Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • Modi skip Sharif and meet the rest

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with leaders of four South Asian nations on the sidelines of 18th Saarc Summit here , but the conspicuous absence from the meeting list was Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He held talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgey and Afghani…

  • Let’s walk in step, Modi tells SAARC

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday exhorted the eight neighbouring nations of the south Asian regional grouping Saarc to “walk in step” as he proposed a slew of measures, including ease for business travel, a level playing field in trade, and initiatives in healthcare and tourism. Modi, in his maiden speech to the South Asian…

  • REVIEW: Chaar Sahibzaade

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    Asha Singh reviews the much acclaimed movie Chaar Sahibzaade A worldly man once said to me “the Sikhs have a great historical story, they just don’t know how to tell it”…. Until now. Is this the beginning of showcasing to the world the struggle that Sikhs have faced to become one of the five major religions…

  • India has no talks planned with Pakistan

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    India  said there was “no structured meeting” planned between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. “We (have not planned) any structured meeting between our prime minister and the Pakistani prime minister simply because we have not received a request to that extent,” Indian ministry of external affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.…

  • Taj Mahal under threat of neglect?

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    By Brij Khandelwal   The annual “Heritage Week” observed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has just ended in the Taj city but most people gave it a miss, while activists mourned the conditions of monuments under threat by rampant neglect and encroachment by squatters. Except for painting competitions for school students held in Agra…

  • High voter turnout success of democracy: Omar

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      Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and working president of the National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah  said the high voter turnout in the state assembly polls is a success of democracy. He filed his nomination papers for the Sonawar assembly constituency in Srinagar district . He was accompanied by senior party leaders and supporters. “High…

  • SC to hear plea on attack on journalists

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    The Supreme Court  said it would hear a plea on police attack on mediapersons outside controversial sect leader Rampal’s ashram in Haryana Nov 19. Haryana Police canecharged mediapersons covering the incident that led to Rampal’s arrest. Nearly 50 to 60 mediapersons were injured. Some of them were seriously hurt and the equipment of a few…

  • Saarc must act for economic integration: Modi

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  called for a better economic  integration among Saarc, expressing concern that under 5 percent of the region’s global trade takes place between its eight member countries. The Indian prime minister also promised a special funding vehicle, overseen by his country, to finance infrastructure projects in the region, while also proposing…

  • India tells Pakistan to speed 26/11 trial

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    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the trial of those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack is progressing “very slowly” in Pakistan and should be expedited on a priority basis. “Heartfelt tributes to people who lost their lives in Mumbai terror attack of 2008. The perpetrators of Mumbai attack are yet to be punished,”…

  • DDLJ: 1000 Weeks of Timeless Romance

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    Yash Raj Films will unveil a series of activities to commemorate the completion of 1000 Weeks of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s (endearingly referred to as DDLJ) Uninterrupted Run at the Box Office. The film released on 20th October 1995 and ever since has been playing out in the iconic Maratha Mandir, making it the longest running film in the history…

  • Taj Khazana to unveil new collections

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    Luxury lifestyle boutique Taj Khazana at St. James’ Court, Taj Hotel, London is introducing four exclusive new collections by fashion designers Urvashi Kaur, Neishaa Gharat’s House of Gharats, Tomomi Yamamoto as well as a range of fragrances from Pell Wall this month. This includes a signature St. James’ Court scent inspired by the history and…

  • Rampal’s police remand extended

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    A court in Haryana’s Hisar town extended the police remand of controversial sect leader Rampal by six days. The court had sent Rampal to police remand for five days last week after cases of murder, sedition, attempt to murder, rioting, illegal detention and other sections were registered against him. Police sought extension of Rampal’s remand…

  • Deepak Pental Sent to Tihar Jail on Plagiarism Complaint

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    Former Delhi University vice chancellor Deepal Pental was today arrested and sent to Tihar jail on a fellow professor’s complaint. He will, however, be released soon as the High Court has stayed his arrest warrant reported NDTV. A Delhi court ordered Professor Pental’s arrest on a petition by Professor P Parthasarthy, who had accused him…

  • Six months of new governance

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    In the six months he has ruled India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated a new style of governance, of a “taskmaster” in his own words, peppered with some out-of-the-box thinking that has won him admirers and raised hopes among the people at a level unseen in recent years. This is the overall assessment of…

  • Modi arrives in Kathmandu

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here  to attend the 18th Saarc Summit to be held Nov 26-27. Modi, who arrived in a special Indian Air Force aircraft, is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and witness the signing of a number of bilateral agreements with the Himalayan nation later…

  • Considering hotline with Chinese army HQs: Parrikar

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      India is “seriously considering” establishing a hotline connection between its and Chinese military headquarters, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told parliament. “It is being seriously considered to establish a hotline connection between the military headquarters of India and China. This is as per the provisions of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement 2013 between the two…

  • Bill for merge PIO and OCI schemes

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    A draft bill that will enable the merging of two schemes for overseas Indians is expected to be brought before the cabinet for approval soon, an official statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a number of announcements for PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) and OCIs (Overseas Citizenship of India). “…a draft Bill for…

  • India calls for collective response to terrorism

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      India  said that terrorism is the biggest challenge the South Asian region faces and called for collective response to it. India also reiterated its “sincere and abiding commitment” towards regional peace, prosperity and development in South Asia. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her opening statement at the SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting…

  • Brisk voting in J&K

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      Enthusiastic voters lined up outside polling stations in Jammu and Kashmir as a weak winter sun peeped through the clouds. Long queues of men and women appeared at polling stations in Kangan, Ganderbal, Sonawari and Gurez assembly constituencies of the Kashmir Valley after polling started on a dull note in the morning at 8…

  • OBITUARY: Sitara Devi 1920-2014

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    By Quaid Najmi    In an era when men wore women’s costumes in theatre, dramas, songs and even the fledgling film industry, one young Indian dancer shattered stereotypes. She was Sitara Devi. Born in Kolkata as Dhanalakshmi, and called Dhanno, as she was born on Diwali in 1920, Sitara Devi later became a living legend —…

  • Black money rocks parliament

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      The issue of black money rocked the Lok Sabha on the first working day of parliament’s winter session , as several opposition parties tried to corner the government over the issue. As soon as the house met for the day, Trinamool Congress (TMC) members went near the speaker’s podium with black umbrellas raising slogans…

  • US lauds India’s stance on WTO

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    Ahead of the minister level meeting of the Trade Policy Forum (TPF), the first in four years, US Trade Representative Michael Froman  described the agreement reached by India and the US on the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) aimed at unlocking progress at the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a “big deal”. “The TFA…

  • Oman considering to tax expats on remittance

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    The proposal for a two percent levy on the billions of rials that expatriates send home every year has been approved by Oman’s Majlis al-Shura, or the lower house of the council of Oman, to overcome a budget deficit due to drop in oil prices, a media report said. “The approval to tax expatriate remittances…

  • India can touch $10 tn economy by 2034: PwC

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     Launching a report on transformational change in India, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said India has an opportunity to build a $10 trillion economy by 2034 with a growth rate of 9 percent per annum. Titled “Future of India: The Winning Leap”, the report “builds an aspirational model prepared after meeting business leaders and social thinkers and identifies…

  • H1N1 kills ducks in Kerala

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     Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has called for a high-level meeting to discuss the reports of the deaths of ducks in Alapuzha due to avian influenza virus, a Kerala minister said . Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar told the media here that there is no need for any panic. “All arrangements are being made to stock…

  • A cradle which saved 100 female infants

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    Gaurav Sharm reports on a cradle at Udaipur, in Indian state of Rajasthan, which saved over 100 female infants  Nearly three years ago, Radha, an infant then, was found lying in thorny bushes in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district. The palm-sized girl child was badly bruised and almost dead. Today, Radha is a chirpy curly-haired girl with…

  • CURRENCY CORNER- Indian Equity Bulls

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    Indian equity bulls shouldn’t anticipate further crude price decline … reports Vatsal Srivastava  Oil is in a bear market. Over the past few months, both major crude benchmarks – Brent and Western Texas Intermediate (WTI) – have corrected by over 25-30 percent from their 2014 peak. Interestingly, and as it often happens in the financial markets,…

  • Rampal’s expansion plans go bust

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    By Jaideep Sarin   Just before his run-in with the law that landed him behind bars with serious charges such as murder, sedition and other cases slapped on him, self-styled godman Rampal had embarked on well-thought plans for expansion of his sect. Police and district authorities are now probing the sources of funding of the controversial…

  • Sabarimala festival season begins

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      Five days after the famed Sabarimala temple opened this season, collections recorded have gone up by 22 percent as compared with the same period last year, according to temple authorities. It was last Monday that the temple doors opened to the pilgrims for the two-month-long Sabarimala festival season. Last season during the first five…

  • Sachin refuses to comment on Mudgal Report

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    Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar refused to comment on Justice Mudgal Commitee’s report on the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal. Tendulkar, a Rajya Sabha member, said here that the Supreme Court will look into the case, and it was not wise for him to make a comment. “The honorable Supreme Court…

  • Pannerselvam write to Modi on fishermen

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    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct the external affairs ministry to secure the release of 38 Indian fishermen from Sri Lankan jails. “May I request you to instruct the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter immediately and ensure the prompt release of the 38 fishermen,…

  • Murli Deora 1937-2014

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    Veteran Congress leader and former union minister Murli Deora died here  following a brief illness. He was 77. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a leader with a “warm nature”. Murli Deora died around 3.30 a.m., said Congress leader Sachin Sawant. He is survived by his wife and two sons, including former union minister…

  • India does not rule out Sharif meet

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    India  did not rule out a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit, saying that Modi is keen to have meaningful dialogues with as many south Asian leaders as possible. India also said that there was already a framework between the two…

  • Modi hopes for productive winter session

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi  expressed confidence that the winter session of parliament beginning  will be as productive as the budget session. Addressing an all-party meeting convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minster M.Venkaiah Naidu here, he said his government will continue to talk to the opposition and other parties during the session. Modi also his referred to…

  • House for sale to make films – Kerala style

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    They were known for selling houses to buy visas to get a job in the Middle East. Now the Keralites are selling their precious assets to make movies Over 100 Malayalam films are made every year, but it is not a cash rich industry. The new producers of Kerala often sell property or borrow money…

  • Rajnath, Parrikar sing different tunes on Chinese troops

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    By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar   Repeated incursion by the Chinese troops into Indian territory have elicited divergent, at times almost contradictory, opinions from key cabinet ministers. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing a rally in Leh in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir , said the breach of the border did not augur well for cordial relations between the Asian…

  • Modi magic working on the economy?

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    By Arvind Padmanabhan  An area that evoked much expectation from the people when the Narendra Modi-led majority government took the reins over six months ago was economic revival, as it was seen as spurring growth, creating jobs, stabilizing prices and boosting incomes. India was faltering on all the four counts. As we take stock of…

  • Kerala Catholics overjoyed over sainthood

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    Kerala’s Catholic community was overjoyed and held special prayers as the Pope will elevate two Keralite religious leaders as saints at a special service in the Vatican Sunday. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, popularly known as Chavara Achen, and Sister Euphrasia, popularly known as Evuprasiamma, were in April this year cleared by the Pope for sainthood. Catholic…

  • China holds the key for regional peace

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    India’s ambivalence on China can derail regional groupings… writes Subir Bhaumik   A senior diplomat recently told a seminar in Kolkata that India joins too many regional groupings, some of them overlapping, and then not doing anything worthwhile to carry forward their intended agendas. The message from this former ambassador to three countries was clear: Only when…

  • ANALYSIS: 6 months of Modi Rule

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    Right noises on economy, time for action…says Arvind Padmanabhan by analysing the  six months of Modi rule An area that evoked much expectation from the people when the Narendra Modi-led majority government took the reins over six months ago was economic revival, as it was seen as spurring growth, creating jobs, stabilizing prices and boosting incomes.…

  • NASA’s flying saucer among the best

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    NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), a spacecraft that aims to facilitate the safe landing of future Mars missions, has earned a place in the the Popular Science magazine’s “Best Of What’s New” list. The NASA project, also known as the “flying saucer”, won the award in the aerospace category. “Landing safely on an alien planet…

  • Nisha Biswal headed to India

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      US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal is heading to India  ahead of President Barack Obama’s January visit to join India’s Republic Day parade as chief guest. The State Department announcement of Biswal’s trip to India “for internal consultations and bilateral meetings” came shortly after the White House announced Obama’s…

  • Modi calls to end dynastic rule in J&K

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday exhorted people in this Jammu and Kashmir town to unshackle themselves from the yoke of dynastic rule and promised to make the state the “ultimate tourist destination in the world”. Modi said that Jammu and Kashmir had been held hostage by two families for over 50 years — without naming…

  • Indian techies lose out on Obama immigration plan

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    As President Barack Obama campaigned to sell his immigration plan to shield up to five million people from deportation and retain high-skilled immigrants, largely from India and China, analysts called it a mixed bag. Obama’s plan, according to the White House, “focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration at the border; deporting felons, not families;…

  • Obama accepts Modi invite for republic day

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      Signifying a renewal of the India-US strategic partnership, President Barack Obama has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to join India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest in January. “This visit will mark the first time a US president will have the honour of attending Republic Day, which commemorates the adoption of India’s constitution,”…

  • Obama awards science medal to NRI scientist

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    By Arun Kumar  US President Barack Obama awarded the National Medal of Science to Indian American scientist Thomas Kailath for his transformative contribution to science and technology. Kerala-born Stanford University Professor Kailath, 79, received the medal along with 18 of America’s top thinkers, discoverers, and innovators at a ceremony in the East Room of the…

  • INS Vikrant fades into history

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    By Quaid Najmi  India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which was built for the British Royal Navy as HMS Hercules in 1943 and which saw action during the India-Pakistan war in 1971, is being finally broken up after a glorious history of 71 years. The HMS Hercules, a Majestic-class light fleet aircraft carrier, was built…

  • Modi invites Obama to the 2015 R-Day

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    In a major sign of deepening India-US ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited US President Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Jan 26, 2015 Republic Day parade. “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest,”…

  • PROMO- Telugu movie Dega

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    Dega is a 2014 bilingual thriller film produced and directed by Kumar Taurani. The film stars Taurani’s son Sujiv and Erica Fernandes in the lead roles, while Pragya Jaiswal, Sai Vishal and Manobala appear in other pivotal roles

  • Dawood,Taliban funded Mulayam birthday bash

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    Senior Uttar Pradesh minister and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, known for his controversial comments, has just made a significant addition to his collection. Faced with criticism over the extravagant celebrations Mr Khan has organised in his home town Rampur for his party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the minister said, “Taliban ne diya, Dawood ne…