The EGoM headed by Defence Minister A K Antony was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to consider abolishing the priority ranking in natural gas allocation so that fuel currently consumed by urea plants can also be diverted to fuel-starved power plants.
Home Minister P Chidambaram was on Friday appointed the head of the Empowered Group of Ministers on spectrum auction that was reconstituted after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar declined the job.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has opposed a Group of Ministers' recommendation to set up the long-awaited National War Memorial at the India Gate complex, saying it will affect the ambience of the area and restrict people's movement at the popular hangout zone. In separate letters to Defence Minister A K Antony, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, she said an alternative site should be found for the memorial.
On whether government proposes to levy penalties on the Russian side for failing to stick to the delivery schedule, he said, "Liquidated damages clause for delays in delivery is incorporated in the contract. As per contract, LD is to be ascertained and levied within six months of ship's delivery."
Recalling his long association with the CWC, the highest decision making body of the party, Mukherjee thanked the party for all the cooperation and for nominating him for the president's post, sources said.
Nearly 700 scientists have resigned from India's premier military research body Defence Research and Development Organisation in little less than six years from 2007, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday.
A total of 32 espionage modules backed by the Inter Services Intelligence have been neutralised in the country in the last three years and 50 people, including 40 Indians, were arrested in this regard, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
Though Antony did not name the IAF chief in his reply, former Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi's role in the deal is being inquired by the CBI. Tyagi's bank account was recently frozen by the investigative agency and he was also questioned by them.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday discussed ways of resolving the Chinese incursion issue with the top security brass of the country and emphasised that India will take every step to safeguard its interests there.
The Indian Army soldiers will have their DNA profile stored in a data bank under a project launched by the Armed Forces Medical Services that will facilitate identification of bodies during any operation, attack or mishap.
The government does not plan to launch any fresh probe into the Bofors gun deal and Ottavio Quattrocchi stands "discharged" as he could not be extradited even after 20 years of registration of the case, Defence Minister A K Antony said.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday promised to take strong action if anybody was found guilty in the alleged Kochi wife swapping case in which the wife of a navy officer has filed an FIR against her husband and his superiors.
Even as a controversy raged over 'wife swapping' charges in Navy's Southern Command in Kochi, Defence Minister A K Antony today ordered the dismissal of a Naval officer after he was found guilty of having illicit relations with the wife of his superior.
Bolstering the Indian Air Force's capability to swiftly transport combat troops and equipment such as tanks to the front, Defence Minister A K Antony will on Monday formally induct its biggest 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base near New Delhi.
Not all ministers are on board on certain critical provisions, want revision.
Expressing concern over Chinese military infrastructure buildup, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday said India was working to match it to protect the country's territory and build an effective deterrence.
The government on Wednesday said it is keeping a close watch on all activities taking place in China and Pakistan and the threat perception originating from such incidents are reviewed regularly.
Taking note of the "complex security matrix" in the Indian Ocean region and "political developments", Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday asked the Indian Navy to maintain high levels of preparedness in the area.
China on Thursday said it is verifying Indian Defence Minister A K Antony's allegations that the Chinese helicopters violated Indian airspace twice last month and reiterated its stand to resolve the border dispute with India through negotiations.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday admitted that "somebody has taken money" in the AgustaWestland chopper deal that is mired by bribery allegations.As the Central Bureau of Investigation probes the bribery allegations into the controversial Rs 3,600 crore deal for the supply of VVIP choppers by the Anglo-Italian firm, Antony vowed that no mercy would be shown to anyone who has taken bribes. It is alleged that the deal involved Rs 362 crore in kickbacks.
"It is seen that there are countries from where terrorists are free to launch their operations against other countries. This cannot be tolerated as the world is paying a heavy price for such mindless policies," Antony said in Jakarta.
Dismissing a media report on "non-notified" troop movement by army, the government has informed Rajya Sabha that the exercise was undertaken for training purpose aimed at refining mobilisation drills and preparedness of the force.
More than a year after its constitution, a Group of Ministers that examined reports of the prime minister-appointed High Level Committee on alleged Commonwealth Games related irregularities, is in the process of finalising its findings. The GoM, under the leadership of Defence Minister A K Antony, was constituted on August 2 last year and asked to submit its report within three months.
The government has impressed upon the Sri Lankan navy to act with restraint and not to fire on Indian fishermen sailing along the International Maritime Boundary Line, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
A total of 368 defence personnel have committed suicide from 2010 to 2012, with Army recording highest number of 310 such incidents, defence ministry told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
With Army Chief Gen V K Singh highlighting shortage of equipment, the defence ministry on Monday appeared to be fast-tracking decision-making as it approved a plan for development of capabilities and effected a major change in offset policy by including transfer-of-technology.
Vigil along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has been stepped up following last month's ambush by Pakistani army on Indian troops in which two jawans were killed, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded Defence Minister A K Antony's resignation, upping the ante against the government over the controversy surrounding the army chief's allegation that he was offered a bribe for the clearance of Tatra truck contracts. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar asked whether the minister was patronising corruption as no action has been taken against anybody though a probe was ordered two years ago.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday ruled out his resignation in connection with the VVIP chopper deal. He, however, said that he was sad and upset that such an incident had taken place in spite of all precautions and warnings.
Against the backdrop of recent suicides and fratricides by jawans and stand-offs between them and officers, Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday asked the armed forces to adopt a liberal approach to jawans' pleas for leave and respond promptly.
Key United Progressive Alliance ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday demanded that the Centre should immediately scrap the training programme for Sri Lankan army personnel in the country, arguing that such exercises create doubts in the minds of people of Tamil Nadu about the government's intentions.
Defence ministers of India and China on Tuesday began their delegation-level talks, during which the two sides are expected to take a decision on resuming military exercises stalled since 2010. During the talks with Defence Minister A K Antony, General Liang Guanglie, who is the first Chinese defence minister to visit India in eight years, is expected to address New Delhi's concerns over Chinese military infrastructure build-up along the border.
About 12,364 acres of defence land is under encroachment and the defence ministry has issued detailed instructions for ensuring vigilance, detection and prevention of such cases, the government said on Monday.
Reinforcing Defence Minister A K Antony's virtual no 2 slot in the United Progressive Alliance II government's pecking order, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is understood to have issued a communication that the former will chair union cabinet meetings, if required, during his visit to Iran.
The sensors are operational with radar stations fitted at Tarapur, Korlai, Tolkeshwar and Devgad as part of the chain of static sensors project by the Coast Guard.
The Union home ministry is conducting an audit of controversial phone-tapping equipment, which was allegedly used during former Army Chief Gen V K Singh's tenure for snooping on senior defence ministry officials at the peak of the row over his age.
Notwithstanding reduction in tensions along the Line of Control, the defence ministry has emphasised that relations with Pakistan should not be normalised in a haste.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony recently told the Lok Sabha that steps had been taken to strengthen the security of the network at the Eastern Naval Command at Vishakapatanam in the wake of intelligence inputs regarding possible hacking.
India on Wednesday said tensions on the LoC have 'reduced' after talks between the two DGMOs but there will be no hasty decisions for normalising relations with Pakistan as it is 'too early' to do so.
Fake Indian currency notes are being used by Pakistan-based terror groups for financing their activities in India, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
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