Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • INTERVIEW: Deepika Padukone

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    By Uma Ramasubramanian  Her act as a selfless daughter, who spends more time listening to her father’s constipation tales than on her professional or marital pursuits in “Piku”, has garnered an “overwhelming” response for actress Deepika Padukone. But the most heartening has been the response from people who have expressed a wish to “adopt” her.…

  • Half a million apply for 1500 jobs

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    Some 5,17,633 candidates will write an exam conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission at 2,121 centres across the state. There are 1,500 vacancies for the most sought after ‘secretariat assistant’ post in the state secretariat, the seat of the Kerala government. It is often considered as the ‘dream job’ for every Keralite. The examination…

  • Modi bags $22 bn in new business

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    India is ready to do business and is constantly improving the ease of doing business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday at the India-China Business Forum here that saw 21 business agreements worth $22 billion being signed. In his address to the India-China Business Forum, Modi said that India offers historic opportunity for Chinese…

  • Why the Communists still remain a force in India

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    By Amulya Ganguli  Seven years after the deed was done, the new Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, has confessed that his party made a mistake by withdrawing support from the Manmohan Singh government on the India-US nuclear deal in 2008. It was in that very year, however, that the prescient Nobel laureate,…

  • Modi sells ‘Make in India’ to China

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi  met top Chinese CEOs, including Alibaba’s Jack Ma, and invited them to participate in the Make in India initiative. “I have come to say to you Make in India,” Modi told the CEOs, according to a tweet by external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup. “India and China can together give something…

  • US-India defence cooperation approved

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    By Arun Kumar  Reflecting the solid bipartisan support for building US-India relationship, the US House of Representatives Friday passed a key measure calling for expansion of US-India defence cooperation. In addition to urging an overall expansion in defence ties, an amendment to the FY2016 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) specifically calls for the US to…

  • Sikh community outraged over smoking cartoon

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    Sikhs in Australia have expressed outrage after a daily published a cartoon of a Sikh man smoking a cigar, a media report said. “You would never see a person of Sikh faith smoking — not even a cigarette, let alone a cigar, so it just seems out of context,” Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) quoted the…

  • Modi yet to address any core issues: Govindacharya

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    By Brajendra Nath Singh    As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government completes one year in office, he is under a strident attack from the opposition parties. But he has not been spared from within. Critical voices within his party and the sangh parivar have begun to raise their decibel level. One such critic is former Bharatiya…

  • Sachin plannning T20 event for retired players

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    Cricket legends Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar are planning a new Twenty20 tournament featuring retired international players featuring in a series of exhibition matches. Details of the event are still to be formalised but the organisers have drawn a preliminary list of 30 players. The list includes stalwarts like Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis,…

  • Hindu group wants Sunny Leone deported

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    The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) demanded the deportation of former porn star Sunny Leone and barring her future entry into India for displaying what it terms vulgarity on her website and insulting the dignity of women. The HJS lodged a first information report (FIR) with Sunil Shivarkar, head of Ramnagar police station in Dombivali in…

  • Modi has a selfie with Chinese premier

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    Even as he was busy boosting bilateral ties with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Prime Minister Narendra Modi found time take a selfie with him on the second day of his three-day visit to China. Modi who is known for his passion for taking selfies, took to Twitter to thank Premier Li, tweeting “It’s selfie time!…

  • ‘Acche din’ only for Modi, his friends: Rahul

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    Targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi  said “acche din” have come only for Modi and few businessmen close to him. Addressing a public meeting at Wadial village near here, he said Modi has five to six businessmen friends and the entire country was being run for them. “It is a government…

  • Joy and sorrow in Kochi for two families

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    By Sanu George  Strange are the ways of life as is evident in this commercial capital of the state: a Keralite family is weeping as one of its members was shot dead in Afghanistan, while in a nearby hospital, an Afghan national is elated as he has got a new pair of hands from a…

  • Kamath looks forward to establish BRICS bank

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    Days after being appointed as the head of the up-coming BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) New Development Bank, banker K.V. Kamath  said he looked forward to the establishment of the financial institution and commencement of its operations. “I look forward to the establishment of the bank and commencement of its operation for…

  • Rahul begins ‘Kisan padyatra’

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      Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi began ‘padyatra’ in Adilabad district of Telangana to console families of farmers who committed suicide. Rahul, who arrived here on Thursday night after landing at Nanded in neighbouring Maharashtra, launched his walkathon on Friday morning from Koratikal village, about four km from here. The Congress leader visited the house of…

  • Kejriwal appears in court

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    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and four other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders  appeared in a court here over a case related to violation of prohibitory orders during a party protest in January last year. Kejriwal, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, AAP legislators Rakhi Birla and Somnath Bharti and party leader Ashutosh appeared before…

  • Shiv Sena targets judiciary

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    Apparently peeved by a recent Supreme Court ruling restricting the use of pictures of politicians in government advertisements, the Shiv Sena trained guns on the judiciary, terming the latest move as ‘unjust’ here. Referring to the ruling which allows only the pictures of president, prime minister or the chief justice in government advertisements, the Sena…

  • INTERVIEW: Markus Schulz

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    By Siddharth Jha   To many, it seems the electronic dance music (EDM) scene in India is emerging only now, but German-American music producer Markus Schulz, who has always found “inspiration” from this part of the world, says the country has not been far behind in the globally-trending musical genre. Having crafted progressive, trance and house…

  • Indian TV shows now look fresh

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    By Sandeep Sharma Old characters become ‘older’, new characters add a fresh charm and a twist in the storyline refreshes viewers’ interest – the small screen’s time-tested ‘leap’ formula has returned with shows like “Comedy Nights With Kapil”, “Bharat Ka Veer Mahaputra – Maharana Pratap” and “Diya Aur Baati Hum”. Once popular with TV tsarina…

  • We are one in fighting terror, Modi to Ghani

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that both their nations were “one” in fighting terror, after a Taliban attack in Kabul killed 14 people, including four Indians. “Spoke to President @ashrafghani & offered condolences on loss of lives due to the Kabul attack. We are one when it comes to fighting terror,”…

  • Iraq survivor says ISIS killed Indian hostages

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    A man from Punjab who escaped from the clutches of the ISIS in June 2014 claimed that 39 Indians taken hostage have been killed. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in New Delhi that she did not believe the claims and her own sources felt the Indian nationals were still alive. Harjit Masih, 25, told…

  • 14-year-old NRI wins National Geographic Bee

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    A 14-year-old Indian-American won this year’s National Geographic Bee, the contest about the geograophy IQ, in which the runner-up and the second runner-up are also of Indian origin. Karan Menon, an eighth-grader from New Jersey, fought off competition from 10 finalists, to win the annual contest, joining a long list of Indian-American winners. The win…

  • Modi eyes $10-bn jackpot in China

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking to clinch $10 billion worth of deals, a leading English daily of China reported . “The two countries are likely to sign deals worth $10 billion during Modi’s first visit as prime minister that will also take him to Beijing and Shanghai as he attempts to attract investments…

  • India, France to g to uncover maritime heritage

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    By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar Precious gems, hippo’s teeth and European currency scattered in the depths of the Arabian sea as well as uncovering priceless historic data about maritime trade between Asia and Europe dating to over 500 years is what’s on the menu as Indian marine archaeologists and French divers collectively aim to salvage shipwrecks off…

  • Indian UN peacekeepers honoured

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    India was honoured for its significant contribution to UN Peacekeeping over the last six decades at an event to celebrate International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Capitol Hill, the seat of US Congress. India’s Ambassador to the US, Arun K. Singh, received the award in recognition for India’s commitment to peacekeeping at the event organized…

  • Indian suggests winning name for Mercury crater

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    Enheduanna, the name suggested by Gagan Toor of India, is one of the winners of a contest to name five new craters on the planet Mercury. Toor chose the name after Enheduanna, a princess of the Sumerian city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Kuwait), the first known poet and author, according to…

  • Indian envoy target of Kabul attack?

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     A top Afghan official has been quoted by an Afghan news agency as saying that militants attacked an upscale guesthouse in Kabul, thinking that Indian Ambassador Amar Sinha was inside. The attack at the Park Palace guesthouse in Kabul’s Kolola Pushta left five people dead, including two Indians and an American, officials were quoted as…

  • Modi visits ancient Buddhist temple in Xi’an

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     After a visit to the Terracotta Warriors Museum at Xi’an, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the Da Xingshan temple and offered prayers. Modi stood with his hands folded in front of massive golden statues of the Buddha as orange-robed monks chanted prayers. “Sutra recitation at Grand Hall of Daxingshan Temple in presence…

  • Four Indians killed in Kabul attack

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     Four Indians were among 14 people killed in a suspected Taliban attack on a guesthouse in Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul overnight on, an Indian embassy source said . “Four Indians, including a lady, were killed in the attack,” the source said over telephone. “Nine other foreigners were also killed in the attack,” the source added.…

  • SAJID JAVID: FUTURE BRIGHT

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    Sajid Javid, the rising star of British politics, has humble origins. Son of a bus driver from now notorious Rochdale, Javid will tick all the boxes for a success story. He left a lucrative job in the finance sector to pursue a career in politics. Prime Minister David Cameron may be predicting the future of Javid,…

  • Kerala launches design institute

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    State-owned Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) has opened admission for the newly launched Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID), which will be supported by the reputed National Institute of Design (NID). Minister for Labour and Skills Shibu Baby John  handed over the first copy of the prospectus of KSID to NID, Bangalore, vice chairperson…

  • Lok Sabha passes whistleblower protection bill

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    The Lok Sabha  passed a bill to amend the Whistleblowers Protection Act to strengthen the safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country. Replying to the debate on the Whistleblowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said protection of whistleblowers has been “adequately ensured”.…

  • HSBC doubtful of returns from Indian equities

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    Finding Indian equities markets to be the most over-owned in Asia, HSBC Global Research has now assigned the country “underweight” status, meaning thereby that it expects the returns to be below normal in the short-to-medium term. “In a report titled “The Flying Dutchman: India – Gravity Sets In”, the research arm of HSBC said the…

  • SC judge to probe Vadra land deals

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    Controversial multi-million rupee deals of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra are among land deals and other irregularities that will be probed by an inquiry commission, headed by a retired apex court judge, a senior Haryana minister said. State Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told media here that the commission under the retired Supreme…

  • Death of a family shocks Indian community

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    An Indian-origin mother and her twin daughters have been found dead at a house in Romford , north-east London. The body of the husband was later discovered hanging at Woodford Reservoir in Walthamstow. The family is hailing from Thrissur district of South Indian state of Kerala. The news shocked the Indian community community. Neighbours identified the…

  • Rolls plan to cut jobs draw flak

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      Despite winning a £6.1 billion flight engine deal, Rolls-Royce is going ahead with its plan to terminate 3,000 jobs…writes Kaliph Anaz for Asian Lite, UK’s No 1 newspaper for British Asians Prime Minister David Cameron is facing a dilemma as one of the prestigious British Company begins the process to terminate 3000 skilled jobs…

  • Eyewitness in Asaram son’s case shot

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    The main eyewitness in the sexual assault case related to the son of controversial godman Asaram Bapu was shot at by unidentified assailants in Haryana, police said. Mahender Chawla was shot at outside his house in Sanouli village in Panipat district, 170 km from Chandigarh, and two bullets hit him in the back, police said.…

  • Hinduism becomes fourth-largest faith in US

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    By Arul Louis  Fueled by immigration, America’s Hindu population has reached 2.23 million, an increase of about one million or 85.8 percent since 2007, making Hinduism the fourth-largest faith, according to estimates based on wide-ranging study of religions in the nation. The proportion of Hindus in the US population rose from 0.4 percent in 2007…

  • Modi wants to take the silk route with China

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he wants to work on a roadmap to qualitatively upgrade economic relations with China. He also said that he was open to discussing regional connectivity, including the Silk Road concept, with Chinese leaders. “I look forward to working out a roadmap for qualitatively upgrading our economic relations and…

  • ‘Biopic on braveheart Neerja Bhanot well researched’

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    By Jaideep Sarin   She was just 22 when she sacrificed her life to save a group of American children aboard a Pan Am flight that had been hijacked on the ground at Karachi. Now, the family of Chandigarh girl Neerja Bhanot, the seniormost cabin crew member on the flight and who is being immortalised in…

  • Indian talent sweeps global TV

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    By Sugandha Rawal  The overseas small screen is calling for Bollywood talent. From Priyanka Chopra, Nimrat Kaur and Tina Desai to veterans like Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi – Indian actors are landing plum roles in international TV shows. And they’re truly loving it. After creating waves globally with her singing talent, former Miss World…

  • Palestine appreciates India’s support

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    By Sheikh Manzoor Mahmoud Al Habbash, special advisor to Palestine President Mahmmud Abbas, has lauded India for extending political, moral and material support to Palestinians and said the two sides recently evolved a new mechanism to strategise their relationship. “We are thankful to India for supporting an independent Palestine state and pleading their cause at…

  • Sonam Kapoor gets ready for Cannes

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    Bollywood fashionista Sonam Kapoor, who is a regular at the Cannes International Film Festival red carpet since 2011, is pulling out all stops to make a stellar appearance as she celebrates her fifth outing at the fest this year. The L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador is ensuring all’s perfect before she heads to the French Riviera…

  • Ritesh Batra to direct Oscar-winner in English film

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    Indian director of “The Lunchbox” fame Ritesh Batra will helm a movie adaptation of Julian Barnes’s novel “The Sense of an Ending”, and it will star Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent. “I am thrilled to adapt one of my favourite novels to screen and to work with a great team. Julian Barnes’s characters are an important…

  • Bihar Earthquake toll touches 15

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    The toll in Bihar following massive earthquake has touched a total of 15, officials said here. Besides, there were reports of a number of houses in Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Gaya, and Raxaul in East Champaran district developing cracks following the tremors, Bihar State Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Vyas-ji said. “We have confirmed the…

  • Greenpeace on the chopping block in India

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    By Sajai Jose   As Greenpeace India struggles to stay afloat, the real reason why the government wants to shut down the global environmental NGO hasn’t got much attention: Coal, the single biggest source of primary energy in India, is at the heart of the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious plans to ramp up industrial production in the country. A…

  • Panel to revisit report on Jaitley’s phone tapping

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    Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said the privileges committee will re-examine its report on tapping of Arun Jaitley’s phone as it was the unanimous view of the house. Kurien, who heads the privileges committee, also said that if the house wants the scope of study to be expanded to cover phone tapping in general,…

  • ‘Indian diaspora should move beyond culture’

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    By Paras Ramoutar  The Indian diaspora must move beyond culture, heritage and traditions into present day areas of sustainable development, according to a well-known academic here. Clement Sankat, principal of the St. Augustine Campus, University of the West Indies, said at the opening ceremony of the International Indian Diaspora Conference at the university on Tuesday…

  • NRI scientist develops new tool for cancer diagnosis

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    Rohit Bhargava, an IIT-Delhi graduate and now with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has developed stainless staining that provides a new tool for clinicians and researchers for better diagnosis of cancer. Till date, prepared biopsy samples are stained and examined under a light microscope. Using infrared spectroscopic imaging for microscopy, Bhargava has reported the development…

  • Nurses biggest health workforce: Pranab

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    President Pranab Mukherjee said that India’s nurses are a valuable instrument of change and the largest workforce in the healthcare industry. “At the national level, the nursing workforce in India is a valuable instrument of change. It is well-known that nurses are the largest workforce in the healthcare industry in India,” Mukherjee said at a…