Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • Modi promise a new direction

    —

    in ,

    With the setting sun forming a magnificent backdrop, India got a new prime minister Monday as Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi, 63, took oath Monday in a 90-minute, open-air, business-like ceremony in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, attended by leaders of eight neighbouring countries. Among the 4,000-strong guests at the epochal event were the…

  • A Pretty Good Show

    —

    in ,

    Bikram Vohra looks into the Modi swearing-in ceremony They came, they saw and he conquered. There was nothing really to complain about at the ceremonials that led to the oath taking of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India. Great visuals, splendid atmosphere, mostly the right people, efficient and with just the right touch of…

  • Modi’s Cabinet Taking Oath

    —

    in , ,

    Along with Modi, a 45-strong council of ministers that included 23 of the cabinet took oath. There were seven women in the ministry, including six in the cabinet.  Prominent ministers were BJP president Rajnath Singh, the first among ministers to take oath, Sushma Swaraj, the former Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Arun…

  • Historic Day in Delhi

    —

    in , ,

    With the setting sun forming a magnificent backdrop, India got a new prime minister on Monday as Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi, 63, took oath Monday in a 90-minute, open-air, business-like ceremony in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, attended by leaders of eight neighbouring countries. Among the 4,000-strong guests at the epochal event were the…

  • Modi Swearing-in Ceremony – Pictorial

    —

    in , , , , , , ,

  • Modi ignores protest over Rajapaksa

    —

    in , , ,

    Delhi-based journalist M.R. Narayan Swamy looks in to the first rift in the BJP coalition. Asian Lite, top newspaper for NRIs and Indian diaspora, will carry regular features on the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka  Narendra Modi deserves praise for not acting like Manmohan Singh vis-à-vis Sri Lanka. Under pressure from Tamil Nadu, Manmohan Singh, the…

  • Modi era begins in Delhi

    —

    in , , , ,

    Narendra Modi, India’s 14th prime minister, took oath on Monday at a ceremony held in the open at Rashtrapati Bhavan and attended by the Who’s Who of the nation – including political leaders, business honchos, celebrities and leaders of religious faiths – as well as leaders of neighbouring countries. The oath of office and secrecy…

  • MURDER OF THE ENGLISH TONGUE

    —

    in , , ,

    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra looks in to the gimmicks of politicians to get attention I have no problem with Sushma Swaraj being India’s Foreign Minister and not speaking English. No big deal. And if Mr Modi wants to speak only Hindi and Gujarati go for it, mate, English does not make a difference to…

  • SAARC leaders arrive in Delhi

    —

    in ,

    Leaders of neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, arrived in the capital Monday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi here later in the evening. Among the dignitaries who arrived are Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Nepal…

  • A-Team of 45 for Modi?

    —

    in ,

    Narendra Modi was Monday set to take oath of office as India’s 14th prime Minister along with some 45 ministers, including key leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, sources said, adding the list has been dispatched to Rashtrapati Bhavan. The sources said around 25 of these ministers were slated for cabinet…

  • Bohra Event in Mumbai

    —

    in , ,

    Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin conducts the 76th Annual Examination of the Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah – 200 year-old educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra community at Saifee Masjid in Mumbai

  • BNP ousted from EU

    —

    in , , , , , ,

    As the Manchester results were announced, Asian Lite can confirm the racist British Nationalist Party and its chief Nick Griffin will be ousted from the European Parliament. The North West region of England elected 8 MEPs including Afzal Khan, the former Lord Mayor of Manchester. Along with him two Labour, two Conservative and three UKIP…

  • Modi will make history on Monday

    —

    in ,

    It would be history in the making, in more senses than one. A man who once helped his family make ends meet by vending tea at a railway station in between his classes, and who once wandered around the country to find his spiritual moorings, will take his oath as India’s 14th prime minister Monday…

  • AAP to think small

    —

    in ,

    Stung by its rout in the general election, where it won only four out of 440 Lok Sabha seats it contested, all of them from Punjab, the AAP is now back to thinking small and may not contest assembly elections in Haryana scheduled for this October. Some of its leaders feel the party needs to…

  • Modi oath the biggest in history

    —

    in ,

     Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony Monday will be one of the biggest such events held at Rashtrapati Bhavan with around 4,000 guests, including seven heads of government, attending. Rashtrapati Bhavan has held ceremonies attended by 1,400-1,500 guests earlier. Modi’s swearing-in ceremony will be an open air event at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. A…

  • A compact cabinet for Modi?

    —

    in ,

    A small and compact cabinet under Narendra Modi is set to be sworn in Monday, with BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, and Sushma Swaraj likely to get the top posts, according to party sources. The cabinet is expected to be compact, and restructuring is expected in the government with some ministries likely to be…

  • Stage set for Modi Ceremony

    —

    in , ,

    Asian Lite, the best newspaper for NRIs and Indian abroad, will regualrly update the scenario in Delhi tomorrow  Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi will visit Rajghat on Monday morning to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi ahead of his swearing-in as the 14th prime minister of India. The BJP leader will visit Rajghat at 7.30 a.m. to…

  • Modi journey – Single room to 7 Race Course

    —

    in , ,

    Asian Lite, the best newspaper for NRIs and the Indian diaspora,  looks into Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s journey from a single room at 9 Ashoka Road to 7 Race Course Road  From an outhouse of an MP’s bungalow adjoning the BJP headquarters at 11 Ashoka Road to 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the…

  • Service sector needs overhauling

    —

    in , ,

    Amit Chaudhery looks into India’s service industry and says it must strive for excellence Emerging amid liberalisation and increasing integration with the global economy, India’s service industry offers tremendous potential but also poses daunting challenges. Underdeveloped infrastructure, archaic policies, historical baggage of complex cultural mores and inadequate exposure to services standards are challenges that remain…

  • Pakistan frees 59 Indians

    —

    in ,

    Pakistan on Sunday released 59 Indian prisoners as a goodwill gesture ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi, officials said. The Indian prisoners, mostly fishermen, were freed from a jail in the port city of Karachi. They will be handed over…

  • India and good governance

    —

    in , , ,

    Delhi-based journalist Vishnu Makhijani looks into the changes in governance in India in his column Soliloquy – Of democracy and democratic governance for Asian Lite, the best newspaper for NRIs and Indian diaspora  In the 1970s, Vasant Sathe, the information and broadcasting minister, stirred a political storm by suggesting that India needed a presidential form of government.…

  • Can probe cleanse cricket?

    —

    in , , , ,

    Delhi-based Veturi Srivatsa looks into the recent scams and controversies erupted in Indian cricket for Asian Lite, top Asian newspaper for the Indian diaspora Probing betting, match and spot-fixing in cricket is turning out to be a mirage like bringing back black money stashed abroad. The Supreme Court has asked the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee to…

  • NEWS N PICS

    —

    in , , , , , , ,

  • Guru Amar Das Jayanthi

    —

    in , , , ,

     Children participate in a religious procession organised on the birth anniversary of Guru Amar Das  in Amritsar

  • Remains of the day – Afghanistan

    —

    in , , ,

    Smoke is seen coming from the building occupied by attackers in Herat, Afghanistan. At least four gunmen were killed while two policemen were wounded in an attack against Indian consulate in western Afghan city of Herat on Friday  

  • Rashtrapati Bhavan becomes a fortress

    —

    in

    An ‘impregnable’ air defence system in the sky and about 6,000 security personnel, from paramilitary commandos to police sharpshooters, on the ground will be deployed to guard heads of state and government who will be present at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, Monday evening to attend the open air oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi as…

  • Kedarnath Yatra hit by landslides

    —

    in

    The Kedarnath Yatra in Uttarakhand was halted Saturday after landslides in Rudraprayag blocked the route that leads to the pilgrimage site, officials said. The landslides, triggered by incessant rain, blocked the Tilwada-Guptkashi route. No one was injured but the state government halted the trip owing to the inclement weather conditions in the area. “Any further…

  • India’s Muslims welcome Modi’s gesture

    —

    in ,

    India’s Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s gesture of inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony has raised hopes of a long-lasting peace between the arch rivals among Muslims of this country. In direct contrast to his election pitch – where he spoke of a toughened stand against Pakistan – Narendra Modi, by this…

  • Goa Facebooker’s arrest snowballs

    —

    in , ,

    Goa Police’s attempt to arrest a Facebooker for making anti-Narendra Modi comment is snowballing into a major controversy here. Civil society activists have now jumped into the fray claiming that such heightened police interest in a Facebook post is draconian. A protest will be held Saturday outside the police headquarters in Panaji. Chodankar was booked…

  • Sharif to attend Modi ceremony

    —

    in ,

    Nawaz Sharif to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday confirmed that he would attend the oath taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi to be held Monday, a media report said. Officials said that Sharif took the decision after a series of consultations with his close aides, Dawn online…

  • UAE Exchange To Buy Travelex

    —

    in , , ,

    Dubai-based UAE Exchanges to buy Travelex for an undisclosed sum. But industry pundits said it will be around one billion pounds.   Apax is to sell its majority stake in foreign exchange operator Travelex to Dr B R Shetty, the owner of UAE Exchange; and Abu Dhabi firm Centurion Investments, newspapers reported. Apax had previously been…

  • Cleanliness Next to Godliness

    —

    in , ,

    Robinder Sachdev, president of Imagindia Institute, and chairman of the Come, Clean India campaign , says  Modi’s vision bodes well for a clean India. Asian Lite, the best NRI newspaper, will carry more from Clean India campaign regularly. Keep reading..   I run a think tank where we focus on the image and imagination of India and,…

  • US to cement ties with India

    —

    in , , , ,

    Asian Lite, the best newspaper for NRI news, looks into Indo-US relations.  Did US put all its eggs in one basket by denying visa to Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister over the Gujarat riots? Denying that it had failed to reach out to the Bharatiya Janata Party before the elections, the US has…

  • New Era in India – By Amulya Ganguli

    —

    in , , ,

    Amulya Ganguli looks on Modi’s gestures. His willingness to make a new beginning. Asian Lite, top Asian newspaper for NRIs, will publish comments from Amulya regularly. Please keep watch If the expectations about Narendra Modi are tinged by a sense of mystery and excitement, the reason is not only that he is an outsider to the…

  • 7 Race Course Road awaits Modi

    —

    in

    7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the Prime Minister of India, is getting a fresh coat of paint, while the already manicured lawns are being given a fresh roll and the expansive complex is getting a bright new look with lots of flowers to welcome its new occupant –Narendra Modi. Informed sources told…

  • Missing woman mountaineer ‘reportedly dead’

    —

    in ,

      Nepali authorities Friday said Everester Chhanda Gayen and her two Sherpa guides “have been reportedly killed” even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee planned to head to Nepal Saturday to monitor rescue operations for the missing ace mountaineer, hoping for a “miracle”. The 35-year-old mountaineer went missing Tuesday after an avalanche on the Kanchengjunga…

  • DU’s CIC admission on June 24

    —

    in , ,

    Asian Lite, top Asian newspaper in theUK, reports on DU Cluster Innovation Centre admission begins June 24  The admission procedure to four-year under-graduate programme of Delhi University’s Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) begins June 24, an official said. “The admission process will begin June 24 and end July 24,” Shobha Bagai, professor at CIC, told IANS.…

  • BJP Strategy for Gen Next

    —

    in , ,

    Gyanendra Kumar Keshri says the winning coalition in India – the  BJP-led NDA  pinged 144 million Net users in latest election The IT cell of “Elect Modi Campaign” reached out to as many as 144 million people across India in the latest elections — a formidable bank to tap into to garner vote for the Bharatiya…

  • US ready to engage Modi

    —

    in ,

    With Narendra Modi set to assume office as India’s Prime Minister Monday, the US has expressed keenness to engage a man it had shunned for over a decade, following his “resounding” victory. President Barack Obama was quick to acknowledge the Indian people’s mandate and effectively ended the visa ban on him for his alleged role…

  • Hinduja unveils MetroDecker in London

    —

    in , , ,

    Optare, a subsidiary of Hinduja Group’s Ashok Leyland, the fourth largest bus manufacturer in the world, has launched a new bus called the MetroDecker. The bus was unveiled at the London Transport Museum on 21 May in the presence of several dignitaries. A brief background of Optare which was bought out by Leyland Trucks and…

  • Kejriwal’s stay at Tihar extended

    —

    in

    A court here Friday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal till June 6 in a defamation case. Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody by 14 more days after he refused to furnish a personal bond in the defamation case filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. Kejriwal Wednesday refused…

  • Modi condemns consulate attack

    —

    in

    Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi Friday condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan and spoke to the Indian envoy assuring support to the staff there. “I condemn the attack on our consulate in Herat, Afghanistan. Closely monitoring the situation. I have spoken to the Ambassador as well,” Modi wrote on twitter. Earlier, Modi spoke…

  • US offers defence engineering expertise to India

    —

    in , ,

    The US Army Corps of Engineers has offered India its expertise in fields ranging from water resource management to research and development, environmental issues and construction of facilities for soldiers and civilians. “I think it’s a wonderfully advanced country in many respects, and their engineers are some of the brightest, I think, in the world,”…

  • Indian consulate in Afghanistan attacked

    —

    in , , ,

    The Indian consulate in Herat in Afghanistan was attacked Friday by four heavily armed gunmen who tried to enter the complex. All four attackers were killed, officials said, adding that the consulate staff was safe.The attack began at 3.15 a.m. when the four gunmen tried to break into the consulate, located 600 km from Kabul.…

  • Modi’s wife, mother to get SPG cover

    —

    in , ,

    Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s wife and mother will also get the Special Protection Group (SPG) security soon after he takes oath as India’s 14th prime minister on May 26, security officials said. “Modi’s mother Hiraben and wife Jashodaben will also be provided SPG security. But his three brothers and two sisters will be get Z-category…

  • 58% are first-timers in parliament

    —

    in ,

    Fifty-eight percent of members elected to the Lok Sabha in this general election are first-timers, the highest in the last three decades. A total of 315 parliamentarians out of 543 have been elected for the first time to the Lok Sabha, according to PRS. This is the highest number of first-time members in the Lok…

  • Mosquito bites keeps Kejriwal awake

    —

    in

    Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spent a sleepless Wednesday night in the Tihar Jail, struggling with mosquitoes’ buzz and bite and warm air in the cell, said Tihar sources. A Tihar official said that Kejriwal was seen turning on his sides on a mat inside the 16-by-10 feet separate cell of ward number 14 in…

  • Mulayam dissolves state executive

    —

    in , ,

    Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Thursday dissolved its Uttar Pradesh executive and 15 other wings following the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha election. But Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav remains the president of the state executive. A senior leader said the action had the nod of Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose desire to send maximum…

  • Indian mountaineer caught in avalanche

    —

    in

    The West Bengal government Thursday said bad weather in Nepal had hit the search for ace mountaineer Chhanda Gayen who went missing Tuesday after an avalanche on the Kanchengjung peak. West Bengal Youth Welfare Minister Arupo Biswas said a three-member team had left for Nepal to assist the rescue operation. “The Nepal government had deployed…

  • EU to review mango ban from India

    —

    in , , ,

    The European Union is planning to send an an audit to India in September this year to review the controversy over the quality of Alphonso mango exports from India. Keith Vaz MP, who is campaigning on the issue, spoke to Lord De Mauley, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science, on Wednesday to…