Category: Politics

The discussions on the Draft declaration at the fourth G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting, under India’s Presidency, with the delegates from the G20 members, and international organisations participating  concluded in Varanasi, today. The CWG under India’s G20 Presidency, through its Outcome Document and Chair’s summary, emphasized on positioning culture at the heart of global policymaking. The  Culture Ministers’ Meeting will be held  tomorrow 2023 in Varanasi. Earlier in the day, speaking to the media , Shri G. K Reddy said that the Varanasi Culture meetings have created an  opportunity…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Greece on Friday on a daylong visit, the first by an Indian premier in 40 years  “I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our multifaceted relationship,” Modi said as he left for the first leg of his visit.  The Indian community in Greece was excited to welcome Mr. Modi.  Greece backed India in the aftermath of the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran when several countries slapped the country with sanctions.  The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a…

Ex-UP minister Amarmani Tripathi, convicted for poet Madhumita Shukla’s murder, to be released from jail.  Tripathi and his wife, also to be released, have been serving a life term since 2007 but will be freed on the basis of ‘good conduct’ in prison, the UP government said in its order.  The Samajwadi Party has questioned his release and has mocked the ruling BJP, claiming he is being released as the BJP “needs” him for next year’s election.  Madhumita Shukla, a fiery poet, was murdered on May 9, 2003; was 24…

Indian-origin entrepreneur and US presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was one of the main stars of the first Republican primary debate.  Vivek Ramaswamy garnered a lot of attention, particularly for his comments on the Ukraine war, Donald Trump, and climate change.  Mr. Ramaswamy’s comments were applauded by the audience several times as he literally took center stage during the debate.  Ramaswamy was the only candidate to oppose more funding for the war in Ukraine.  Donald Trump ‘was the best president of the 21st century’: Mr. Ramaswamy  He pledged to end teachers’…

Mani Shankar Aiyar slams former PM PV Narasimha Rao, calls him ‘first BJP PM’  The first BJP prime minister was not Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the “first BJP PM” was Rao, the Congress leader said.  The former diplomat, whose autobiography “Memoirs of a Maverick — The First Fifty Years (1941-1991)” hit the stands.  In his remarks at the book launch, Aiyar said he discovered “how communal and how Hindu-oriented” P V Narasimha Rao was.  Congress leader and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Wednesday alleged that former prime minister P…

The report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) said that 41(18%) Rajya Sabha sitting MPs have declared serious criminal cases.  “Out of the 225 Rajya Sabha sitting MPs analyzed, 75, which is 33 percent MPs have declared criminal cases against themselves.”  The report further said that four MPs have declared cases related to crimes against women.  “Out of the four MPs, K.C. Venugopal from Rajasthan has declared a case related to rape (IPC Section-376),” it said.  The report also highlighted that Maharashtra has the maximum number…

Overriding the Biden administration’s appeal, a US court has ordered a stay on the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, to India.  The extradition of Rana to India is stayed pending the conclusion of his appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  In doing so the judge overrode the government’s recommendations that there should be no stay on Rana’s extradition.  Rana faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley.  India’s National…

ED raids premises of MLA A C Moideen, and others in Kerala in Rs 100 Crore cooperative bank “fraud” linked money laundering case.  The federal agency is covering about half-a-dozen premises in the state as part of the fresh searches being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  The residence of Moideen, a former minister of local self-government, industries, and cooperation, at Wadakkancherry in Thrissur district and those linked to him are being searched for evidence of gathering details of “benami” assets.  The agency said…

The Congress leader alleged that the RSS is running everything in the country.  Rahul Gandhi is visiting Ladakh for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.  Rahul Gandhi has said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was placing its own people in every institution of the country.  Rahul Gandhi was also engaged with youth during an event in Leh, media reported.  The RSS is widely considered as the ideological wing of the Bharatiya Janata…

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh called on the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Saturday, 19 August 2023. In their meeting lasting over an hour, they discussed threadbare the Digital Governance Plan for Uttar Pradesh. It was informed that the Uttar Pradesh District Good Governance Index (DGGI) 2022, the first of its kind survey of districts undertaken by any state in the country, is ready for release. The Good Governance…