New Delhi: Notwithstanding opposition from non-Congress states, President Pratibha Patil on Monday favoured setting up of the NCTC, saying it would improve India's capability to counter internal security threats as terrorist modules continue to be active in the country. Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament, Patil said the July 13, 2011 bomb blasts in Mumbai and September 7, 2011 explosion in Delhi were a grim reminder that terrorist modules continue...
12:55 PM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: Expressing commitment to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through dialogue, the Government on Monday said it looks forward to building upon progress made so far while being mindful of the need for Pakistan to take credible action against terror groups and infrastructure. Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget Session, President Pratibha Patil said the Government has been pursuing a policy...
12:44 PM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: The Government on Monday said there will be no compromise on nuclear safety or livelihood of any section of society in India's pursuit of atomic power, a statement that comes against the backdrop of anti-nuclear protests in Kudankulam and Jaitapur. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil asserted that the country would more than double its nuclear power generating capacity in the 12th Five Year Plan...
12:30 PM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: The Indian economy will soon revert to the 8-9 per cent growth trajectory on the back of strong fundamentals and favourable domestic factors, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday. "My government is confident that it will soon steer the country back to the high growth trajectory of 8-9 per cent," Patil said while addressing the joint sitting of Parliament that heralds the beginning of the Budget Session. As...
12:22 PM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: The Government on Monday unveiled a blueprint for guaranteeing internal and external security and economic and livelihood security as it expressed confidence that it will steer the country back to the high growth trajectory of 8 to 9 per cent. With the government's image taking a knock on account of a number of scams, President Pratibha Patil listed a number of measures and said together these have the...
12:04 PM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Monday addressed her last joint session of Parliament before her term ends but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the speech had no new direction and added that the country could soon witness mid-term elections. While the President spoke about the economy, security, terrorism, relations with Pakistan, corruption, black money, sub-quota for minorities, some Opposition MPs tried to disrupt the address and raised...
11:38 AM, Mar 12, 2012
New Delhi: The ceremonial Change of Guards in Rashtrapati Bhavan will not take place on March 10 due to the rehearsal for President Pratibha Patil's address to both Houses of Parliament. The three-month-long session will begin on March 12 and continue till May 22. "The Ceremonial Changing of Guards at Rashtrapati Bhavan will not be held on March 10, 2012 due to conduct of Full Dress Rehearsal in connection with...
12:43 PM, Mar 08, 2012
New Delhi: A delegation of Delhi BJP on Wednesday met President Pratibha Patil and submitted a memorandum apprising her about findings of Shunglu Committee and CAG relating to alleged corruption involving Delhi government and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in Commonwealth Games projects. The delegation, led by city unit president Vijender Gupta, also submitted to the President signatures of more than 20 lakh people of the city protesting against "misrule" of...
09:03 PM, Mar 07, 2012
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil seems to be the most merciful of all presidents during the last three decades. She has commuted death sentences of 23 petitioners to life imprisonment, which is over 90 per cent of the total pardons granted since 1981. On February 9, she accepted the clemency petition of Sushil Murmu, pending since 2004, who was convicted for giving 'bali' (sacrifice) of a nine-year-old-boy in Jharkhand for...
09:32 AM, Feb 22, 2012
Amravati: An embarrassed Congress legislator and President Pratibha Patil's son Raosaheb Shekhawat Tuesday said a "communication gap" resulted in Rs 1 crore cash being seized by Maharashtra Police only days before the polls to major municipal corporations in the state. "There was some communication gap as the state Congress could not inform when and how the money was being sent. I learnt (of it) only after the police seized the...
08:24 PM, Feb 21, 2012
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Shekhawat appeared before the police commissioner to record his statement in connection with a notice given to him by the Amravati district collector after Rs 1 crore of unaccounted cash was seized from a vehicle before last week's civic elections. Amravati MLA Shekhawat had claimed that the money was intended for legitimate election expenses to be distributed among the financially weak candidates. The...
01:05 PM, Feb 21, 2012
The budget session will commence on March 12 with the customary address by President Pratibha Patil to both the Houses of the Parliament. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will unveil the union budget on March 16, according to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat here today. The budget session, which generally starts in the third week of February, has been delayed this time due to the ongoing Assembly elections...
11:53 AM, Feb 17, 2012
A Committee of Governors, constituted by President Pratibha Patil, will finalise a report on revamping the agriculture sector before the forthcoming Budget, Christy Fernandes, secretary to the President, said on Thursday. The report will help both the Finance Minister and the Planning Commission to come up with right policies and programmes for the agriculture sector, he said. "We are keen to finalise the report before Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents...
11:25 AM, Feb 17, 2012
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday put a lid on the standoff with Law and Minorities Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid after he expressed regrets over his "defiance" of the poll body over his remarks on sub-quota for minorities in government jobs in Uttar Pradesh. The Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and two Election Commissioners VS Sampath and HS Brahma, met and reviewed the matter in the...
10:23 PM, Feb 15, 2012
New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to discuss with senior ministers and party leaders the Election Commission complaint against Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his "aggressive" stance on quota for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, Congress insiders said on Monday. Khurshid, who on Sunday spoke to Manmohan Singh on the issue, is also likely to issue a clarification on his stance. Congress sources said the prime minister was likely...
12:58 PM, Feb 13, 2012
Lucknow: In the thick of controversy over his remarks on minorities' sub-quota, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday refused to comment on Election Commission's move seeking "immediate and decisive" intervention of President Pratibha Patil. "I will not talk to anyone.... Do I refuse you (media)?... When I have to say something I say it," Khurshid told reporters when asked about the EC's recommendation on Saturday State Congress leader Abid Hussain...
01:32 PM, Feb 12, 2012
New Delhi: Hours after Election Commissioner wrote a letter to President Pratibha Patil against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, the BJP on Sunday said that Khurshid was making fun of the integrity of the Election Commission. "It is an open violation of the code of conduct. It is unfortunate. It shows rebelliousness. Will Sonia Gandhi not speak up now? For the first time ever a minorities minister, who also happens...
07:30 AM, Feb 12, 2012
New Delhi: With Election Commission seeking President Pratibha Patil's intervention on Law Minister Salman Khurshid's defiance of poll body's censure of his sub-quota remarks, BJP on Saturday sought his immediate dismissal from the cabinet. "We demand his immediate sacking from the Union Cabinet and ask the Prime Minister to clarify the stand of the government," said BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who had earlier complained to the EC against...
10:55 PM, Feb 11, 2012
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday night avoided commenting on the Election Commission's letter to President Pratibha Patil seeking "immediate decisive" action against a "defiant and aggressive" Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his remarks on job quotas for minorities. "We have not gone through the letter written by the EC to the President. We will get back to you after we go through it," Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said in...
10:27 PM, Feb 11, 2012
New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday wrote a letter to the President against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his defiant attitude on the poll code. Here's the full text of the letter: Respected Rashtrapati Ji, The Commission is approaching you with serious dismay and a deep sense of urgency that requires your kind intervention in the midst of the poll process in the state of Uttar Pradesh....
10:19 PM, Feb 11, 2012
