India rules out JPC probe in Rafale deal
NEW DELHI: Bolstered by the Supreme Court of India verdict on the Rafale deal, the government on Friday ruled out the possibility of a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the contract and mounted a strident counter-attack on the Congress, saying the “deaf” will never hear an answer. At a joint press conference with Defence Minister […]
Ashok Gehlot to be Rajasthan Chief Minister, Sachin Pilot his deputy
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday named Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan’s next chief minister and Sachin Pilot his deputy after party president Rahul Gandhi successfully brokered peace between the veteran leader and his younger colleague following several rounds of discussions. After Congress’ observer to the state K C Venugopal made the announcement at a media […]
It is not job of court to deal with comparative details of pricing says Supreme Court on Rafale jets
NEW DELHI: There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France, the Supreme Court said on Friday and dismissed all the petitions seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal. There was no substantial evidence of commercial favouritism to any private entity, […]
India to increase public health spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP
NEW DELHI: India is set to increase its public health spending to 2.5 per cent of its GDP by 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday, as he asserted that women, children and youth will continue to remain at the heart of every policy, programme and initiative of the government. Addressing the 2018 Partners’ Forum […]
MNF bounces back to power in Mizoram, Congress loses last bastion in Northeast
NEW DELHI: The Mizo National Front (MNF) on Tuesday scripted a spectacular victory in Mizoram, uprooting the Congress in its last bastion in the Northeast to return to power after 10 years. The MNF won 26 seats in the 40-member Assembly, a gain of 21 seats since 2013. The Congress managed to bag only five […]
Congress single-largest party in Rajasthan with 99 seats; BJP gets 73
NEW DELHI: The Congress has emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan, winning 99 seats, while the BJP got 73, the State Election Commission Office said on Wednesday. The Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats, CPI(M) 2, Independents 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission’s website. The Rashtriya Lok Dal […]
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh resigns as Congress set to form government
NEW DELHI: The Congress forming the next government in Chhattisgarh became a mere formality Tuesday as chief minister Raman Singh of BJP resigned, after his party’s disappointing performance in the state Assembly polls. Congress is leading in 64, while BJP was relegated to a distant second spot with 18 seats, as per the latest trends […]
TRS to form government in Telangana with huge majority
HYDERABAD: The TRS looked set to form its second successive government in Telangana with a thumping majority after taking an unassailable lead in 86 seats, according to the latest vote count Tuesday, a ringing endorsement of party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s populist policies. Soon after the vote count began at 8 a.m., it became clear […]
Congress wins 114 seats in Madhya Pradesh
NEW DELHI: Congress won 114, BJP 109, Bahujan Samaj Party 2, Samajwadi Party 1 and Independent 4, said Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao.
Christian Michel sent to 5-day CBI custody by court in VVIP chopper case
NEW DELHI: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman who has been chargesheeted in the Rs 36-billion AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, was Wednesday produced before a Delhi court which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. He will again be produced in the court on December 10. Michel, who is a citizen of United Kingdom, was […]
AgustaWestland scam: UK seeks information from India on Christian Michel extradition
NEW DELHI: The UK government on Wednesday said it has sought urgent information from India on the circumstances surrounding the detention and extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, who is facing allegations of bribery. The businessman, a British national, was arrested in the UAE and […]
Oil PSUs to allot 65,000 petrol pumps ahead of general elections
NEW DELHI: Ahead of general elections, public sector oil companies plan to allot about 65,000 petrol pumps across the country to nearly double the existing retail network, officials said on Sunday. Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) on Sunday issued advertisements for setting up 55,649 petrol […]
Apple CEO Tim Cook says new tech regulation ‘inevitable’
WASHINGTON: Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts that new regulations of tech companies and social networks to protect personal data are “inevitable.” In an interview with news website Axios being broadcast Sunday on HBO television, Cook said he expected the US Congress would take up the matter. “Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of […]
Narendra Modi government wants to ‘capture’ RBI’s reserves: Chidambaram
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Board meeting, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday alleged that the Narendra Modi government was determined to “capture” the bank to gain control over its Rs 9 trillion reserves. In a series of tweets, the former finance minister also claimed that the government and the Reserve […]
Supreme Court reserves order on pleas seeking court monitored probe in Rafale deal
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday reserved its order on pleas seeking court monitored probe in procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph concluded the arguments advanced by various parties which have also sought registration […]
Sabarimala: Will take final call after consulting legal says Pinarayi Vijayan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said though the Supreme Court has not stayed its September 28 decision, permitting all women to offer prayers at the hill shrine at Sabarimala, his government would take a final call on the issue after consulting legal experts. Speaking to reporters here, Vijayan said the state government would take […]