Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • A journey between time and space

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    By Shilpa Raina   If Hollyoowd wizard Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” explored the idea of finding life on another planet in space, artist Jitish Kallat is redirecting many journeys between time and space through artistic impressions that would take the audience on a whirlpool of explorations during the 108-day-long Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Spread over eight venues across this…

  • Modi urge youths to take up yoga

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      Elated over the UN decision to declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday urged the youth to take up yoga “diligently and regularly”. “I have been practicing  yoga for years, and you can’t believe the positive difference it has made in my life,” he said in a…

  • Protest in Lok Sabha over Godse

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    BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj regretted in the Lok Sabha his remarks eulogizing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse after vociferous protests by the opposition. The house was in uproar over the issue as soon as it met for the day until the MP from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh finally said: “I regret my remarks and take…

  • Amit Shah predicts win in Kashmir

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      BJP president Amit Shah said his party will win the the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls as well as the West Bengal assembly elections scheduled for 2016. Speaking at the Agenda Aaj Tak – 2014 conclave, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president said the voters of Jammu and Kashmir wanted development and will…

  • Lord Mayor strikes deal at Royal mint in India

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    The Lord Mayor of the City of London has struck a special commemorative gold Sovereign during a visit to The Royal Mint’s operations in India as a lasting reminder of his first official overseas trip. The Lord Mayor, the elected head of the City of London Corporation which supports the world-leading finance and business sector…

  • Godse eulogy disrupts Rajya Sabha

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    The Rajya Sabha witnessed protests by opposition members on the issue of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse being eulogised in Maharashtra, leading to the house being adjourned twice, but the government made it clear that there was no question of supporting any such move. The issue was raised by Congress MP Husain Dalwai who said…

  • UN adopts Modi’s proposal of Yoga Day

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      The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, with a record number of 175 country co-sponsors, for observance of International Day of Yoga June 21 each year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had proposed holding an international yoga day in his UN General Assembly speech in Sep 27 this year, voiced his elation on twitter.…

  • NRI doctor donates $20 million to village

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    US-based NRI neurosurgeon Kumar Bahuleyan, 81, donates his personal fortune to his village to establish a hospital…Mr C.O.T Azeez reports Dr Kumar Bahuleyan, 81, earned millions as a  neurosurgeon in the US. He had a lavish life – driving Rolls-Royce and keeping  five Mercedes at garage besides a personal jet for short-trips.But he is quiting everything. Surprisingly, for the sake…

  • K M Mani booked for corruption

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      The Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) filed a case in a special vigilance court here against 81-year-old Finance Minister K.M. Mani over allegations that the Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association gave him a Rs.1 crore bribe to reopen closed bars in the state. The case was filed against Mani after verification of the…

  • Ties with Russia incomparable: Modi

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      India’s strategic partnership with Russia is “incomparable in content” and it remains India’s foremost defence partner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here. Addressing media after his summit talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi said Russia has been a pillar of strength for India’s security. “The strategic partnership is incomparable in content,” he…

  • What conversion?, asks Agra converts

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    By Brij Khandelwal  The “conversion” to Hinduism of some people of a settlement on the outskirts of this city has triggered a debate in parliament, but the residents say they haven’t converted and wonder what the hullaballo is all about. About 55 odd families are now a worried lot after their “conversion and home-coming” ceremony…

  • RSS marching ahead in UP

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    By Mohit Dubey   Since Narendra Modi became the prime minister in May, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has been merrily expanding its network in populous Uttar Pradesh. In recent months, the RSS — founded in 1925 and traditionally weak in the sprawling state — is focussing on widening its influence among Dalits and in the…

  • India, Russia hold summit talks

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      India and Russia held their 15th Annual Summit talks here  with the two sides expected to ink major agreements later in the field of energy, defence and trade. The talks between Prime Minster Narendra Modi and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin are being held at Hyderabad House. It is the first full-fledged summit between…

  • 2015 will see more growth in Indian economy: UN

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    By Arul Louis  While the global economy is expected to grow marginally by 3.1 percent next year, India’s is likely to grow by 5.9 percent, recording the second highest increase among the world’s larger economies, according to a UN report. For 2016, the report projects a growth of 6.3 percent for India’s gross domestic product…

  • Agra ‘conversions’ issue disrupts parliament

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      Uproar continued in the Lok Sabha  with almost all opposition parties demanding the suspension of the question hour and a discussion on the Agra “conversions”. As soon as the house met for the day, members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI-M trooped near the speaker’s podium, and also raised…

  • We are united for rights: Malala

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      Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said  that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarti, who…

  • Putin arrives in India

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday night welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his arrival in India, saying he looks forward to a “productive visit that will take India-Russia ties to newer heights”. As Putin arrived on a 24-hour visit for the annual bilateral summit, Modi tweeted his welcome in Russian and then in English. He…

  • Malala, Kailash accept Nobel Prize

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    Glad an Indian and a Pakistani can unite for rights: Malala Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said Wednesday that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am…

  • Infosys founders turns philanthropists

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    By Fakir Balaji  Three decades after floating and making Infosys a global software major, its founders led by N.R. Narayana Murthy are joining hands again — to promote philanthropy. To fund philanthropic activities and encourage entrepreneurship, four of the seven original promoters and their family Monday jointly sold off 32.6 million shares of Rs.5 face…

  • Modi to visit Hannover trade fair

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Germany in April to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and to jointly open the Hannover trade fair where India is the official partner country. The Hannover Messe 2015, the world’s largest industrial trade fair, is to showcase the ‘Make in India’ concept. The Hannover Fair, which will run from…

  • Mamata’s U-turn makes opponents frown

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    By Anurag Dey   West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s volte face on the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh and her support to it has brightened the hopes of thousands of enclave dwellers and left the opposition parties frowning. The opposition is wondering about the sudden “u-turn” by the Trinamool Congress supremo, whose opposition earlier…

  • US degree now closer to home

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     Bringing the benefits of global education to Indian students, Mumbai-based Global Pathways Institute has launched a four-year undergraduate pathway programme in alliance with the Arcadia University in the US. Students enrolled in the course would have the opportunity to pursue two years of the degree course in India, and the next two years in Arcadia…

  • Parrikar asked to stop ‘chilling’ in Goa

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    By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar After outrage on the social media, the opposition is protesting against Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s presence at a book release function in Goa, hours after a major terrorist strike in Jammu and Kashmir. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have asked the former Goa chief minister to safeguard India’s borders…

  • Richard Verma confirmed as US envoy to India

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    The US Senate has confirmed Richard Rahul Verma, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the next American ambassador to India, making him the first Indian-American envoy in New Delhi. Verma, 46, a former key aide to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton, was approved by the Senate by a unanimous voice vote Tuesday, signifying the…

  • Agra ‘conversion’ deeply worrying: Mayawati

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      The ‘conversion’ of around 300 Muslims to Hinduism in Agra rocked the Rajya Sabha , with BSP chief Mayawati calling it an attack on the country’s secular fabric. “Our nation is run by a constitution which has secularism as a pillar,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. “Whichever party is in the government…

  • Srinivasan to stay away from IPL till panel decision

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    N. Srinivasan, the Indian cricket board’s sidelined chief,  told the Supreme Court that if he is re-elected, he would stay away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council till a proposed committee decides on the larger question of conflict of between his BCCI role and his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. Responding to a…

  • Moody’s projects 5-6% GDP growth for India

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    India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to grow next year in the range of 5-6 percent on the back of stronger domestic demand, ratings agency Moody’s said Wednesday. “India will have stronger GDP growth in 2015, which we forecast at 5-6 percent, up from around 5 percent in 2014,” Moody’s said in their report…

  • Naidu on fast track to clear mega projects

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    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister emulates Singapore/Japan model to clear investment proposals    The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday cleared investment proposals of Rs.3,000 crore. The proposals include one paint manufacturing facility in Visakhapatnam by Asian Paints, India’s largest and Asia’s third largest paint company with an investment of Rs.1,818 crore.…

  • US racial profiling upsets South Asians

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    By Arun Kumar  Sikh, Muslim and South Asian Communities have expressed dismay over new guidelines that ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement officers but do not apply to screeners at airports or border checkpoints. The new guidelines announced by Attorney General Eric Holder Monday replace the 2003 Bush administration rules. They prohibit profiling based…

  • Jumbo’s gets holidays in TN & Puducherry

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      Jumbos belonging to various temples, mutts and forest department in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will go on annual vacation Dec 11-Jan 27, the Tamil Nadu government said . The 98 elephants, out of which 43 belong to temples/mutts and Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu and two to Puducherry temples while the rest are with…

  • Indian military short of officers

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      The Indian armed forces are short of 9,845 officers, and the government said Tuesday that it had taken several steps to overcome the situation. The highest shortage, as of July 1 this year, was in the army: 7,899 officers, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha. This was followed by the navy (1,499…

  • Saudi Arabia approves to hire Indian domestics

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      The Saudi Arabia government has approved an agreement for recruitment of Indian domestic workers including maids, media reported. The council of ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defence, Monday approved the Saudi Arabia’s agreement with Delhi, Arab News reported. “The agreement aims to protect the rights of domestic workers…

  • Is Lingaa about Mullaiperiyar?

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    Rajinikanth files caveat application in ‘Lingaa’ case. The film directed by Kerala-born K.S. Ravi Kumar, “Lingaa” is said to be about the construction of Mullaiperiyar dam Superstar Rajinikanth filed a caveat application here to prevent the Madras High Court bench from passing any interim order in the “Lingaa” case without hearing his stand. He filed the…

  • India’s account deficit not alarming: Jaitley

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      Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said  that India’s current account deficit (CAD) was not alarming and it was under control. “The CAD figure of 2.1 percent (of GDP) is not alarming. The figure is under control. There are ways of curtailing it and bringing it down further,” he said in the Rajya Sabha. He added…

  • ‘Modi-Obama summit reignited business interest’

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      Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with US President Barack Obama in September signal a paradigm shift in bilateral ties? Was it a ground-breaking moment in Indo-US ties that had seen a slump over the years? Experts, including former diplomats, do not think it was a paradigm shift, but agree the visit was…

  • Uber faces problems across the world

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    By Arun Kumar    New Delhi’s ban on the US based ride-sharing service Uber following the rape of woman passenger by one of its drivers has focused attention on the fights it’s engaged in with local governments around the world, including in San Francisco where it was accused of misleading customers into believing they banned drivers…

  • Ethiopia seeks Indian help in higher education

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    By Hadra Ahmed   As the Ethiopian government works towards revitalising higher education to meet growing demand by boosting investment in education under the country’s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), India, with its long experience in the education sector, could help invest in Ethiopia, officials state. This was stated at a three-day international seminar on “India…

  • INTERVIEW: Freida Pinto

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    By Sugandha Rawal    There is a recurring pattern in actress Freida Pinto’s films and that is the presence of strong female characters. The Hollywood-based Indian actress says it’s the first thing that she considers while choosing films. Be it “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Miral” or her upcoming film “Trishna” – all the films have seen her playing…

  • Man jailed for threatening Tulsi Gabbard

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      A US court has sentenced a New York man to 33 months in prison for making a series of threats against Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of the US House of Representatives. Aniruddha Sherbow, 44, had entered a plea of no contest on Feb 21 in the US District Court to two counts…

  • Kashmir defies boycott call

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      Defying a separatist call to boycott the polls, voters in Kashmir formed queues at polling stations in the third round of the staggered assembly election. Guerrillas lobbed a grenade in Gulmarg, but there were no casualties. The balloting took place four days after a string of terror attacks that left 21 people, including eight…

  • Pakistan rejects India’s allegations

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      Pakistan  said it firmly rejects India’s “baseless allegations” about “mainstreaming of terrorism” regarding the Lahore rally by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed and also the “equally baseless allegations and efforts to malign Pakistan by implicating it in the recent attacks” in Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question about comments by India’s external affairs…

  • Modi wins TIME poll, loses race

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      Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the winner of this year’s reader poll for TIME Person of the Year, but his name does not figure in the magazine editors’ own list of final eight. This year’s possible winners include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Russian President Vladimir…

  • Story of a judge living in cloud cuckoo land!

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    Even there is a cabinet minister with a surname Patel. But Honourable Peter Hollingworth, a JUDGE, ridicules a victim with racial prejudices….YZ Patel comments They’re in politics, education, property, agriculture,landowning pharmaceutical, chemical, medical, plastic, finance, steel, building construction,ceramic, precious minerals, hospitality. Any industry you can think of at all echelons they are there. They are the…

  • Get rid of family rule in Kashmir: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted voters to get rid of family rule and corruption and promised to bring development to Kashmir. “You have seen governments by the Congress, by father and son (National Conference) and by father and daughter (Peoples Democratic Party). Get rid of this family rule and corruption. Give us an opportunity to…

  • Can India buck the trend in Australia?

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    By Veturi Srivatsa  The entire cricket world is waiting with bated breath to see the first bouncer bowled in the India-Australia Test series after a short-pitched delivery fatally felled Phillip Hughes at the Sydney Cricket Ground barely two weeks ago. Former Australian bowler burly Merv Hughes wants the very first ball of the Test series…

  • India’s upward trend in competitiveness

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    By Amit Kapoor  Over the past few years, we have been particularly interested in studying India’s competitiveness. This is because understanding it can yield interesting insights about the country’s future trajectory. The productivity with which India has and how it will utilize its resources will ultimately be a determinant of the prosperity level of its…

  • Defence high on Modi-Putin agenda

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     Nuclear cooperation, including for a “cascade” of nuclear reactors, would be high on the agenda of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit meeting here next week. Russian Ambassador Alexander M. Kadakin, addressing a press briefing ahead of Putin’s New Delhi visit on Dec 11, also reassured India…

  • Delhi bans Uber taxi’s after rape

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    The Delhi government banned “all activities” by Uber taxi company after one of its drivers was arrested on charges of raping a woman. An official statement said the Delhi government’s transport department had also blacklisted the company from providing any transport service in the national capital in future. Scores of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members…

  • SIT to probe Delhi church attack: Rajnath

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    Home Minister Rajnath Singh  said it is the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to ensure communal harmony in the country. In the wake of the suspected arson attack on a church in Delhi last week, the minister informed the Lok Sabha that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe…

  • All clear for Navi Mumbai Airport

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    The central government has cleared a major hurdle in the development of the country’s largest greenfield airport coming up here, an official said. The ministry of civil aviation has approved the regulatory regime of “Shared Till” for the upcoming Rs.15,000-crore Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), in adjoining Raigad district. This followed intervention by Chief Minister…