Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were among a host of leaders who on Thursday condoled the death of artist M F Husain, describing him as a "legend" whose passing away is a "national loss".
Decks were on Wednesday cleared for impeachment proceedings against Calcutta high court judge Soumitra Sen with a judicial committee set up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari finding him guilty of misappropriating "large sums" of funds and making false statement regarding it.
Barack Obama became the second United States president to address the Parliament after Bill Clinton in 2000 on Monday and though the joint session opened to a packed central hall, the buzz, excitement and sheer charisma of Clinton was missing.
Per capita availability of milk in India is lower than the world average.
Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of dignitaries on Sunday condoled the passing away of Sathya Sai Baba, saying he was a spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a moral and meaningful life.
Seventeen members, including new and re-elected ones, took oath in Rajya Sabha, which reassembled after a month-long break, on Thursday.
Giant effigies of demon king Ravan along with his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhkaran went up in flames as part of the Dussehra celebrations in all its colour symbolising the triumph of good over evil.
The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday decided to enhance security for President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who are protected by the Special Protection Group.
The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned till 2 pm to allow the government to collect information on the bomb blast outside the Delhi high court and make a statement.
It was a quiet birthday for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who turned 78 on Sunday. President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari sent flowers and wished the prime minister on the occasion. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati called up Dr Singh and greeted him. Among those who wished the prime minister on the occasion are Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.
Several Union Ministers and leaders of various political parties apologised on Monday to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the disrespect shown to him by some members and their unruly behaviour in the House on the issue of taking up the Women's Reservation Bill.
The Rajya Sabha will take up the impeachment proceedings of Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen in perhaps the first case of its kind in the history of the Upper House. The controversial judge has been held guilty on corruption charges by a panel appointed by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari. The issue will be taken up on August 17, Parliament sources said.
The government has cleared well known journalist Mrinal Pande's name for the post of Prasar Bharati chairperson, a month after the previous chairman Arun Bhatnagar's resignation was accepted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttarakhand B S Koshiyari withdrew his resignation from Rajya Sabha on Friday in keeping with the directive of the party's central leadership.
Leaders cutting across the political spectrum mourned the death of veteran Marxist Jyoti Basu on Sunday, describing him as a towering personality and a powerful regional voice who had played crucial roles in the national political scene.
Chairman of Rajya Sabha Hamid Ansari has expressed his dismay over the frequent adjournments and behaviour of the representatives that has stalled work in Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha is likely to work till 8 pm from Tuesday to discuss and dispose of the innumerable pending bills and other legislative business.
The activists barged into the building housing Headlines Today channel and its sister channel Aaj Tak on Friday evening in Videocon Towers in the national capital. They damaged furniture in the office lobby, police said.
Modi will utilise the Presidential poll to show that he is the only leader who matters in India, argue Sunil Gatade and Venkatesh Kesari. So the question being asked in political circles is: 'Who will be the next Kovind?'
In further trouble for beleaguered Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition seeking impeachment proceedings against him was moved by as many as 76 Rajya Sabha members on Monday.
In a bold statement, Vice President Mohmmad Hamid Ansari on Wednesday reminded journalists their primary duty of protecting the people's right to information and referred to the 'pay packages' given to them by political parties during elections.
VP Ansari thanked Polish leadership for its support to India's bid for NSG membership,
'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.'
Mohammad ElBaradei, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency, was on Wednesday honoured with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for his 'impassioned opposition to use of nuclear energy for military purposes.'
The nation on Wednesday paid rich tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on his 119th birth anniversary. President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were present at a function held in Delhi.Several functions are being organised in different parts of the country to mark the occasion.Dr Ambedkar spent his life fighting untouchability and the Indian caste system.
At the delegation-level talks between the two sides, which followed a brief one-to-one meeting between Ansari and Gen Aye, the Myanmarese side acknowledged India's security concerns but conveyed that the insurgents would not be permitted to use its territory to target India, they said.
President Pratibha Patil today embarked on her maiden visit to Russia seeking to consolidate the relations between the "close friends and partners" in the changed global geo-political situation.
All the four suspended Rajya Sabha members of Samajwadi Party have met Chairman Hamid Ansari and apologised for their unruly behaviour on Monday over the Women's Reservation Bill, a move that could pave the way for revocation of their suspension.
Irked by the developments in the Rajya Sabha over the women's bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telephoned Vice President Hamid Ansari and expressed regret over attempts by some Samajwadi Party members to attack him in the House.
Samajwadi Party disrupted the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha for the second day on Tuesday demanding implementation of Ranganath Misra Commission report, leading to adjournment of the House till noon.
Voting in the Rajya Sabha on the Women's Reservation Bill was deferred by a day on Monday.
The nation on Saturday remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 68th death anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of the Nation.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, music director A R Rahman and noted lyricist Gulzar on Sunday watched the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire at the Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium in New Delhi. Oscar awardee Resul Pookuty and Vikas Swarup, on whose novel Q and A the movie is based, also attended the screening. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson, the two-hour-long special screening was exclusively organised for the President.
Come February 22, the Rajya Sabha will have new rules and procedures for the Question Hour. With the introduction of change of business rules, it is ensured that union ministers are made more accountable to answer their questions in the Upper House.
Shiv Sena on Wednesday stalled the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha briefly to demand an immediate discussion on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, leading to adjournment of the House for 15 minutes.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday paid tributes to former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu, whom they described as a great patriot and an eminent statesman. Both Ansari and Dr Singh visited the AKG Bhawan, the Communist Party of India - Marxist headquarters at Gole Market in New Delhi, at approximately 11 am and paid floral tributes to the departed leader. They were received by CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
The Infosys Prize comprises a special gold medallion, a citation expounding the laureate's work and Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million) as prize money.
With more than 50 Rajya Sabha members favouring impeachment of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition in this regard is likely to be submitted to the House Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari early next week. A signature campaign is underway and more than 50 Rajya Sabha members from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Left parties and Samajwadi Party, among others, are understood to have signed the petition, sources said.
On his first official visit to India, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday met leaders across the political spectrum and discussed issues of bilateral interest. Prachanda called on President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta high court, who has been indicted by a judicial committee on an impeachment motion, has filed his reply to the Rajya Sabha, countering the charges against him.In his reply submitted on Thursday, Justice Sen is understood to have contended that he had done no wrong and there was no basis for the charges against him, on the basis of which he was found guilty by the committee set up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.
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