New Delhi: Seeking to dispel the perception of gloom amidst scams and controversies, the UPA on Wednesday painted a rosy picture of its government's performance during the last nine years. In the 'Report to the People', released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the fourth anniversary of the UPA-II, the government maintained that allegations of impropriety were being investigated and that the guilty would be punished. The PM also pitched for an 8 per cent growth if the UPA came back to power in 2014.
"This report is the last before the next general elections," the PM said, adding, "Next year, we will report to the people directly, seeking a renewed mandate."
Stating that the report will focus on "the improved growth in economy, the better delivery mechanisms, the social sector schemes and improved relations with the world", PM Manmohan Singh said that India will overcome the economic slowdown and could exceed 6 per cent growth this year.
"The economy did slow down in 2012-13, but it is temporary. The economic situation is turning around. Fiscal deficit is being brought under control. Inflation is being brought under control. The UPA has done a good job on growth. We are targeting 12 per cent agricultural growth in 12th Plan," Singh said. He also lauded the government for growth spurt in rural areas. "The growth has spread to so-called backward states. Rural per capita income and consumption have increased after 2004. UPA government has
09:23 PM, May 22, 2013
The UPA-II government has just completed four years in power. So, what have been its achievements and failures? CNN-IBN's national affairs editor Bhupendra Chaubey joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue. Q. In urban areas, it seems like UPA-2 will definitely suffer in the forthcoming elections, whats the scene in the rural India... how is the performance seen there. Different or same like how urban India sees it...
06:37 PM, May 22, 2013
What are the key points on which the UPA-II dispensation failed to deliver? BJP's spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue. Q. Hi Sidharth, Do you think that the BJP has oversold the corruption issue and leadership issue of the UPA..At one time it probably had a impact on people but now all your leaders and spokespersons sound very repetitive, at times arrogant and...
05:56 PM, May 22, 2013
New Delhi: Four people have been named in the 2008 Malegaon blast chargesheet filed in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Wednesday. The four accused named in the chargesheet are Rajender Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Narwaria and Ramji Kalsangra, who is still absconding. But the chargesheet does not name Swami Aseemanand, Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit or any other Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh functionary. While the investigators...
03:15 PM, May 22, 2013
New Delhi: Distancing himself from the UPA's falling fortunes, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav may skip the dinner which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will host on Wednesday for its allies and supporting parties, according to sources. An invite has also gone to the BSP's Maywawati. However, sources say she may skip the dinner too, but the key aide Satish Mishra will be attending. Both SP and BSP support the...
10:08 AM, May 22, 2013
CNN-IBN's Deputy National Bureau Chief Pallavi Ghosh has covered Indian politics and the Congress for many years now. Here's her take on the UPA II. ...
08:40 PM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: As Congress-led United Progressive Alliance completes four years in office on May 22, what is the mood in urban India? In a 12-city poll conducted by CNN-IBN in age group of 18 years or more, the verdict is emphatic and overwhelmingly against the current regime. The poll reveals that UPA government has lost credibility and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh no longer enjoys confidence of urban India. An overwhelming...
08:05 PM, May 21, 2013
As UPA II finishes four years in power, CNN-IBN's Deputy National Bureau Chief Sumit Pande talks about how UPA II is different from UPA I. ...
07:09 PM, May 21, 2013
As UPA II finishes four years and IBN-18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai talks about how it has fared so far. ...
02:26 PM, May 21, 2013
What will Manmohan Singh really go down in history for? CNN-IBN's National Affairs Editor Bhupendra Chaubey talks about UPA II completing four years and the legacy of Manmohan Singh. ...
02:21 PM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Tuesday was remembered on his 22nd death anniversary with leaders paying homage at his memorial here. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the late leader's wife and Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered flowers at his memorial 'Vir Bhumi' here. Sonia was also joined by son and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka and son-in-law Robert...
11:52 AM, May 21, 2013
New Delhi: Renowned author Chetan Bhagat, who often played matchmaker for friends in college, has decided to tell people the benefits of finding the right partner through a matrimonial site by turning narrator and telling success stories of couples who met online. The 39-year-old, who has penned best selling books like "One Night @ the Call Centre", "Five Point Someone" and "3 Mistakes Of My Life", has become part of...
11:39 PM, May 20, 2013
Hyderabad: A 23-year-old electrician allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on the Osmania University (OU) campus in Hyderabad on Monday for the "cause of separate state of Telangana", police said. The deceased, identified only as Bharat, was found hanging from a tree on the campus by some locals who alerted police. The deceased, a native of Huzurnagar in Nalgonda district, came here only two months ago and...
11:20 PM, May 20, 2013
Washington: An 18-year-old Indian-origin girl in the US has developed a potentially revolutionary device that can charge a mobile phone in just 20 seconds, a media report said. The charging device has been dubbed a 'supercapacitor' by Esha Khare of Saratoga, California, the Daily Mail reported. Khare won $50,000 for her invention at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, held in Phoenix. Khare has only used her 'supercapacitor' to...
09:26 PM, May 20, 2013
New Delhi: University of Delhi teachers and students marched to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's residence on Sunday morning. They were protesting against the four-year undergraduate programme that is being introduced by the university. Around 150 members of various teacher and student organisations protested at 12 Janpath as police barricaded the route to Sonia's residence at 10 Janpath where they had earlier decided to stage the protest. The protesters, comprising of...
04:32 PM, May 19, 2013
New Delhi: With the image of his government in tatters, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will present the last Report Card of UPA-II on May 22 in which he is expected to list the positives such as Direct Benefit Transfer and FDI in retail in a bid to boost the sagging morale of Congressmen with elections less than a year away. Battered by series of scams and the recent sacking of...
12:58 PM, May 19, 2013
A car driven by an elderly man who may have lost consciousness plowed through a small-town parade of hiking enthusiasts in southwestern Virginia on Saturday, injuring dozens of people, nine seriously enough to be sent to hospitals, authorities said. The incident occurred in the Appalachian town of Damascus at the start of the annual Trail Days festival, as the main street was filled with hikers making their way from one...
07:35 AM, May 19, 2013
New Delhi: Holding the opposition's "disruptionary tactics" responsible for not allowing passage of the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills in Parliament's Budget Session, the Congress on Saturday expressed its willingness for a special session if the other parties were agreed. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko also said that the party will take "disruptionary tactics" of the opposition to the people, alleging they had displayed "least inclination" towards passing pro-people legislations...
11:22 PM, May 18, 2013
Rome: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna reached the semi-finals of the Rome Masters after getting a walkover from rivals Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek even as Sania Mizra and Bethanie Mattek-Sands crashed out of the women's event, here. Berdych, who shocked world number one Novak Djokovic in the men's singles in a gruelling three-setter, cited muscle fatigue as the reason for him withdrawing. Bhupathi and Bopanna will now fight it...
01:49 PM, May 18, 2013
New Delhi: 'Hotel California' is a name that has inspired filmmakers across the globe. The latest to get influenced by the name is director Aji John whose Malayalam film is called 'Hotel California'. The film features Anoop Menon, Honey Rose, Maria Roy and Aparna Nair. It has Shaan Rahman as music composer while cinematography is handled by Jithu Damodar. The film has already been released on May 3, 2013 and...
09:39 AM, May 18, 2013
