India News
New Delhi, June 19 : In the first trip by an Indian minister in decades, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Wednesday left for Baghdad on a two-day visit in a concerted effort by India to engage with Iraq at the highest level and deepen ties with the oil-rich country....
Full StoryDelhi sees sultry day, highest Yamuna level since 1978
New Delhi, June 19 : Delhi residents experienced a sultry, rainless Wednesday as the maximum temperature shot up a little at 35.5 degrees Celsius - two notches below average. Thursday will be cloudy....
Full StoryArmy, Air Force step up rescue effort in Uttarakhand, Himachal
New Delhi, June 19 : The Army and the Air Force Wednesday stepped up relief operations in flood- and landslide-affected areas of Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh....
Full StoryThousands missing in Uttarakhand flood fury, death toll could mount
Dehradun/New Delhi, June 19 : Thousands are said to be missing in Uttarakhand after unprecedented rains and cloudburst led to landslides and flash floods killing more than 100 people and leaving 62,000 stranded, officials and survivors said....
Full StoryYamuna water level rises above danger mark
New Delhi, June 19 : The water level of the river Yamuna crossed the danger mark here on Wednesday....
Full StorySC to hear PIL for curbing official work on private internet providers
New Delhi, June 19 : The Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL seeking direction to central government to prosecute the heads of the nine cyberspace giants for endangering the country's sovereignty and security by sharing data on Indians with American intelligence agencies....
Full StoryHigh Court stays ban on advertisements on auto-rickshaws
New Delhi, June 19 : The Delhi High Court Wednesday stayed a government order prohibiting auto-rickshaws from displaying advertisements and posters....
Full StoryPM, Sonia to conduct aerial survey of flood-hit Uttarakhand
New Delhi, June 19 : Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Wednesday informed that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will conduct an aerial survey of flood and landslide affected areas of Uttarakhand this afternoon....
Full StoryGovernment to promote Himalayas
New Delhi, June 19 : Union Minister of Tourism K. Chiranjeevi on Wednesday announced the launch of a new campaign to publicize the tourism potential of the Himalayas and promote this incredible tourist product internationally....
Full StoryMoPNG rebuts KG D-6 field allegations
New Delhi, June 19 : The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) on Wednesday brushed off media reports regarding KG D-6 field penalty....
Full StoryPM announces relief for Uttarakhand
New Delhi, June 19 : Following is the text of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement to the media after an aerial survey of disaster affected areas of Uttarakhand:...
Full StoryIMA slams Shahrukh Khan over surrogacy reports
New Delhi, June 19 : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Wednesday slammed Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan over reports that he and his wife were planning to have a baby boy through surrogacy....
Full StoryKedarnath: One of India's most revered shrines
Haridwar/New Delhi, June 19 : The Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, scene of terrible devastation caused by heavy rains and floods, is one of the most revered shrines in the country, visited annually by millions....
Full StoryMonsoon catches Delhi unawares this year too
New Delhi, June 19 : Submerged roads, crippled traffic, people wading in knee-deep water mixed with sewage -- these are common scenes in the national capital every year, as civic authorities consistently fail the monsoon test....
Full StoryStranded pilgrims slam Uttarakhand government, demand Bahuguna quit
Haridwar, June 19 : A number of trapped pilgrims and tourists from flood-affected areas in Uttarakhand have accused the local government of doing nothing to help them and demanded that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna resign....
Full StorySantosh Chowdhary takes over as minister of state for health
New Delhi, June 19 : Newly-appointed union Minister of State for Health Santosh Chowdhary Wednesday said she would try to implement all the schemes of the United Progressive Alliance government relating to the health sector....
Full StoryJD-U has joined Congress's conspiracy: BJP
New Delhi, June 19 : As the Nitish Kumar-led JD-U government in Bihar sailed smoothly through a trust vote Wednesday, the BJP accused its just-parted ex-ally of becoming part of a Congress conspiracy....
Full StoryLetting other system doctors give allopathic drugs dangerous: IMA
New Delhi, June 19 : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Wednesday opposed a health ministry directive allowing practitioners of homeopathy, ayurveda and siddha to dispense allopathic medicines for common health problems, saying it could prove to be dangerous....
Full StoryPM sanctions Rs.1,000 crore for Uttarakhand disaster relief
New Delhi, June 19 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday granted Rs.1,000 crore for disaster relief in Uttarakhand and said the death toll in the state due to heavy rains and floods could be higher than the current estimate of 102....
Full StoryCongress again misusing CBI in Ishrat Jahan case: BJP
New Delhi, June 19 : Stressing that the Ishrat Jahan shootout was not "fake", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said the Congress-led government at the centre was manipulating the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to frame BJP leaders....
Full StoryNitish wins trust vote, says BJP can't win in 2014
By Imran Khan, Patna, June 19 : Three days after he dumped the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday proved his majority in the legislature and said his former ally won't win the next Lok Sabha battle....
Full StoryPriority to evacuate people in danger: R.P.N. Singh
New Delhi, June 19 : Union Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh said Wednesday everything possible was being done to rescue flood-affected people in Uttarakhand, stranded after the heavy, incessant rains that began last Saturday....
Full StoryDroughts, floods wake-up call for India: Greenpeace
New Delhi, June 19 : A World Bank commissioned report '4 degree Turn Down the Heat' highlights the fact that global warming can have a catastrophic effect on monsoon patterns in South Asia....
Full StoryFlood: PM, Sonia survey Uttarakhand
Dehradun, June 19 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday visited Uttarakhand and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected regions in the state....
Full StoryIndia to have equal opportunity commission
By Anasudhin Azeez, London, June 19 : A high-level Indian delegation led by Minister for Minority Affairs K. Rahman Khan met senior British ministers and officials to formulate the framework of an equal opportunity commission for India....
Full StoryThousands missing in Kedarnath, death toll may zoom
By Mohit Dubey, Dehradun/Lucknow, June 19 : Thousands of people are missing following the devastating floods in Uttarakhand, officials said Wednesday, adding the death toll may run into frightening figures....
Full StoryKonkan Railway introduces 'green' toilets
Mumbai, June 19 : Regular toilets will be replaced by eco-friendly bio-toilets for disposing human waste at all stations of the Konkan Railway (KR), an official said here Wednesday....
Full StoryTwo units of Assam's Kopili hydel project shut down
Shillong, June 19 : Two units of the 275 MW Kopili Hydel Project in Assam, owned by the North Eastern Electric Corp (NEEPCO), has been temporarily shutdown due to "acidification" of the reservoir water, a senior official said Wednesday....
Full StoryCBI registers 13th case in coal blocks allocation
New Delhi, June 19 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday registered its 13th case against a Delhi-based private steel firm for alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocations and carried out searches in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Odisha....
Full StoryForeigners too enjoy right to life, liberty on Indian soil: Supreme Court
New Delhi, June 19 : The Supreme Court Wednesday said that the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under the constitution was available not only to the people of India but also to foreign nationals present on its soil at any given point of time....
Full StoryYamuna to break 35-year record Wednesday
New Delhi, June 19 : The water level in the Yamuna river here will reach 207.7 metres by Wednesday evening, the highest ever recorded in 35 years, a government official said....
Full Story483 people rescued from flooded areas in north India: NDRF
New Delhi, June 19 : A total of 483 people were rescued by the NDRF from flood-affected areas caused by torrential rains in various places of north India, including Uttarakhand, a disaster management official said Wednesday....
Full StoryIndividual choices affect society at broader level: Karmapa
New Delhi, June 19 : Choices made by individuals affect society at a broader level, observed Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, while stressing that interdependence was a reality and a practical way of looking at the world....
Full StoryNitish wins trust vote, says BJP won't win in 2014
Patna, June 19 : Three days after he dumped the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday proved his majority in the assembly and declared that his former ally won't win the next Lok Sabha battle....
Full StoryIs UP heading for a flood crisis?
By Mohit Dubey, Lucknow, June 19 : With monsoon rains lashing Uttar Pradesh and river banks breached in several districts, the state may be headed for one of its worst flooding....
Full StoryIt's 'burning hot' in wettest place on Planet Earth
By Raymond Kharmujai, Sohra, June 19 : It has been raining cats and dogs in India's northern states, but Cherrapunjee (renamed Sohra) - known as one of the wettest places on the earth - nestled in the abode of clouds in Meghalaya in is "burning hot" at over 28 degrees Celsius!...
Full StoryScant respect for cyclists, say experts
New Delhi, June 19 : Cyclists face a harrowing time on roads as motorists have scant respect for them, said experts who feel that India's cycling coach Ruma Chatterjee's death in a road accident on the Noida Expressway was due to the driver's negligence....
Full StoryPatna, June 19 : Three days after he dumped long-time ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday won a trust vote to prove his majority in the state assembly....
Full StoryPatna, June 19 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's won the trust vote on Wednesday even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state staged a walk out to protest the breakdown of alliance with the CM's Janata Dal (United) party over the elevation of Narendra Modi in BJP as the face of 2014 general elections....
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On a mission to revive Arabic calligraphy in India
By Mohammed Shafeeq, Hyderabad, June 19 : As beautiful as pearls, his calligraphic pieces adorn mosques in different parts of the world, international exhibitions, drawing rooms and even private jets....
Full Story62,000 still stranded; PM, Sonia to visit Kedarnath
New Delhi, June 19 : Over 62,000 pilgrims and tourists are still stranded in calamity-hit Uttarakhand while 11,000 have been rescued. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to undertake an aerial survey of the extensive damage....
Full StoryWith normalcy, five-star luxury returns to Kashmir
By Sheikh Qayoom, Gulmarg, June 19 : Like a phoenix risen from the ashes, Kashmir has once again got a five-star luxury resort two decades after the only such property in the Valley closed down due to militancy-related issues. It's a sign of increasing normalcy in a state that has seen a bruising insurgency that only recently has shown signs of abating....
Full StoryPM, Sonia to visit Kedarnath to assess damage
New Delhi, June 19 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to fly to Uttarakhand Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the torrential rains and flash floods in the temple town of Kedarnath....
Full StoryNew Delhi/Chandigarh, June 18 : As the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi turned 43 years on Wednesday, Haryana Youth Congress is celebrating his birthday in a grand manner....
Full StoryNitish moves Trust Motion, Congress to support
Patna, June 19 : As the big fight is gaining momentum in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Nitish Kumar has moved his one-line Trust Motion in the Assembly on Wednesday....
Full StoryUttarakhand reels under flood fury
New Delhi, June 19 : Even as the rescue operations continued in full swing in the North India states, including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where the death toll from monsoon fury touched 130, devastation engulfs most of the areas hit by torrential rains....
Full StoryCouples who have premarital sex to be considered 'married': Madras High Court
Chennai, June 18 : In what can be seen as a new twist to the concept of premarital sex, the Madras High Court has in a judgement said if any unmarried couple of the right legal age "indulge in sexual gratification," this will be considered a valid marriage and they could be termed "husband and wife....
Full StoryModi meets Advani to get backing for new role
New Delhi, June 18 : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday met L.K. Advani to get the BJP patriarch's backing for his new role as head of the BJP's campaign committee, an elevation that has split the NDA....
Full StoryPM conveys dismay over Sri Lanka move on 13th Amendment
New Delhi, June 18 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday told a delegation of Sri Lanka Tamil MPs that he was "dismayed" by reports suggesting that Colombo planned to dilute certain key provisions of the 13th Amendment on devolution of powers to provinces ahead of polls to the Northern Provincial Council....
Full Story163 people rescued from flooded areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal
New Delhi, June 18 : A total of 163 people were rescued Tuesday from flood-affected areas caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, disaster management officials said....
Full StoryNitish to face trust vote today
Patna, June 19 : After parting ways with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitish Kumar's Bihar government will face trust vote in the state legislature on Wednesday....
Full Story130 lives lost as rains pound North India
Dehradun/New Delhi, June 18 : Torrential continued to pummel North Indian states, including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, taking the death toll to at least 130 on Tuesday while thousands remained stranded....
Full StoryYamuna crosses danger mark in Delhi, to rise further
New Delhi, June 18 : The Yamuna river crossed the danger mark in the national capital, an official said Tuesday, creating panic among residents and galvanising authorities into action....
Full StoryPM assures all help to flood-hit Uttarakhand
New Delhi, June 18 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday directed all central government agencies to assist in rescue and relief operations in flood-affected Uttarakhand and assured Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna of all help, a statement said....
Full StoryMonsoon fury toll mounts in north India, rescue efforts on
New Delhi/Haridwar, June 18 ( : Swollen mountain rivers fed by heavy rains destroyed homes and property in many areas in north India even as the monsoon downpour continued, leading to flooding and many rivers rising dangerously. The death count in floods reached 60 while 60,000 tourists and pilgrims are stranded at various locations following floods and landslides....
Full StoryRashtrapati Bhavan nurturing the sports stars of tomorrow
New Delhi, June 18 : Vidya Sagar was a sports enthusiast and an avid tennis player in his youth. But financial crunch forced him to work as a gardener in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Years later, his daughter has got an opportunity to fulfill his dream courtesy President Pranab Mukherjee....
Full StoryModi meets Advani to get backing for new role
New Delhi, June 18 : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday met L.K. Advani to get the BJP patriarch's backing for his new role as head of the BJP's campaign committee, an elevation that has split the NDA....
Full StoryIAF gets C-17 Globemaster III aircraft
New Delhi, June 18 : The first of ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, being purchased by India from the US, touched down at Hindon airbase near the capital Tuesday, marking a milestone in the modernisation of the Indian Air Force (IAF)....
Full StorySonia condoles flood deaths, seeks quick relief to victims
New Delhi, June 18 : Condoling the deaths in the floods in north India, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday asked the central and state governments to provide quick relief and rehabilitation to the affected people and ensure travel arrangements for the stranded tourists....
Full StoryNotice to railways, railway tribunal on former member's plea
New Delhi, June 18 : The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the railway ministry and railway claims tribunal on the plea of a former member who was not re-appointed on it in 2011, and directed that a post be kept vacant on the tribunal till the case is decided....
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