The slow erosion of the institution of the editor in Indian media organisations is a reality. When media space and media products are treated solely in terms of revenue maximisation strategies, editors end up giving way to marketing departments, says Vice President M Hamid Ansari
Sheikh Hasina, in her maiden visit to Tripura, expressed gratitude to the people for their help and cooperation during Bangladesh's liberation struggle. K Anurag reports.
Toughening its stand, key United Progessive Alliance constituent Trinamool Congress on Thursday said if the Congress names Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee or Vice President Hamid Ansari as its Presidential candidate, it will "contest" the election with A P J Abdul Kalam as its nominee.
The nation on Sunday remembered the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 48th death anniversary, with President Pratibha Patil and Vice-President Hamid Ansari paying homage to him.
The name of the next vice president of India will be known on Saturday evening after members of Parliament cast their ballot during the day in Parliament House.
Noting that there is a perceptible drop in the working days of Parliament, Vice President Hamid Ansari on Sunday called for restoring legislatures to their earlier norms of functioning. "There is a perceptible drop in the working days of Parliament. Deliberation is less frequent; legislation is at times hasty. An impression is afoot in some quarters that diligent parliamentary work is less rewarding in political terms," he said.
Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday refused to add any fodder to the talk of him being the front-runner for the President's post, saying he was himself "in the dark" over the issue that has hogged headlines back home. The past week has witnessed intense speculation in India over who would occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan next, with Mukherjee and the current Vice President Hamid Ansari being touted as the main contenders.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist asked the Congress to take the initiative in building a consensus on the candidate for the presidential election though it indicated it was not averse to supporting either Vice President Hamid Ansari or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the post.
Giving a new turn to the Presidential race, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday ruled out supporting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari or any other candidate who may be put up by the Congress but is open to supporting anyone chosen by the non-Congress parties.
The nation on Saturday remembered former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 94th birth anniversary with President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari among prominent personalities who paid rich tributes to the leader.
Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Rajeev Shukla, and Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi and actor Jaya Bachchan were among the 50 new members who took oath in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday led the Rajya Sabha in felicitating Hamid Ansari on his second term as vice president and chairman of the House, saying his re-election was a tribute to his qualities. When the House met for the day, the prime minister stood up to felicitate and congratulate Ansari, who took oath as the vice president for his second term on Saturday.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's tenure in the Rajya Sabha came to an end on Wednesday with Chairman Hamid Ansari accepting his fresh resignation letter.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday shocked the Rajya Sabha by telling Chairman Hamid Ansari that he is "not seen" in the House in the afternoon after which the House is not allowed to function.
Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in as the 13th President of India today. Here is the full text of his speech
Yesteryear actor Waheeda Rahman, singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, music composer Khayyam, former diplomat Brajesh Mishra and pioneer of the test tube baby in India Indira Hinduja were among a host of distinguished people conferred with the coveted Padma awards in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist and Forward Bloc on Monday declared their support for incumbent Hamid Ansari in the Vice Presidential poll but another Left party Revolutionary Socialist Party will abstain.
Questioning the impartiality of the parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal Bill, a leading citizens' forum has sought the reconstitution of the panel as a befitting response to unprecedented anti-corruption movement in our country.
With zero growth facing Indian industry and the strong possibility of a bleak financial future ahead, the Congress's managers have to show that Sonia Gandhi's authority and charm are not on the wane. Which is why the election of the 13th President becomes crucial, says Sheela Bhatt
President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari on Wednesday condemned the terror attacks in Mumbai. The President condoled the loss of lives in the blasts, a Rashtrapati Bhawan statement said. "The President wishes speedy recovery to those injured in the incident in Mumbai," it added.
Joyous people poured onto the streets, danced and kissed the earth to mark the oil-rich South Sudan becoming the world's newest country on Saturday, with international leaders, including Vice President Hamid Ansari, witnessing history unfolding in the country's capital in Juba.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh led the nation in paying homage to the martyrs of December 13, 2001, terrorist attack on Parliament.
Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani and several other leaders offered floral tributes to the martyrs at a solemn ceremony on Tuesday morning
The Parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal Bill has sought one more week to submit its report on the subject.
The legend passed away in the early hours of December 4.
Opposition parties want to contest the election to the post of the deputy chairman on August 21 while the Congress is keen to get its nominee P J Kurien get elected unopposed.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Saturday underlined the need to end "foreign interferences" in Afghanistan, saying a lasting solution to the turmoil has been based on a sovereign choice of the government in the country.
Soon after the Rajya Sabha met for the day, members from Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal-United, Bahujan Samaj Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam and the Left parties were on their feet seeking a discussion on the issue.
Ravi Shankar Prasad is set to become the new deputy leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha with Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani on Thursday recommending his name for the post to the vice president.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha till noon when it created uproar over alleged shift in government stand on anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill.
Pradeep Gandhi, one of the 11 MPs expelled from Parliament after being found guilty in the cash-for-query scam in 2005, was seen standing next to Sachin after his swearing-in inside Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari's chamber and was prominently seen during the photo-op later.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Friday appeared to raise questions over Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari's conduct during the debate on Lokpal Bill in the Upper House. "In everyone's life there come moments where one can rise above. This was one such moment last night for the chairman of Rajya Sabha to create history. Alas!" Bedi tweeted.
Both Houses of Parliament will mark the 60th anniversary of their first sitting by holding a special sittings on Sunday.
Vice President Hamid Ansari has said that it is important to remember that those advocating extremist, fundamentalist and terrorist causes constitute a tiny minority. "They neither have the religious nor political mandate for their abhorrent actions and ideologies," Ansari said.
RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya has accused Vice President Hamid of speaking like a "communal Muslim leader".
A dazzling laser show and a musical extravaganza on Thursday marked the finale of the Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event hosted by India which crowned itself with sporting glory by winning an unprecedented 101 medals.
Senior Indian Administrative Service officer P J Thomas was on Tuesday sworn in as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner amid a boycott by main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been objecting to his appointment to the post in view of his alleged tainted background.
President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday visited the residence of Arjun Singh to pay their last respect to the party veteran who died in New Delhi.
"There is a long way to go for 12 O' clock (midnight)." This is what Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari told Communist Party of India-Marxist Sitaram Yechury when he sought to know whether the session will continue beyond midnight.
In a setback to Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to quash some of the charges framed against him by a Rajya Sabha-appointed panel looking into allegations of corrupt practices and misconduct against him.
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