New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and leaders from across the political spectrum on Saturday expressed shock over the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi and pressed for strong action to check such barbaric incidents. While Congress President Sonia Gandhi sent out a stern message to the authorities that action, not words were required, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj demanded death for those found guilty...
06:58 PM, Apr 20, 2013
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday conferred the Padma awards on several eminent personalities including industrialist Adi Godrej, Olympic medal winners Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijay Kumar, actor Nana Patekar and designer Ritu Kumar. Professor Roddam Narasimha, a internationally renowned expert on fluid dynamics and famous painter Sayed Haider Raza were given the prestigious Padma Vibhushan at an impressive ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Padma Bhushan awardees who were honoured...
05:46 PM, Apr 20, 2013
New Delhi: Shocked and anguished at the rape of a five-year-old girl in Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday called for urgent introspection to identify causes behind repeated failure of society to ensure security of women and children. He also sought urgent steps for bringing perpetrators to immediate justice. "I am shocked and deeply anguished at the latest incident of sexual assault and rape of a five-year-old child in Delhi....
12:49 PM, Apr 20, 2013
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday condoled the death of Rama Prasad Goenka, and said the nation has lost a leading industrialist and distinguished personality. In his condolence message to Goenka's wife Sushila, the President said, "Goenka was an industrialist whose contribution to the establishment of various industrial and business enterprises helped in national development as well as created employment opportunities for thousands of our people." Known as the...
02:15 AM, Apr 15, 2013
Kolkata: CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee objecting to the comments by West Bengal Governor condemning the suspected SFI attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Amit Mitra and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Governor MK Narayanan had issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the Left must apologise to the Chief Minister for the attack. Meanwhile, the staff and students of Presidency University in Kolkata...
05:39 PM, Apr 11, 2013
Kurukshetra: Institutes of higher learning continue to be challenged by quality, President Pranab Mukherjee said in Kurukshetra on Tuesday. Speaking at the 10th annual convocation of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, the president said that quality, affordability and accessibility should become the mainstay of the higher education system. He said the universities, engineering colleges and research and development centres should be the hotbeds of innovation. The president said an...
05:27 AM, Apr 10, 2013
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with the then External Affair Minister Pranab Mukherjee at South Block in New Delhi in 1995. Thatcher passed away on Monday following a stroke at the age of 87. PTI Photo. ...
03:59 PM, Apr 09, 2013
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said efficient water management is crucial to keep pace with population growth and economic development. "Available water must be managed judiciously to meet the twin burden of population growth and economic development. Conservation, balanced distribution and reclamation of used water are essential cogs in the wheel of water management," Mukherjee said while inaugurating the India Water Week 2013 with the theme 'Efficient Water...
06:04 AM, Apr 09, 2013
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of eight prisoners for a month after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected their mercy plea. The apex court has said that it wants to make sure whether the family has been duly informed and the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru episode isn't repeated. The convicts' counsel had filed petitions challenging the rejection of their mercy plea. During the hearing, the bench said...
10:02 AM, Apr 07, 2013
New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said that corruption is a threat to the democratic fabric of India. The President also spoke on good governance and said responsiveness is an important aspect for it. While talking about increasing crime rates in country, he said the police should ensure that no crime goes unpunished for which the workings of the judiciary should be fast. Noting that the "root of poor governance...
01:58 PM, Apr 06, 2013
New Delhi: Amidst a heated political discourse on the alleged misuse of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by parties in power, the country's premier probe agency would celebrate 50 years of its founding at a function in New Delhi on Saturday. President Pranab Mukherjee will unveil the Golden Jubilee logo and deliver the 14th DP Kohli Memorial Lecture on 'Good Governance: Empowering Institutions, Society and Public'. Samajwadi Party president...
09:06 AM, Apr 06, 2013
New Delhi: At a glitzy ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday honoured the 108 Padma Award winners. This year's winners include DRDO chief Dr Vijay Saraswat, cricketer Rahul Dravid, Olympic medallist boxer Mary Kom, actress Sharmila Tagore and Sridevi. Actor Rajesh Khanna and comedian Jaspal Bhatti were honoured posthumously. Here is the list of awardees: Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra, Art S Haider Raza,...
12:07 PM, Apr 05, 2013
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee will on Friday felicitate the Padma Award winners at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The 108 personalities, who were selected from different fields, include DRDO chief Dr Vijay Saraswat, cricketer Rahul Dravid, Olympic medallist boxer Mary Kom, actress Sharmila Tagore amongst others. Here is the list of awardees: Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra, Art S Haider Raza, Art Prof Yash Pal, Science and Engineering Prof Roddam Narasimha, Science...
11:15 AM, Apr 05, 2013
New Delhi: Expediting the pending mercy petitions, President Pranab Mukherjee upheld execution in five cases and commuted death sentence to life term in two others. Details of President's decision were not available immediately. Seven cases of multiple murders, including one in which a convict, who was out on bail on rape charge, killed five members of the girl's family, were sent to the President for final decision in February. The...
09:47 AM, Apr 04, 2013
President Pranab Mukherjee will present the National Awards to successful Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and banks on Wednesday. The National Awards were instituted by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in 1983 to felicitate the outstanding performers in the sector in various areas like entrepreneurship, research and development, product quality and innovation, an official statement said. ...
03:50 AM, Apr 03, 2013
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, who holds the record for the longest space flight by a woman astronaut, has a date with India. She will start her India trip on April 1 from the national capital. She will be speaking with students at the National Science Centre in the national capital. Following that she will meet the President Pranab Mukerjee before leaving for Kolkata. ...
07:45 AM, Apr 01, 2013
After President Pranab Mukherjee, Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo has also dropped the "His Excellency" honorific preceding his name for official purposes. The state government issued a circular earlier this week asking all government officials to drop the colonial title preceding the governor's name in all official communication and engagements. ...
04:58 AM, Mar 31, 2013
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the elite President's Bodyguard (PBG) in a colourful ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated the President's Bodyguard for upholding the highest military traditions and discipline. ...
11:32 PM, Mar 30, 2013
Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju has kept his word and written to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking pardon for actor Sanjay Dutt and 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict Zaibunisa Kazi. Even as Dutt said in a statement that he would not apply for mercy, Katju had earlier promised that, "I will appeal for Dutt and Zaibunisa's pardon. It's true that it was a grave offence and the...
08:49 PM, Mar 28, 2013
Colours of all hues, the smell of 'gulal' and joyous spirit pervaded the streets on Wednesday as Delhiites came out to celebrate Holi in the capital. Revellers exchanged greetings with each other to celebrate the festival of colours. People visited friends and relatives, gifted 'gujia' (a traditional sweet) besides smearing 'gulal' on each other's faces. ...
12:50 PM, Mar 27, 2013
