Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • Ban on BBC documentary to continue

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    The ban on the telecast of controversial BBC documentary “India’s Daughter” on the December 16, 2012, gang rape will continue, the Delhi High Court ordered . It also refused to pass any interim order on plea against prohibition to telecast the documentary. The central government told the court that the excerpts of documentary contained an…

  • Modi gets a rock star welcome in Canada

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    By Gurmukh Singh   The Indo-Canadian community is set to give a rock star like welcome to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who landed here  for his three-day visit. Modi was welcomed by Canadian Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney and Indian High Commissioner Vishnu Prakash and a large number of Indo-Canadian leaders on his arrival at Ottawa…

  • Lakhvi’s release challenged in Court

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    The Punjab government challenged in the Supreme Court the Lahore High Court’s order releasing Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. In a petition filed in the apex court by the Punjab home department, it was maintained that despite sufficiently strong evidence being present against Lakhvi, the Lahore court’s Justice…

  • Sena demands ‘ghar wapsi’ of Kashmiri Pandits

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    The Shiv Sena has demanded proper and honourable rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits of Jammu and Kashmir who were forced to flee their home-state over 25 years ago. “Jammu and Kashmir now has a stable government of the BJP and the PDP, and a strong administration led by Narendra Modi at the centre. Since…

  • Secularism strong and unshakeable: Modi

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    India’s secularism is strong and it will not shake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the Indian community in Berlin. Addressing a community reception hosted by the Indian ambassador, the prime minister said: “India’s secularism is not so weak that it will crumble. Our secularism is strong, and it will not shake;…

  • World Bank pegs India’s growth at 8%

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    The World Bank has forecast India’s growth accelerating to 8 percent for the next fiscal and said the country is well-placed in a region that has not only logged the highest economic expansion but would benefit the most from cheap oil. According to the bank’s South Asia Economic Focus report, which is released twice a…

  • India Inc. can outsmart Chinese : Havells India

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    By Gokul Bhagabati   With manufacturing at the core of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” campaign and labour costs in China eating into margins, India’s electrical goods manufacturers see little threat today from cheap imports, says Havells India chief Anil Rai Gupta. “The competition will be there. But the threat of unhealthy competition is…

  • Indian growth engine re-energised: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government had “re-energised” the Indian growth engine and that the country wants to become a manufacturing hub to serve its domestic market as well as exports. “We have re-energised the Indian growth engine. The credibility of our economy has been restored. India is once again poised for rapid growth…

  • Sania becomes top ranked doubles player

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      Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their third successive doubles title together, bagging the Family Circle Cup tennis title, enabling the Indian to create history by becoming the first woman from her country to be the World No.1 in doubles ranking. The No.1-seeded Swiss-Indian duo beat Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak in straight sets…

  • India a land of great opportunities: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a busy schedule at Hannover , meeting top German CEOs — including of Daimler, Voith, Metro AG and Bombardier Transportation — whom he told that India is a land of great opportunities. Modi, who flew down to this German city after his two-day visit to France, also unveiled a bust…

  • Indian Americans among biggest givers

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    By Arun Kumar  Two Indian Americans have been listed among the 50 biggest philanthropists of 2015 by the Town and Country Magazine with the likes of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Apple CEO Tim Cook. “These are the men and women whose serious dollars, bold ideas, and old-fashioned hard work have made them the year’s…

  • Congress accuse NDA of spreading hatred

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    The Congress slammed the ruling NDA government  for spreading hatred, after an article in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna sought revoking voting rights of Muslims. “The Saamna thinks it lives in some Talibanised land and not in a democratic country like India. The Saamna has no place in culture like ours,” Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi…

  • Modi in Hannover

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi got down to business, meeting top German CEOs, immediately after his arrival in Hannover  as part of his two-day visit to Germany. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also part of the round-table with the CEOs. “Movers & shakers of German economy/industry meet with PM @narendramodi,” tweeted the external…

  • Rahul’s absence puts question marks?

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    By Prashant Sood   Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s long “leave of absence” appears to have accentuated the debate in the Congress on his possible elevation with clear differences among party leaders on the issue. While a section wants him to assume the mantle at the earliest, there are leaders who want party president Sonia Gandhi to…

  • Sania a win away from becoming doubles World No.1

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     Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis survived a tough test to reach the final of the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament here . The No.1 seeded Sania and Martina beat 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a rain-affected semi-final. If they win the title, Sania will be the new World No.1 tennis player…

  • Revoke Muslims’ voting right: Shiv Sena

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      Voting rights of Muslims should be revoked to stop vote-bank politics, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has said in an article slamming AIMIM leaders Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi for polarising the community. In the article published in the lastest issue of the Shiv Sena’s mouthpeice Saamna, Raut, also a Rajya Sabha member, addressed All…

  • Modi reaches Germany with economic agenda

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     After a successful trip to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Hannover  on a two-day visit to Germany with economic and industrial cooperation high on his agenda. Modi, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will inaugurate the world’s biggest industrial fair, the Hannover Messe, on Saturday. India is the partner country of the fair…

  • Modi accorded ceremonial reception in Paris

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome  here as he began his two-day official visit to France. Received by French President Francois Hollande, Modi was accorded the reception by the Republican Guard of France, where the national anthems of India and France were played. Modi shook hands with Indian dignitaries, including Ajit…

  • Lahore HC orders Lakhvi’s release

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    The Lahore High Court ordered the immediate release of Mumbai terror attack’s alleged mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, evoking strong reaction from the Indian government which said “terrorists not being effectively prosecuted” constitutes a real security threat to the country as well as the world. The court dismissed the detention orders of Lakhvi, one of the…

  • India rank below neighbours in social progress

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      India has a low rank of 101 among the 133 countries measured for their social progress, even below some immediate neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, indicating the level of meeting basic human needs and well-being, among other factors. Conducted by Social Progress Imperative, a US-based non-profit organisation set up in…

  • India ends evacuation in Yemen

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    India has ended its massive evacuation efforts of its nationals in Yemen, pulling out 5,600 people, including 4,640 Indians and 960 nationals from 41 countries, the government said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “The evacuation operation from Yemen is over. General V.K. Singh is returning tonight. We are closing our Embassy there.” Earlier the…

  • Jaitley happy with Moody report

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      Sixteen months after it warned of a downgrade, ratings agency Moody’s  raised its outlook on India to positive, hoping for further steps from the Narendra Modi government to push growth. The finance ministry said this was significant and promised more. “India has grown faster than similarly-rated peers over the last decade due to favourable…

  • Rise and fall of Ramalinga Raju

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    By Mohammed Shafeeq He was once considered the IT czar and the Bill Gates of Andhra Pradesh, who founded and built Satyam into one of the top IT companies in India. B. Ramalinga Raju even shared the dais with Bill Clinton when the then US president visited Hyderabad in 2000. A special CBI court on…

  • Modi leaves on three-nation tour

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada that will focus on boosting bilateral trade and economic ties, including in defense and railways. The prime minister, who will arrive late on Thursday in Paris, earlier said that his eight-day visit was focused on supporting India’s national economic agenda, especially…

  • Sena protests outside Shobhaa De home

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    The Shiv Sena staged a noisy protest  outside celebrity author Shobhaa De’s residence, after she attacked a move to force multiplexes to show Marathi movies in the prime time slot. Carrying banners as well as ‘vada-pav’ and ‘misal’, the Sainkis shouted slogans against De. The protesters condemned De’s comments opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena government’s…

  • Saina drops to World No.2

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     After reaching a career-high of World No.1 in women’s singles, Saina Nehwal dropped to No.2 in the revised Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings on Thursday as reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui re-took the top spot. The Hyderabadi had become the first Indian woman to reach No.1 last Thursday after finishing runner-up to reigning World Champion…

  • Tulsi Gabbard to marry in Vedic ceremony

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      US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of the US House of Representatives, is scheduled to marry cinematographer Abraham Williams in a Vedic ceremony. The wedding will take place in Hawaii, NRI Pulse daily reported. “Tomorrow is the big day! Tulsi will marry Abraham in a traditional Hindu Vedic ceremony,” a status update…

  • SC rejects Memon’s plea

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    The Supreme Court dismissed the plea by 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast mastermind Yaqub Abdul Razak Memon for a review of his death sentence. Memon had sought the recall of March 21, 2013, apex court order upholding his death sentence by the special court. The apex court bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice J.…

  • No separate townships for migrant Pandits: Sayeed

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    Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed  denied that there was any proposal to set up separate clusters for migrant Pandits in the Kashmir Valley. Responding to the hue and cry raised in the state legislative assembly by opposition Congress and the regional National Conference (NC) legislators over the government’s proposal to set up…

  • Modi thanks Sharif for helping evacuate Indians

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  thanked his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif for his country’s assistance in evacuating 11 Indians from strife-torn Yemen. “I welcome our 11 citizens who’ve returned from Yemen with assistance from Pakistan. Thank you PM Nawaz Sharif for your humanitarian gesture,” according to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “Service…

  • Salman drunk at the time of accident: Prosecution

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      Attempting to further nail Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case, the prosecution cited evidence to prove that the Bollywood star was indeed under the influence of alcohol and his Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle did not have any mechanical defects. Public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat had  forcefully argued that Salman and his friend Kamaal Khan…

  • Modi, Merkel to open Hanover 2015

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      The country will have a unique opportunity to present the ‘Make in India’ initiative and its technological prowess at the world’s largest industrial fair Hanover Messe, German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner said here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will jointly inaugurate on Sunday this year’s Hanover fair where India…

  • Saudi keen to Make in India

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    By Ranjana Narayan Saudi Arabia, the largest supplier of crude oil to India, is keen to participate in the Make in India initiative of the Narendra Modi government and has asked its business people to explore the opportunities in India under the scheme, the kingdom’s envoy has said. “I think it is a very good…

  • US approves $952 mn military hardware to Pakistan

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    By Arun Kumar    The Obama administration has notified the US Congress it’s selling Pakistan $952 million worth of attack helicopters, air-to-surface missiles and other military assistance saying it will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The State Department has approved the sale saying the “helicopters and weapon systems will provide Pakistan with…

  • Court defers hearing in coal case against Singh

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    A court here deferred hearing in the coal block allocation case in which former prime minister Manmohan Singh was summoned to July 15. Special Judge Bharat Parashar deferred the hearing after it was informed that the Supreme Court on April 1 put on hold the summons issued by a special court in connection with the…

  • Modi launches bank for small firms

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a bank with a corpus of Rs.20,000 crore to extend credit of up to Rs.10 lakh to small businesses and regulate micro-finance institutions, to promote their growth, add to the country’s output and create jobs. The move is aimed at benefiting some 58 million small businesses in the country, who…

  • Bachchan conferred Padma Vibhushan

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    President Pranab Mukherjee  conferred Padma Vibhushan on Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Padma Vibushan was also conferred on Malur Ramaswamy Srinivasan for his work in science and engineering and jurist K.K. Venugopal for public affairs. The awards were conferred at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several union…

  • Obama reiterates support for UNSC seat for India

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      BY ARUN KUMAR President Barack Obama has reiterated US support for India’s membership of a reformed UN Security Council as he considers it a foreign policy priority to continue to strengthen India-US relationship. “What the President said was that he said in the context of a reformed Security Council that the President would support…

  • Hrithik rocks Kolkata at IPL-8 opening

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    Performing in the city for the second time after 15 years, Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan  cast a spell on his fans and sealed his connect with West Bengal during his nostalgic performance at the Indian Premier League (IPL-8) opening at the Salt Lake stadium here. In the cool night air, Hrithik’s fiery act against the…

  • South Asia’s concern of growing Pak nuclear arsenal

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    By Arun Kumar  Noting that “Pakistan, with the world’s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, is unquestionably the biggest concern,” in South Asia, a leading US daily wants major powers to turn their attention towards it after finalising the Iran deal. Citing several recent developments, the New York Times said in an editorial that “These investments reflect the…

  • RBI leaves policy rates unchanged

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      India’s central bank  kept its key policy rates and the reserve ratios unchanged in line with the predictions, while awaiting more robust data on inflation and action from commercial banks to soften their cost of credit to alter its stance. Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, who conducted the first bi-monthly review of…

  • Labour plans Indian model quota system

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    Britain’s Labour Party, which is in a neck and neck race with Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives, is planning to bring Indian model quota system  in civil services, company boards and the judiciary for the minority communities in Britain. Black and Asian communities constitute about 13 per cent of British society. About three per cent…

  • Morgan Stanley sees ‘Achhe Din’ for India

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    With the rural wage growth coming down to a nine-year low at 5.5 percent this January and inflation seemingly stabilizing, India is bracing for a long period of higher sustainable growth and lower prices, financial services firm Morgan Stanley said. “We are more constructive on inflation outlook and we expect the retail price index to…

  • India evacuates over 1,000 from Yemen

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    Over 1,000 people were evacuated from strife-torn Yemen on Monday by India which also received requests for assistance from 26 countries including the US and France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the coordinated efforts by various ministries, and especially lauded his colleagues Sushma Swaraj and V.K. Singh. External affairs ministry’s spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted on…

  • India must lead fight on climate: Modi

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    Seeking to scotch “lies” being floated about the land acquisition bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that it synergized India’s growth imperative with the need for environment protection, while calling for the country to demonstrate leadership in tackling the global threat of climate change. Inaugurating the state environment and forest ministers’ conference here, Modi said…

  • India begins air evacuations from Sana’a

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      India  began evacuating its nationals by air from the Yemeni capital of Sana’a as two Air India flights took off with 351 Indians for the African nation of Djibouti, across the Gulf of Aden, even as an Indian naval ship reached there with 306 people who would be flown back home. External affairs ministry…

  • No comments on Giriraj’s remark: Sonia

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     Likening union minister Giriraj Singh to people with a “narrow mindset” over his “white skin” remark which suggested she was accepted as party chief due to her skin colour, Congress president Sonia Gandhi declined to comment on it. As mediapersons sought her reaction to Singh’s remark which caused national outrage, Sonia Gandhi first asked: “What…

  • Advani not to address BJP meet?

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    As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commenced its largest strategy meet  since coming to power at the centre, it remained unclear if veteran leader L.K. Advani will address the national executive meet. Evading a direct reply to the question, party spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said “the party has the guidance of all senior leaders” while…

  • Indians evacuated from Yemen reach Mumbai

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    An Indian Air Force flight with 190 Indians evacuated from strife-torn Yemen landed here on Thursday, while another 169 went to Kochi in Kerala, an official said. In a highly coordinated operation, around 350 people stranded in the port city of Aden, Yemen were evacuated by Indian Navy Ship INS Sumitra in the past two…

  • NRI Preet Bharara: World’s sheriff or ambitious manipulator?

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    BY Arun Kumar The enviable record of Wall Street’s Indian-American prosecutor Preet Bharara, known in India for his dogged prosecution of an Indian diplomat, has put him in the limelight, but some have also questioned his methods. Time magazine put him on the cover and Vanity Fair described him as “Wall Street’s most fearsome foe”.…