Hindustan Times

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Nuclear deal suspense grows, Prime Minister in United States

Indian officials accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to the United States are nervous about the outcome of US Congressional vote on the agreement.

“We have to see in what form the Congress accepts the agreement,” a prime ministerial aide said.

On Tuesday, the US Congress’s business committee is likely to finalise a schedule for voting on the 123 agreement and other possible resolutions that could be riders to the agreement.

Some of these resolutions could throw up prescriptions politically unpalatable in India, particularly on the country’s right to conduct a nuclear test in future.

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Labels: accepts, agreement, Barack Obama, Congress, John McCain, new york, nuclear deal, nuclear test, president George Bush, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UNGA, United States, US Congressional vote

Friday, August 29, 2008

Waves of calamity

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday described the floods in Bihar as a "national calamity" and announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for rescue and relief operations.

The Prime Minister did an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, some Union ministers and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"If there is a need for more, we will give more," he told reporters. "We would like to assure the people of Bihar that all of India will support them through this difficulty".

"I thank him for the help provided by the Centre," Nitish Kumar said, appealing for 'generous help' from all quarters.

River Kosi breached its banks 10 days back on the border with Nepal, flowing through a channel it had previously abandoned.

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Labels: Bihar, flood, floods, national calamity, Nepal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, relief operations, River Kosi, victims

Monday, July 21, 2008

United Progressive Alliance pads up for slog overs

The Murky backroom battle to gain control of India see-sawed all of Sunday as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) appeared to be just two short of the 272 votes it needs - before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes to the Lok Sabha on Monday to move a one-line motion to seek the House's confidence in his council of ministers.

But victory is not certain. The Opposition numbers at midnight on Sunday stood at 266, just four short of the UPA's figures as hectic meetings continued into the night. The Congress tried to keep its flock intact by asking party leaders - also deputed to snatch Opposition MPs - to host dinners, breakfasts and lunches.

The numbers game will continue its roller-coaster ride over the next two days. As the debate before the trust vote unfolds over at least 16 hours, one member parties and MPs are out to strike it rich or push their pet projects either through the UPA or the Opposition (graphic).

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Labels: BJP, breakfast, confidence, council of ministers, CPM, dinners, Lok Sabha, lunch, Opposition, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, slogs, trust votes, UPA, victory

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Samajwadi Party says yes in 'national interest'

He congress can breathe easy The Samajwadi Party's public endorsement on Friday of the India US civil nuclear deal as one "in national interest" enables the Manmohan Singh government to go to the IAEA with an easy mind and with the claim that it continues to enjoy the majority in the Lok Sabha.

While welcoming the latest convert to the deal on board, the Congress also got ready to bid farewell to the Left parties which had been extending outside support. The communists on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the UPA-Left panel on the deal, to inform them by July 7 whether the government would approach the IAEA. The letter and the deadline raised the hackles of Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi who said, "Sovereign governments or political parties cannot be subjected to deadlines."

The government's response - when it comes would set the stage for the formal parting of ways between the partners who have had a uneasy relationship for over four years.

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Labels: communist, Congress, deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, IAEA, Lok Sabha, national interest, nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Samajwadi Party, UPA, UPA-Left panel

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Crop hope in early rains

The early monsoon sweeping most parts of the country have raised hopes of a bumper crop that could help Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rein in the price line.

But for the prime minister's hopes of a bumper paddy crop to come true, the monsoon has to be steady and longer. Meteorologists believe there's a good chance of that happening too.

The government has pinned hopes of bringing down the inflation rate that has touched a seven-year high of 8.75 per cent - on a good monsoon and set mid September as a realistic deadline for prices to moderate.

"Overall, indications are that it is going to be a good monsoon," said Ajit Tyagi, director general of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). This year, the monsoon is stronger and more widespread than previous years.

Nationwide rainfall figures till middle of last week reveal that 23 of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions have had normal or excess rainfall. The rainfall till date has been 30 per cent more than what the IMD considers normal. By this time last year, just 12 sub-divisions had excess or normal rainfall.

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Labels: delhi, IMD, inflation rate, Monsoon, paddy crop, prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, rainfall

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Gas pipeline deal soon, says Iran President

Iran, Pakistan and India would soon give final shape to the proposed three nation gas pipeline, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday night. But he placed a question mark on the implementation of the June 2005 gas-by-ship contract.

The Iranian President conceded there was a clear link between the gas by ship deal to sell 5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to lndia and New Delhi's decision to vote against Tehran at the IAEA governing board in September 2005.

Talking to the press after talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said: "Each vote has its own impact." But he added that the India-Iran relationship was "deeper than a vote". India's vote against Iran at the IAEA "related to the past", he said. "We are now looking forward."

The IAEA votes took the Iranian nuclear issue from the domain of the atomic watchdog to the UN Security Council. Ahmadinejad was pleased that Indian officials had given a "good and appropriate response" to Washington when it came forward with words of advice for Iran before his brief visit to Delhi.

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Labels: decision, Gas pipeline deal soon, IAEA vote, India, India-Iran relationship, Iran, Iran President, New delhi, Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tehran

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Planners, politicos in campus face-off

A MAJOR controversy could be brewing between India's education planners, and politicians advocating a populist approach to education.

On Wednesday evening, IIM-Ahmedabad chairman Vijaypat Singhania refused to be persuaded by HRD Minister Arjun Singh to roll back its proposed 150 per cent fee hike.

Hours earlier, the Planning Commission recommended that profit-making should be allowed in higher education, thus paving the way for the entry of corporates in the sector.

The Commission's proposal, sent to PM Manmohan Singh, could trigger a debate reminiscent of the controversy over OBC quota in institutions of higher education.

The report has its genesis in a similar proposal mooted two years ago by the National Knowledge Commission. The HRD ministry had opposed it then, saying education was a ‘social service'.

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Labels: higher education, IIM-Ahmedabad, india's education planners, OBC quota, politicians, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Shri Ram College of Commerce

Friday, November 30, 2007

Malaysian minister snubs Karunanidhi

"This is Malaysia, not Tamil Nadu." THAT'S WHAT Malaysia's Justice Minister Nazri Aziz had to say after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi expressed his "pain" at the way Malaysian policemen thrashed ethnic Indians last Sunday Aziz told Karunanidhi to mind his own business after the chief minister complained about Malaysia's treat- ment of its ethnic Indian minority, a chunk of which is made up of Tamils. "This has got nothing to do with him... lay off," Reuters quoted Aziz as saying. In Chennai, Karunanidhi defended himself saying, "I don't want to reply to his (Aziz) remarks. It is my duty to defend Tamils.

If there is any punishment for doing the duty, I am prepared to accept it." The issue disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, with MPs cutting across party lines asking the Centre to take up the issue with the Malaysian government. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee rejected this demand saying that members should not say anything that would affect relations with the friendly country Earlier: the chief minister wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to intervene on behalf of ethnic Indians, who gathered in a 10,000strong rally to protest against their living conditions in Malaysia last Sunday.

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Image and article source: Hindustan Times
Article taken from the issue: 30 Nov, 2007

Labels: Justice Minister Nazri Aziz, Karunanidhi, Lok Sabha, Malaysia, Malaysia's Justice Minister, Nazri Aziz, Prime Minister, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tamil Nadu

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