by Faizan Ahmad
It was an emotional 'pilgrimage' for Trinidad and Tobago prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to her ancestral village Bhelupur. She tried to fight back her tears but failed. As tears rolled down her cheeks, the 'granddaughter of the soil' entered her ancestral home and hugged women relatives in this remote and dusty village on Wednesday afternoon. ....
by Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali
More than six months after three bombs killed 27 people and injured 137 others in Mumbai, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) announced on Monday that it had cracked the case. Two arrests have been made while a third is expected in a few days. However, in a major disappointment, the arrests are only of the facilitators. ....
by Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali
Bihar's Darbhanga district has come into sharper focus during the investigations into the 13/7 triple blasts, with investigators saying that much of the indoctrination, recruitment , financing and planting of the bombs occurred there. ....
by Rajinder Puri
The entire media and Opposition focus on the government’s role in the 2G spectrum scam has been up till now on the question of who was involved in accepting bribes. This aspect should never have been relevant at the initial stage. The constructive responsibility of the cabinet for the corruption after it was discovered should have led to its resignation. That is what accepted democratic norms demanded. ....
by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
Maharana Pratap Singh, is a name worth remembering to begin one’s day with. His name is engraved with gold among the list of valiant kings who protected the Nation, Dharma, Culture and Freedom of this country by sacrificing his life! This is a holy remembrance of his valour ! ....
by The Indian Express
Making no bones of the issue of corruption in the judiciary, senior Supreme Court judge RM Lodha, has put the onus on lawyers, saying, “90 per cent of it cannot happen without direct or indirect involvement of lawyers.” ....
by The Hindu
When the rot runs deep, partial remedies won't do. By cancelling the 122 licences for 2G spectrum that were the product of an illegal policy process that was contrary to public interest and “violative of constitutional principles”, the Supreme Court has struck a blow for justice, transparency and ethical business practices. ....
by The Hindu
Reproduced here are excerpts from the concluding paragraphs of the Supreme Court’s verdict cancelling 122 2G licences issued during A. Raja’s term as Minister of Communications and Information Technology. ....
by Venky Vembu
Mani Shankar Aiyar, who wears his bleeding heart liberalism for all things Pakistan on his sleeve, found himself in a combative situation with an unlikely panelist when he appeared as the guest of a television channel in Islamabad on Thursday. ....
by Satyameva-jayate.org
Dear All: Below, excerpts from a remarkable report from 1908 titled, “Why is England in India at all?“. In this report, written more than a century ago, Jabez Sutherland examines the extent to which the British Raj impoverished India.. Please read and share widely. I doubt any of our current text-books mention this aspect of “history”. ....
by The Pioneer
The 2G scam is haunting the Congress the way Bofors did two decades ago. And the party is committing the same mistakes — communal and otherwise — that Rajiv Gandhi did. Utpal Kumar wonders if we are going back to the tumultuous ’80s ....
by Satyameva-jayate.org
While few educated South Asians would deny that British Colonial rule was detrimental to the interests of the common people of the sub-continent – several harbor an illusion that the British weren’t all bad. Didn’t they, perhaps, educate us – build us modern cities, build us irrigation canals – protect our ancient monuments – etc. etc. ....
by Ravi Shankar Prasad
The judgment has clearly criticised the PMO for inaction — how can the PM be insulated from his office? The Supreme Court judgment on the issue of locus of the complainant and the principles governing grant of sanction is indeed a very good law in the fight against corruption though delivered in a bad case. ....
by The Indian Express
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says he is losing sleep over the subsidies he has to provide for in the budget for 2012-13. There are surely reasons for him to be insomniac. Subsidies on oil, fertilisers and food have increased substantially, leaving him no space to juggle around. He also knows a lot of subsidies do not reach the intended beneficiaries. ....
by S. Nagesh Kumar
Andhra Pradesh's ‘steel frame' rattles with indignation as the CBI goes after top bureaucrats in scam cases.Where does the buck stop in government, at the desk of a minister or that of the bureaucrat who signs the files? ....
by Swapan Dasgupta
It is extremely unlikely that the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team’s ‘closure report’ to the Ahmedabad Magistrate’s Court on the plea to prosecute Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the 2002 riots will be the last word on the subject. ....
by Maulshree Seth
Four years ago, villagers of Maldeopur in Ballia were sold a dream. A 1,047km, eight-lane Ganga Expressway would give them fast connectivity to Delhi and all the cities and towns on the way.....
by The Indian Express
Attacking both SP and BSP for supporting Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh today charged both parties with supporting it for "saving" their leaders from CBI probe. ....
by Bharat Yagnik
Seventy nine couples tied the knot in a rather unique mass marriage ceremony organized by Nana Baar Gaam Kadva Patidar Samaj at Thaltej on Sunday. What was special about the ceremony was that at least seven brides were tribal girls who were being accepted in the Patidar fold with blessings of parents of both brides and grooms. ....
by Tara Brady
Osama Bin Laden told his children to live peacefully in the West where they would get a good education, his brother-in-law has revealed. ....
by Rajesh Kalra
It was in 1991. PV Narasimha Rao had taken over as the Prime Minister of India and had to be elected to the Lok Sabha to continue in the post. The constituency he had chosen to get elected was Nandyal, in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district. ....
by IBNlive.com
India has once again emerged as the most optimistic market, driven by its buoyant domestic consumption levels, but slowing growth and inflationary concerns could put pressure on consumer confidence for the year ahead, says a survey. ....
by S Gurumurthy
Here is a telling contrast in fighting corruption. The nation has seen in the last couple of years two distinct endeavours to fight corruption. One is the fight for a new anti-corruption law with the blessings of even the suspects. And the other is identifying the suspects and fighting them under existing laws. ....
by J. Venkatesan
Delay on the part of the sanctioning authority (SA) in allowing prosecution of a corrupt public servant “thwarts a very valid social purpose, namely, the purpose of speedy trial with the requirement to bring the culprit to book,” the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday. ....
by The Indian Express
In the wake of protests by Tibetans in Sichuan province over self-immolations by monks, China has tightened its control over Buddhist temples and monasteries in Tibet and is taking steps to prevent "trouble-makers" from entering the region. ....
by Rajinder Puri
When Mr Rahul Gandhi gave a call to India’s youth to enter politics and inject dynamism in the Congress, did he anticipate the quick and positive response it would evoke from within his own family? His brother-in-law Mr Robert Vadra has indicated that he is ready to enter politics to help Mr Gandhi. ....
by IBNLive.com
Seeking to fortify its strategic ties with China amid strains in relations with US, Pakistan is considering a proposal to lease the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region to Beijing for 50 years, an eminent US-based think tank has claimed, citing local media. ....
by Janamejayan.wordpress.com
In an election public meeting in Azamgad- Uttar Pradesh, the Union Minister of Law Salman Khursheed has crossed all limits in his constant endeavour to offend the majority of Bharat. Criticizing Salman Khursheed’s remarks about Batla House encounter, Dr Pravin Togadia, International Working President of VHP said, “Salman Khursheed claims that the encounter was fake ....
by Manash Ghosh
With Major Ziaul Haq, the “front man” of the attempted Bangladesh coup still in hiding, it would be naive to expect that those Islamic radicals within and outside Bangladesh’s military, who recently tried to overthrow Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, would keep quiet after a spectacular failure. ....
by IBNLive.com
Tribal Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh has the highest sex ratio in the country with 1,017 females for every 1,000 males, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said on Wednesday. ....
by Rajesh Kalra
Now that almost everything to do with Salman Khurshid’s open defiance to EC’s diktat has been discussed and debated. Now that EC has closed the chapter on Salman’s transgression following his apology. And now that yet another minister has defied EC’s diktat, the venerable Election Commission, must be at its wits' end. ....
by Ashok Chowgule
Anil Dharker contends that the objectionable portion of the book “Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie should have been edited out, either by the author or the publisher. Dharker’s contention is that the rest of the book stands on its own, and would still be a wonderful piece of literature. ....
by Rajinder Puri
Law Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid openly defied the Election Commission’s (EC) restraining order on his advocacy of a sub-quota for minorities during the Uttar Pradesh election campaign. The Law Minister was undeterred by the EC. Sticking to his stand he reiterated he would ensure the rights of the Muslim community even if the Election Commission were to "hang" him. ....
by Rediff.com
The Punjabi Taliban or Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab, after organising its men in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan, has announced a new phase of jihad inside Jammu and Kashmir to liberate it from 'Indian occupation'. ....
by Nidhi Singhi & TNN
The Shiv temple in Haibowal has been witnessing a unique activity since February 7. People of all age groups can be seen engrossed in making something with utmost devotion. On prodding further, it's revealed that they all are busy making clay shivlings, and it's not just one, two or even thousands, but over 4 lakh that they have made till now. The number will reach 5 lakh by Monday. ....
by The Hindu
The Rest and Restoration camp for temple elephants was doing a world of good not only for the pachyderms but also their handlers (mahouts), observed the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments M.S.M. Anandan at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here on Sunday. ....
by Kartikeya Tanna
The retired Supreme Court judge Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, who delivered the landmark judgment cancelling 122 2G licenses issued by A Raja, has now stirred up a hornet’s nest with his statements indirectly exonerating P Chidambaram from any blame in the 2G license issue. ....
by T.R. Vivek
Worried by the CBI's "apparent slow-go" in investigating former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran's alleged theft of an entire 323-line telephone exchange in Chennai, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) convenor and high-profile chartered accountant S. Gurumurthy has fired off a letter to CBI director A.P. Singh asking about the progress it had made in the case. ....
by Aimee Ginsburg
Many years ago, while waiting for the landlord of a funky old house for rent, I met a young man who had been to India. It was a frozen, grey Jerusalem day, and he was waiting for the landlord as well. We sat down together on the cold stone steps, rubbing our frozen hands, our noses red. He had just returned from his ‘after-army-trip’ to India, and while we waited, he showed me his photos, enlarged and ready for framing. ....
by The Times of India
The Shiv Sena not only emerged as the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, but also boasted of the highest number of successful women candidates-42-who contested from reserved seats. ....
by The Hindu
If elections in India have become freer and fairer over the past two decades, the credit largely should go to the Election Commission. Much to the discomfiture of political parties and governments, the EC has carried out its watchdog role without succumbing to the pulls and pressures of those in power. ....
by Rajesh Kalra
The government’s audacity in dealing with anything constitutional has stopped surprising observers. The propensity to brazen it out seems to be getting worse, but even by its own dismal standards, the attempts it is making to make the Election Commission its doormat is abominable. ....
by T S Krishnamurthy
The Election Commission (EC) and the Supreme Court of India can be considered as the crown jewels of Indian democracy. Both these institutions, although non-elected, have been rendering a great service in preserving and protecting the civil rights of citizens in no small measure. ....
by NDTV.com
Mumbai Congress president Kripashankar Singh resigned today after the Bombay High Court directed the city police commissioner to prosecute him for "criminal misconduct" under the Prevention of Corruption Act. ....
by Tuhin Dutta
The husband of the only person to die of injuries sustained in the police crackdown at Ramlila Maidan last year said on Thursday that he is satisfied with the Supreme Court verdict. ....
by Di Bartok
Between 6000 and 7000 Hindu devotees attended the consecration of the Muragan Temple on Sunday, showing the strength of the Hindu community in the western suburbs. ....
by The Indian Express
Carrying forward Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's charge, Union Minister V Narayanasamy today said three NGOs were found to be diverting foreign funds for the anti-nuclear campaign in Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu. ....
by The Indian Express
Top aerospace scientist Roddam Narasimha, who probed the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, has quit as member of the Space Commission, upset over the action against former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair and others in connection with the deal. ....
by Ganesh S. Lakshman
Literally, the state of Andhra Pradesh runs on liquor. From financing the electoral campaigns of politicians and ensuring their lavish lifestyle through the existence of the liquor syndicate, liquor helps the state government go about its business by being the second highest revenue earner after sales tax. ....
by Chakranews.com
Similar to the Afghan Islamic Taliban’s destruction of the priceless Buddhist and other historic artifacts in 2001, an Islamic Extremist group has vandalized and destroyed precious Buddhist and Hindu statues in the Maldives which can never be made the same again to preserve the history. ....
by Praveen Swami
Mansoor Ijaz, a controversial Pakistani-American businessman with links to the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, raised over $1.5 million from a San Marino bank by claiming to have the backing of a politically-influential Indian business family, court documents available with The Hindu show. ....
by Rajeev Deshpande
In response to anti-Kudankulam nuclear plant protestors threatening to sue Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the government is ready to reveal records showing how foreign funds were used to give local agitators daily handouts of money, food and liquor. ....
by The Pioneer
Amid uproar over the Government’s disclosure about foreign funding to NGOs to fuel anti-nuclear protests in Kudankulam, the latest report of the Home Ministry showed that more than Rs10,000 crore was pumped into India during 2009-2010, mostly from the USA and Europe to NGOs in India. ....
by Manas Dasgupta
On the eve of a decade of the Godhra train carnage and the subsequent communal riots, Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dared Gujarat-bashers to try disrupting the peace and bonhomie experienced in the State in the last 10 years. ....
