India

United Nations, October 10: The UPA government that has been facing brickbats from the opposition parties has got a compliment from BJP leader L K Advani for its flagship programme, MGNREGA, which he said has helped empower rural people and revive economic growth. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in August 2005, has been touted as a flagship programme by

New Delhi, October 10: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday decried creation of “mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism” on the corruption issue and promised to strengthen the anti-graft law by including corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence besides other steps. “The mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of

Lucknow, October 10: Mayawati is expected to make it officially clear today whether she will continue to extend external support to the Congress-led UPA government or not. The Bahujan Samaj Party chief will do this after she consults her party's top leaders in Lucknow on Wednesday morning. From all the signs that Ms Mayawati held out for an anxious Centre at a massive comeback rally yesterday, she

New Delhi, October 10: In an alarming trend, girl child numbers in India have shown a sharper decline than the male children in the decade beginning 2001, leading to a skewed child sex ratio. On the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child, government on Tuesday said that while the decade saw an overall drop in share of children to total population, nearly three million girls, one million

New Delhi, October 10: Any reading of the Sino-Indian war of 1962 does not look good for India. Whether it was Jawaharlal Nehru's misreading of Chinese intentions in the wake of his support to Tibet's rebellion, India's "forward policy" that meant different things to different people, Mao Zedong's desire to teach India a "lesson" or the subsequent national security paranoia that it bred in the

New Delhi, October 9: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and the CBI on a petition seeking continuance of investigation into alleged disproportionate assets of farmer UP chief minister Mayawati. The apex court admitted a petition seeking review of its earlier judgment quashing the CBI FIR against Mayawati in the disproportionate assets case. The SC also issued a notice to

Sacha Khera, October 9: Taking a tough stance on the rising number of rapes in the country, especially after a spate of incidents were reported in Haryana, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sent out a sharp message to Khap panchayats saying they cannot supersede the judiciary. Sonia also said that strictest action will be taken against the culprits in the rape cases. She said those guilty

Washington, October 9: That American degree you so coveted and was unattainable because of high costs may not be so out of reach after all. Some US colleges have taken the first tentative steps to beat down soaring tuition fees by proposing a $10,000 (about 5.3 lakh) degree that also takes aim at the nearly trillion dollar college debt that the country has racked up. The drive towards the $10,000

New Delhi, October 9: State-run Indian Oil Corporation slashed petrol prices by Rs 0.56 per litre from Monday night, giving some relief to inflation-battered common man. The revision, however, excludes the state levies, the IOC said in a statement. The prices were revised downward due to the rupee appreciating against the dollar in the recent past, giving some relief to oil companies in the import

Lucknow, October 9: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati will kick off her party's 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign on Tuesday with a grand rally in Lucknow. The rally coincides with sixth death anniversary of party founder Kanshiram. Mayawati is expected to come down heavily on the UPA government on issues like allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and the diesel price hike. Mayawati will also