Jaitely asks PM: How would history judge your tenure?

 Thu, 02 January 2014
Refresh  
23:20

Jaitely asks PM: How would history judge your tenure?

Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's interaction with the media on Friday, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely in his blog has asked him a few questions which he wishes to be answered. 1.      In his opinion, how would  history judge his tenure as...
22:56

From Nirma to NaMo

Economist Jean Dreze writes: It is interesting how media reports of Narendra Modi's rallies differ from the real thing. To see the difference for myself, I attended Narendra Modi's recent rally in Ranchi. ' ...To me it looked like Modi had failed to connect with the audience. One reason,...
21:52

Indian, Lankan fishermen urged to resolve rights issues

The government today urged fishermen of Sri Lanka and India, who will meet in Chennai on January 20, to participate in the talks with all seriousness to resolve the dispute over fishing rights in each other's territorial waters.        This is a problem...
21:50

TMC welcomes Cabinet's nod to Prez ref on removal of Ganguly

The ruling Trinamool Congress today welcomed the Union Cabinet clearing the proposal for making a Presidential reference on the removal of retired Supreme Court judge A K Ganguly, accused of harassing a law intern, as the chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights...
21:49

China lends Pakistan $6.5 billion to build nuke plants

China has agreed to grant cash-strapped Pakistan $6.5 billion for two nuclear power plants which will be constructed in Karachi as part of efforts to deepen bilateral civil nuclear cooperation.        Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during a special cabinet...
21:47

Kejriwal is taking the right steps: Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare today congratulated Arvind Kejriwal for winning the trust vote in the Delhi Assembly, saying he is taking the right steps, but cautioned that the Aam Aadmi Party still has a long way to go.        I think Arvind Kejriwal is taking the right...
21:45

No scrapping of polls in Bangladesh: PM

Accusing opposition leader Khaleda Zia of taking the country hostage, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today ruled out the cancellation of general polls on January 5 and asked the people to actively participate in the elections to uphold...
20:46

Karnataka strongman Yeddyurappa rejoins BJP

Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday formally rejoined the BJP.Yeddyurappa  had earlier said that his return was for the larger interest of the country and for the party's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi.    He said the Karnataka Janatha Party will...
20:40

PIL in HC against Delhi CM Kejriwal, AAP

A PIL was today filed in the Delhi high court seeking a direction to the CBI to register a case of cheating and corruption against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Education Minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party for allegedly misleading citizens by making false promises in election...
20:36

Mamata hits out at media, rivals targeting government

A combative West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today decried the alleged attempt by a section of the media and her rivals in showing her government in a bad light, saying no conspiracy or negative publicity would deflect her from the goal of the state's...
20:36

India steps up security for US embassy; 150 cops deployed

India has stepped up security at the US Embassy and other American institutions in Delhi, deploying as many as 150 police personnel during a 24-hour period.        Allaying US concerns about the security of their institutions after barricades outside the...
20:32

Delhi assembly poll results cause for introspection: Jaitley

The BJP today accepted that the assembly election results in Delhi were a cause for introspection as people now judge political parties more harshly and expect credibility from them.       Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley today said in an...
19:54

We will maintain fiscal deficit at 4.8 pc this fiscal: FM

We will maintain fiscal deficit at 4.8 pc this fiscal; that is a red line which will be maintained: FM
18:56
Finance minister P Chidambaram to brief the media on Justice Ganguly shortly. 
18:56

Justice Ganguly case: Cabinet approves sending Presidential reference to SC

In other news: The Union Cabinet has given its consent for sending a Presidential reference on Justice A K Ganguly to the Supreme Court for conducting a probe into allegation of sexual harassment against him.Demands for Ganguly's resignation from the WBHRC have echoed in several quarters...
18:47

In emotional speech, Kejriwal puts 17 issues before Cabinet

One of the 17 issues Kejriwal spoke about is that no slums will be demolished till alternate housing is provided. He said we have to find a solution to unauthorised housing. 
18:41

AAP sails through trust vote, Delhi cabinet erupts in cheers

MLAs cheer as AAP passes the floor test. It did not come as a surprise though, since the Congress had said it would support the party. MLAs queue up to congratulate Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers.
18:35

LIVE! AAP passes floor test, Delhi cabinet erupts in cheers

Kejriwal has put forth 17 issues before the cabinet, basically issues the AAP will be looking at. Voting begins and the AAP passes the floor test. 
18:33
AAP member Yogendra Yadav ‏tweets: Listening to Arvind on confidence motion. A new definition of aam aadami. He raises the level of debate, also connects it to the people.
18:30

Cabinet should realise why common man fought polls: Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal speaks to the cabinet, referring occasionally from the notes before him: They laughed at us, but forgot that its the aam aadmi like us who make their economy work. Now, people should decide where the funds of elected representatives should be spent. We want complete statehood for...
18:24

Kejriwal's emotional pitch: Let's see how many back common man's govt

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal basically talking about the party's genesis says politics has been criminalised in this country. The politics of this country has been corrupted and none of us in the AAP thought that we will contest elections. We had never thought we would form party and...
18:15

Arvind Kejriwal speaks before floor test

The Delhi assembly convenes for the trust vote. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal speaking to cap the debate. Earlier, AAP's Manish Sisodia, BJP's Dr Harsh Vardhan and Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely were part of the debate. Kejriwal says issues of corruption were raised in the debate earlier, and he says...
18:08
On Twitter: Sunanda Tharoor's son from her previous marriage studies in UAE. Well he is now Shashi Tharoor's son too.
18:01
Shashi Tharoor tweets: What's more they have never been to the UAE even as tourists. Pls. withdraw yr vile charge: 
17:58

Tharoor says 'not me' to Subramanian Swamy's tweet

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor faced some embarrassing moments when media persons sought his response to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's allegation that a central minister from Kerala had misused powers to get his son out of a UAE prison.My sons were not involved in the case. I have not tried to...
17:54

Indias retail revelation

Well that was fast. Only a short 15 months after New Delhi announced its plan to open up the big-box retail industry to foreign investment, leaders have finally found their first taker. Britain's Tesco  last month unveiled a $110 million plan for a joint venture with the...
17:26

BCCI moves Supreme Court to stall Lalit Modi's shot at RCA

Days after the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) declared that it cannot bar Lalit Modi from contesting its election, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) moved the Supreme Court Thursday to stall Modi's shot at the president's post. Read more
17:22
Time for the AAP government's floor test. AAP has to cross the halfway mark of 36 seats to remain in power. The Delhi assembly has 70 seats. AAP has 28 seats, while the Congress is offering support with 8 seats. 
17:18

All 52 passengers rescued from ship trapped in Antarctic ice

All 52 passengers from the ship stuck in Antarctic ice have now been transferred by helicopter to an Australian icebreaker, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said on its Twitter account.It's 100% we're off! A huge thanks to all, tweeted Chris Turney, an Australian professor among the group...
17:03
Chavan says 25 of the 102 allotments were found faulty and they will be cancelled. 
17:02

LIVE! Maha CM on Adarsh report: NO action to be taken against former CMs

Chavan says there were 13 terms of reference in the action taken report, which also suggested it was illegal and should be demolished. He said CBI and departmental enquiries against all accused will be conducted. He said there won't be another FIR, since the CBI has already filed a chargesheet in...
16:55

GMR, Maldives in talks for out of court settlement for scrapped airport

Just in: GMR and Maldives in talks for out of court settlement on the scrapped Male airport project worth over USD 500 million: Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen.Indian infrastructure major GMR has sought a compensation of $1.4 billion from Maldives for the wrongful termination of its 25-year...
16:45
Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has announced a Rs 3 lakh compensation for the kin of those who died in the Malshej bus accident and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
16:42

LIVE! Maha CM: Question of ownership of Adarsh land referred to union govt

In Mumbai, Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan says the Cabinet has reviewed the Adarsh report again and has referred the question of ownership of land to the union government. He said the entire report was reviewed and it has been accepted that the Adarsh land belonged to the state government....
16:36

Cong assures support to AAP govt

Update on the debate in the Delhi Assembly. The trust vote is expected around 5 pm. Speaking on the confidence motion moved by the government in the Delhi assembly, Congress' state chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the party could give the support even for full five years if the AAP government...
16:32
This is the complete report by the inquiry commission on Adarsh. This is the first part and this is the second part.
16:27
Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan addresses a press conference on the Cabinet partially accepting the Adarsh report. This is the first day of the state cabinet meet this year. Chavan expresses his condolences for the 27 deaths in the ST bus accident in Malshej Ghat.
16:21

Israel ex-PM Ariel Sharon 'critically ill'

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma since 2006, is in a critical condition after serious deterioration in his health with vital organs failing over the past few days, his doctor said today.In the last few days, we have seen a gradual decline in the functioning of...
16:15

Massive preparations for PM's presser tommorow

Massive preparations for the PM Dr Manmohan Singh's press conference tomorrow. I&B minister Manish Tiwari will be handling the show.Tiwari, our sources tell us, wanted to hold the presser to be held in the new National media centre in Raisina Hill road.At the presser will be 175 senior media...
16:12

Former Pak prez Pervez Musharraf suffers 'severe heart attack'

In a dramatic turn of events, former Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf was admitted to an army hospital on Thursday after he complained of a heart problem on his way to a special court to face trial in a high treason case. An APML spokesperson said that Musharraf had suffered a...
16:02
Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan is expected to address the media shortly on the Cabinet reversing its earlier decision and accepting the Adarsh report. 
15:52

LIVE! Rahul shows who's boss: Maharashtra Cabinet accepts Adarsh report

Just in: Maharashtra Cabinet accepts the Adarsh panel report. The Cabinet revisited its earlier decision to reject the Adarsh commission report.On December 20, the Cabinet rejected the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the Adarsh scam, tabled in the Legislative Assembly. The report...
15:45

LIVE! Lookout notice against billiard champ Michael Ferreira for QNet scam

Just in: The Mumbai Police has issued a lookout notice against billiards champion Michael Ferreira in Rs 425 crore QNet scam case. A notice has been issued after Ferreira failed to turn up for questioning in the multi-level marketing scam case.The EOW of the Mumbai Police on December 16 arrested...
15:31

Cong's Lovely takes over from Dr Harsh Vardhan in Delhi Assembly

Back in the Delhi assembly the debate before the trust vote continues. Congress leader, Arvinder Singh Lovely, takes over from BJP's Harsh Vardhan.Earlier, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the AAP had based its campaign and come to power with rhetorical pledges to fight corruption and rid the country...
15:19

LIVE! Justice Ganguly: I'm UNDECIDED about quitting

In other news: The Union Cabinet today is expected to decide on a proposal for a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court to initiate a probe into the allegation of sexual harassment leveled against Justice (retd) A K Ganguly by a law intern. The MHA says he visited Pakistan without taking...
14:59

BJP: Will AAP take on Cong corruption now that they are in coalition?

The BJP says the urgency in taking populist measures by AAP does not reflect in taking measures against the corrupt.Kejriwal looks sulky. His initiation into the Indian politics is hardly going to be easy. Dr Harsh Vardhan asked the new chief minister if he would keep his promise and start...
14:47
Dr Harsh Vardhan says he uses the metro regularly, but never made a public issue out of it. 
14:43

AAP gained cheap publicity with metro rides: Dr Harsh Vardhan

A stone-faced Arvind Kejriwal listening to Dr Harsh Vardhan as asks why the media was called for AAP's metro ride. He points out that there was complete chaos at the metro stations, and it was a miracle that there were no mishaps. He also pointed that while Kejriwal has refused security, he has...
14:32

Why did Kejriwal take support from Cong, asks Dr Harsh Vardhan

Dr Harsh Vardhan says today is a historic day for the Delhi assembly. He talks about Kejriwal's U-turn from not taking any support from any party to taking support from the Congress. He says he still wonders why Kejriwal who made history defeating the Delhi CM and got an unprecedented 28 seats,...
14:23

LIVE! AAP's Manish Sisodia moves trust motion in Delhi Assembly

Sisodia moves trust motion in the Assembly and says it's a historic day for the party. He said the party wants to work for the people, not just form the government. He said the party wants to end VIP culture and not just corruption. He said the decision taken today, will have repercussions all...
14:10
AAP minister Manish Sisodia speaking in the Assembly now. Sisodia is the minister for education, PWD, urban development, local bodies and land and building.
14:09

BJP MLAs object to members wearing AAP topi in Assembly

The Delhi Assembly has convened. Truly strange to see Arvind Kejriwal in the Assembly and not at, say, Jantar Mantar or the Ramleela Grounds. The first motion on the trust will be placed soon. The BJP MLAs seem to have a problem with the AAP MLAs wearing their caps in the house.  Delhi CM...
13:50

27 dead in Malshej Ghat bus accident

Update on the bus accident at Malshej Ghat. The death toll in the bus accident has gone up to 27 with many injured. There were 40 passengers in the bus. 
13:47

LIVE! AAP to face trust vote in Delhi Assembly at 5 pm today

A slight change in the time. The AAP government will face the trust vote in the Delhi assembly at 5 pm. It was supposed to have been held at 2 pm.  
13:34

People have clearly indicated that they want credible politics: Jaitley

Is 2014 going to be substantially different in terms of India's polity and governance ? The bar of expectation of Indian people has been raised high.  It is not merely the Indian middle class which is the strong opinion maker.  There is additionally a substantial aspirational class in...
13:26

Be ready to pay more for ATM transactions this year

At present, there is no cap on free transactions at own-bank ATMs, while customers can use other banks' machines up to five times a month without any extra cost. But all that is about to change... Read
13:23
The Congress has said it will support AAP even though the party has not issued a whip for the same.
13:17

LIVE! Ahead of floor test, Kejriwal says: People with us, I have no fear

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal ahead of the floor test today says people have faith in the party, and he has no fear that the government will fall. The Delhi Assembly on Wednesday completed the formality of oath taking by the members including the Chief Minister and other ministers with senior Congress...
12:59
AAP leder Shazia Ilmi tweets: Inviting nominations for Lok Sabha 2014 elections from people committed to the Indian consitution & our party ideals
12:53

BJP's mission impossible

Going by the BJP's performance in the last four Lok Sabha polls, it is unlikely that the party will touch the all-time high of 182 seats, leave alone 272. Read
12:52

Doors finally open to flood of Colorado cannabis buyers

The first legalised cannabis sales for recreational use in America have begun, in an experiment that will be watched closely around the US and abroad. Read
12:42

Schumacher stable, but remains critical

Formula One great Michael Schumacher's condition was stable but still critical overnight as he remained unconscious following a brain injury suffered in a skiing accident, according to his manager. Read more
12:40

'Govt did not allow foreign ministry to do its job'

I fail to comprehend why we didn't introduce reciprocities in terms of immunities and privileges and in terms of courtesies much earlier, says former Indian Ambassador to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, on the failures of Indian diplomacy. Read
12:33

Malshej Ghat bus accident: 7 dead, 13 rescued, several injured

Update on the Malshej Ghat bus accident. Several people are believed to be injured, with at least seven dead, when a Maharashtra state transport bus fell into a deep valley at Tokawade in Malshej Ghat, around 154 kms from Thane. The district disaster control room said as of now seven deaths are...
12:24

Seven killed as bus plunges into ravine in Malshej Ghat near Mumbai

Just in: Some people have been killed in a bus accident in Malshej Ghat near Mumbai. The bus is believed to have plunged into a ravine. The place is approximately 150 km from Mumbai. Details awaited. 
12:15

'Israel govt tortures Palestinian children by keeping them in cages'

An Israeli human rights organisation has accused the government of torturing Palestinian children after it emerged some were kept for months in outdoor cages during winter. Read
12:09

When the Bengali bhadralok went to war in Mesopotamia

On the eastern side of Calcutta's College Square, a monument to the 49th Bengalees is the sole reminder of a regiment that fought the WWI in Mesopotamia. The exceptional regiment was reputed to be the only educated' one of its time, comprising as it did members of the Bengali bhadralok, Hindus...
12:03

Mamata launches her administrative calendar

image
She has stopped the politics of bandhs and strikes in Bengal, she has taken away special privileges enjoyed by leaders of employees' unions, she has given grades to ministers and bureaucrats on the basis of performance and now she wants to overhaul the administrative delivery system. The...
11:55

India Finds New Methods to Punish U.S. Diplomats

Indias diplomatic corps, still seething over the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York, continued its tit-for-tat campaign against American diplomats this week, revoking privileges, beginning tax investigations and issuing new consular identity cards that say the card holder can be arrested...
11:54

Kerala launches lottery to help poor girls' wedding

image
The Kerala government has decided to launch a weekly lottery to mobilise funds for providing financial support for wedding of girls from poor families. The scheme, Mangalya lotteries, was approved by the state cabinet yesterday. The proceeds from sale of tickets of the draw would be utilised...
11:50

The battle for deeper democracy has begun

Ashutosh Varshney is Sol Goldman professor of international studies and the social sciences at Brown University, where he also directs the Brown-India Initiative. Varshney was in India recently for the release of his new book, Battles Half Won: India's Improbable Democracy. In an interview,...
11:47

Why Rahul's sabzi-mandi plan is important

Rahul Gandhi has announced that fruit and vegetables will be removed from the list of commodities under the agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC) acts in Congress-ruled states. This is an important move towards the freeing-up of markets, and will bring in competition and remove...
11:41

LIVE: Maharashtra Cabinet meets to discuss trashed Adarsh report

The Maharashtra state cabinet meets to discuss the Adarsh report. The Cabinet is meeting after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi publicly disapproved of the Cabinet's decision to reject a judicial commission report on the Adarsh scam.The Maharashtra government had on December 20 rejected the...
11:31

AAP jogs past Modi on Twitter

image
The BJP thinks the Aam Admi Party is a mixed blessing: bad on some scores and good on others. The bad' part, a source confessed, was for the first time' the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, had serious' competition in two spheres he thought were exclusively his: cyber...
11:20

AAP faces trust vote in Delhi assembly at 2 pm today

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will face a crucial vote of confidence on Thursday in the Delhi assembly.The Delhi assembly on Wednesday completed the formality of oath-taking by the members, including the chief minister and other ministers, with senior Congress member Matin Ahmed functioning...
11:12

AAP grabs national attention; volunteers, funds pour in

Within 23 days of its stunning debut in the Delhi assembly election, the appeal of Aam Aadmi Party appears to have spread across the country, from north to south, west to east. Donations are pouring in and volunteers are lining up to join the party, including some senior corporate leaders...
10:49

Sensex up 48 points in early trade

The benchmark BSE index Sensex gained over 48 points in early trade today on fresh buying by funds and retail investors amid a firming Asian trend. The 30-share barometer rose by 48.46 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 21,188.94 with oil and gas, FMCG, power, realty and healthcare sector stocks...
10:47

Kolkata police 'hijack' rape victim's hearse, forcibly cremate body

Gang-raped twice and dumped in a government hospital for nine days with fatal burns, the 16-year-old victim had no peace even after death. Police hijacked the hearse carrying her body on Monday  night and forcibly took it for cremation, ignoring the family's requests to wait till...
10:42

Former Infosys board member Balakrishnan joins AAP

In a surprise move, V Balakrishnan, who stepped down as board member of software behemoth Infosys recently creating ripples in the corporate circles, has joined Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party.Yes I have become the member of AAP, have got the confirmation today, Mr Balakrishnan told PTI.His...
10:25

Maharashtra doctors to go on strike over police assualt

Around 4,000 doctors in Maharashtra have threatened strike in protest against the alleged assault on a resident doctor in Solapur's Civil hospital by three policemen on Tuesday morning. The police claim that Dr Prashant Patil refused to immediately attend to a pregnant woman. The strike will...
10:13

Justice Ganguly case: Centre likely to decide on Presidential reference today

The Union Cabinet is likely to take a decision today on sending a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court for conducting a probe into allegations of sexual harassment against Justice AK Ganguly, who is accused of sexually harassing a young law intern, reports NDTV.The home ministry will...
09:39

Kolkata gang rape: 'Victim was murdered, did not commit suicide'

The police have appealed in court to initiate charges against the two accused in the Kolkata gang-rape case. They have said that the duo allegedly poured kerosene on the victim and set her ablaze to prevent her from pursuing the case. The accused have been charged with murder. They were landlords...
08:38

IIT Kharagpur creates record, more than 1,000 students get jobs

IIT Kharagpur has set a record among all IITs with more than a thousand of its students securing cushy jobs in the first phase of campus placements, officials said.Around 1,010 students of the Kharagpur campus accepted job offers in the first round of placements, which ended in December.At IIT...
08:36

Top headlines in the last 24 hours

The REAL story: Why the PM decided to break his silenceKolkata gangrape victim cremated amid shameful political blame gameFormer Infosys board member Balakrishnan joins AAPRs 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal scrappedYesterday's live commentary