Latest News & Stories on India

A top Obama administration official observed that the US and India continue to advance a "fundamentally" strong partnership. Washington: Observing that the US and India continue to advance a "fundamentally" strong partnership and that American defence sales of about USD nine billion is in the pipeline, a top Obama administration official on Wednesday said that Washington is encouraged by the efforts of New Delhi and Islamabad to normalise their bilateral trade ties. "In South Asia, the United States is extremely encouraged by the positive recent steps taken by the Governments of India and Pakistan to normalise trade and commercial ties," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing. "This process of normalisation in both directions, including the eventual extension of Most Favoured Nation status by Pakistan and the reduction of non-tariff barriers by India, could lead to at least a USD 10 billion increase in trade, not to mention expanded economic opportunity and stability for this entire nation," Blake said in his prepared testimony. Testifying before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on the Middle East and South Asia, Blake said India and the US continue to advance a fundamentally strong partnership, with the expansion of people-to-people ties supplementing the depth and breadth of their strategic bilateral endeavours.

Bharti Airtel is reportedly eying to buy out Qualcomm's Indian partners in its 4G LTE network venture. Qualcomm had acquired BWA spectrum in key circles of Delhi and Mumbai apart from Haryana and Kerala during

Cong washed hands of the controversy surrounding ND Tiwari, who has been ordered by a Delhi court to give blood sample for DNA test in a paternity suit. New Delhi: Congress today washed its hands of the controversy surrounding veteran leader N D Tiwari, who has been ordered by a Delhi court to give blood sample for DNA test in a paternity suit and restrained from leaving India until the test. "This is his personal matter and we will not be able to offer any comment on behalf of the party in this regard. He is a senior citizen and it is between him and the court," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters here. The AICC`s reaction has come on a day when the Delhi High Court ordered its registrar to take police assistance for bringing defiant veteran Congress leader N D Tiwari here for taking his blood sample to decide the paternity suit of a man claiming to be his son. The court came down heavily on the counsel, representing the 86-year-old Dehradun based Congress leader, after he sought adjournment of hearing on the ground that a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on the issue.

India is increasingly becoming "democracy of sound bytes" because of "undue" coverage given by the media to disruptions in Parliament. New Delhi: India is increasingly becoming a "democracy of sound bytes" because of "undue" coverage given by the media to disruptions in Parliament and not to serious debates. This was the general sense expressed by politicians across the board who nudged the media -- both electronic and print -- to cover less the noise in Parliament and give more weightage and coverage to serious issues that are raised in the House. Politicians Arun Jaitely (BJP) and Mani Shankar Aiyar (Congress) spoke in a similar vein at a function to release a book - `Straight Thoughts` - penned by Lokmat Media Chairman Vijay Darda when they rejected suggestions that politicians were "intolerant" in the wake of the Ambedkar cartoon controversy.

India has become the largest importer of arms, surpassing the Chinese share of five per cent of global arms imports during 2007-11, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. New Delhi: India has become the largest importer of arms, surpassing the Chinese share of five per cent of global arms imports during 2007-11, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. "As per a report published in March 2012 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has become the largest importer of arms during 2007-11 and accounted for 10 per cent of global arms import as compared to to Chinese share of five per cent", Defence Minister A K told the House in a written reply.

China blames the Dalai Lama for inciting trouble in the Tibetan region where at least 34 Buddhist monks and nuns have set themselves afire. Beijing: China is willing to discuss with the Dalai Lama`s representatives the future of his followers and that of the Tibetans settled in India and abroad, but the union of the country and future of Tibet are "not negotiable", a top Tibetan official has said. Accusing the Tibetan spiritual leader of inciting separatism in Tibet, the Chinese official said Beijing will not engage in any talks with the Dalai Lama if he continues to "promote separatism" and "incite" monks to commit self-immolations. China blames the Dalai Lama for inciting trouble in the Tibetan region where at least 34 Buddhist monks and nuns have set themselves afire over the past year as a mark of protest against China`s repressive policies. Qiangba Puncog, head of the standing committee of the national people`s congress from Tibet, said the Dalai Lama`s representatives were sticking to the points of separating Tibet from China and forming a "bigger Tibetan region" (Greater Tibet), which includes parts of Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan, where other Tibetans live.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found various deficiencies, including additional financial burden to the government, in connection with the Minjur Desalination Plant near here. Chennai: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found various deficiencies, including additional financial burden to the government, in connection with the Minjur Desalination Plant near here. In its Report (Civil) for the year ended March 2011, the CAG noted that the performance audit has revealed "deficiencies such as non-preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) and additional financial burden to the government".

Goods worth over Rs 1 crore were traded across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday between Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point here, officials said. Poonch (J&K): Goods worth over Rs 1 crore were traded across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday between Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point here, officials said. As many as six trucks rolled out from Trade Facilitation Centre at Ranger here to POK today, they said, adding these trucks carried bags of chilli, herbs, mango and pomegranate worth Rs 37,47,420.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is heading 24 such committees while Home Minister P Chidambaram is looking after nine groups. New Delhi: Government has constituted 37 Group of Ministers (GoM) and Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) under senior Ministers in the Cabinet to take decisions on several important issues, Prime Minister`s Office (PMO) informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply to the House, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayansamy said, "Presently 37 GoMs and EGoMs are functioning... 47 GoMs and 13 EGoMs constituted since May 2009, have either submitted their reports of considered issue placed before them." Throwing light on when the mechanism of GoMs and EGoMs started, he said, "The provision for constitution of ad hoc committees of Ministers has been a part of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules 1961, since the commencement of these rules." He also tabled details of the GoMs and EGoMs and their terms of references.

England cricket captain Andrew Strauss on Wednesday received the ICC Test Championship mace for leading the team, which finished on top of the ICC Test Championship table on the annual cut-off date of April