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister A K Antony advised General Kapoor to initiate disciplinary action against Lt General Prakash, as against the Army chief's recommendation to initiate administrative action against his former aide.
The Defence Ministry issued the order after the Cabinet Committee on Appointments cleared Singh's name for the top post, senior ministry sources said in New Delhi.
Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor met his Nepalese counterpart on Tuesday, as he began a crucial four-day trip, amid protests by hundreds of Maoists at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. The police arrested over a dozen Maoist cadres who attempted to wave black flags at the Tribhuvan International Airport, said the police.
Army chief Deepak Kapoor is suffering from hearing impairment after exposure to the heavy booming sound of artillery guns during a demonstration on anti-terror operations in the United States in July last year. The disability, which puts him in a low medical category, will fetch him 20 per cent extra pension after his superannuation in March, army sources said.
After his doctrine of two-front war with Pakistan and China drew flak from across the border, Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor on Friday said India wanted to foster 'cordial and peaceful relations' with both the nations.
With intelligence inputs suggesting that terrorists were planning to attack India's nuclear installations, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on Wednesday said Indian weapons were 'fully secure' and that there was no doubt about their safety. "As far as Indian nuclear weapons are concerned, I can assure you that whatever weapons we have, they are fully secure and there is no doubt about their safety," he told reporters.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday asked the three services to remain alert and step up vigilance around the first anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.