India

New Delhi, September 24: After the big-bang reforms, law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday indicated government's keenness to push bills on food security and land acquisition, insisting that even Mamata Banerjee will not be able to oppose them. He maintained that "the bills drive a deft political balance between populism and reforms". "The draft (food security) bill is being given the final

New Delhi, September 24: The government is readying a package to boost real estate activity by easing lending and provisioning norms for banks as part of a strategy to prop up the sector that provides significant employment in the country after developers expressed their inability to cut prices to increase demand. The steps follow an interaction that finance minister P Chidambaram had with public

Bhopal, September 23: Even as the BJP has strongly opposed the Centre's decision to hike diesel prices and allow FDI in retail, senior party leader and former Union minister Arun Shourie has justified the move saying it was the need of the hour. "Increasing diesel prices was the need of the hour," Shourie, who had come here to participate in a seminar, told reporters here last evening. A lot of

New Delhi, September 23: India is expected to soon seek consultations with the US under the aegis of World Trade Organisation (WTO) on visa fee hike for professionals, which discriminates against Indian software companies that send employees to America on short-term contracts. Although the commerce ministry had internally started the process in April, collecting all the relevant information and

New Delhi, September 23: Nearly 20 people were killed in Sikkim, three in Arunachal Pradesh and more than 7 lakh people affected in Assam after days of incessant rainfall triggered landslides and flash floods in the region on Sunday. In Assam, 13 districts are said to be affected, the worst-hit being Tinsukhia. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark and the Kaziranga and Dibru-Saikhowa

New Delhi, September 22: Amid intense speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met President Pranab Mukherjee during which the two discussed the political situation in the country. The meeting lasted for 45 minutes during which the two leaders discussed the "current political situation", Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said here. The meeting comes a day

Itanagar, September 22: Flood situation in four districts of Arunachal Pradesh remained grim with major rivers and their tributaries flowing above the danger mark. Water has entered all low lying areas of Lohit, Dibang Valley, Changlang and East Siang districts, but the death toll remained one, officials said. In Lohit, the worst-affected district, an SOS has been sent to the state government for

New Delhi, September 22: Setting a car afire or attacking a building with firearms cannot be justifiable way of protest against insult to Islam or Prophet Muhammad. Youths under the banner of Khudai Khidmatgar here on Friday came up with a noble idea of protest against the infamous blasphemous movie on Prophet Muhammad. Less than a dozen youths this evening gathered outside the American Center in

Burdwan (West Bengal), September 22: One person was killed and another 19 injured during a clash in Burdwan district between followers of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition CPM, police said on Saturday. The incident took place last night at Kaity Bazar area after which three injured were shifted to a hospital in Kolkata and 16 admitted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. Local

New Delhi, September 22: A man shouted slogans today as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got up to deliver his address at an international conference here. "Prime Minister go back," the man shouted at Singh as he walked up to the rostrum to deliver his address 'Conference on Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment'. The Prime Minister waited for a while at the rostrum as security