Page 2 - Politics

India must put policy first, politics later to realise its AI Ambition

The country must institutionalise the technology with the sobriety that once anchored Aadhaar and implementation of GST

Not loyalty to party, but love for country must guide choice: Oppn VP pick

In a fervent appeal to MPs ahead of the vice presidential polls, Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy on Sunday exhorted them to not let party loyalty guide their choice and asserted that by entrusting him with this office, they would be ensuring that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy. In a video message, Reddy told the MPs that he seeks their support not for himself but for the "values that define us as a sovereign democratic republic". In this election, there is no party whip, and the ballot is secret. It is not loyalty to any political party, but love for the country that must guide your choice. Each one of you carry the moral responsibility to preserve the conscience, the soul of our beloved nation, Reddy said in his over 12-minute-long video message for members of Parliament. By entrusting me with this office, you will be choosing to defend parliamentary traditions, to restore dignity to debate, and to ensure that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of

If PM Narendra Modi can plan Bihar tour, why not visit flood-hit Punjab?

Punjab reels from floods as political fault lines deepen - Sikh leadership rifts, BJP's Punjab strategy, and separatist propaganda fuel alienation

'One who fools people well can be the best leader,' quips Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that politics often rewards those who can fool people, while stressing honesty and values in life

Have debt, but spending on capital creation: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

We have a debt but we are spending on capital creation, not revenue expenditure, said Goa CM Pramod Sawant

Anand Sharma resigns as chairman of Congress's foreign affairs department

Veteran Congress leader Anand Sharma resigned as the chairman of the party's foreign affairs department on Sunday to help in its reconstitution and enable bringing in younger leaders. The former Union minister led the department for around a decade as the National Committee of Department of Foreign Affairs was last constituted in 2018. "As I have conveyed earlier both to CP and Chairperson CPP, in my considered view, the committee needs to be reconstituted to bring in younger leaders of potential and promise. That will ensure continuity in its functioning. "Expressing my gratitude to the party leadership for having entrusted me with this responsibility, I am submitting my resignation as Chairman DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to facilitate its reconstitution," Sharma said in his resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Sharma, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body in the party, has been the Congress's .

Historian and former BS columnist Rajat Kanta Ray passes away in Kolkata

He taught in Presidency College for more than 30 years and in 2005 then governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi went to the college to attend his class

Amit Shah now longest-serving HM; PM Modi says it is just the start

"It is just the beginning," the PM said, adding that there is a long way to go for Shah, which led some MPs to speculate the implications of Modi's statement

Could a Chandra Shekhar acolyte become India's next Vice President?

If elevated as Vice-President on September 9, Harivansh's career - shaped by his idol, former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar - will acquire a new trajectory

World understands power, India needs to be strong and wealthy: RSS chief

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that the world understands power and therefore, India has to become strong and also wealthy from an economic point of view. Bhagwat said that India no longer has to be the "golden bird" and it was time for it to become "a lion". "It is necessary because the world understands power. So Bharat should become strong. It also has to become wealthy from an economic perspective," he said, while speaking at the national education conference, 'Gyan Sabha', organised by the RSS-linked Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas here. Bhagwat also said that Bharat, a proper noun, should not be translated as its identity is respected "because it is Bharat". "Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India is Bharat'. That is true. But Bharat is Bharat. That is why, while talking, writing and speaking, be it personal or public, we should keep Bharat as Bharat. "Bharat must remain Bharat. The identity of Bharat is respected because it is Bharat. If you lose

Don't know the actual reason behind Dhankhar's resignation: Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says he has no information about Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation and urges the former Vice-President to explain the reason

Rajya Sabha secy general is returning officer for vice presidential poll

In a step forward towards holding the election to appoint the 17th vice president of India, the Election Commission on Friday appointed Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody as the returning officer for the poll. The election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation as vice president on Monday evening, citing health issues. His term was to end on August 10, 2027. In a statement, the Election Commission (EC) said that in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice and with the consent of the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, it has appointed Mody as the returning officer for the vice presidential election, 2025. The EC has also appointed Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and Vijay Kumar, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as assistant returning officers during the course of the election. The poll authority, in consultation with the central government, appoints a returning officer, who will have his or her office in the national capital

Kerala's veteran communist leader V S Achuthanandan dies at 101

V S Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and senior CPI(M) leader, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram at 101. Known for his commitment to social justice, he left a lasting impact on Kerala politics

Income of unrecognised political parties jumps 223% in FY23: ADR report

The declared incomes of registered unrecognised political parties witnessed a 223 per cent spike in 2022-23 and more than 73 per cent of these parties failed to publicly disclose their financial records, according to poll rights body the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Its report analysed the status of submission of annual reports of a total of 739 (26.74 per cent) registered unrecognised parties across 22 states in India, whose either audit or contribution reports were available on the websites of respective state CEOs for the 2022-23 financial year. The analysis showed that both annual audit and contribution reports of a significant 73.26 per cent or 2025 of the total registered unrecognised parties are not available in the public domain for FY 2022-23. The maximum number of registered unrecognised parties, whose statements are available are in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Delhi and Bihar, given that these states have the highest number of registered unrecognised political

'India's Deng Xiaoping': Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu on Rao's reforms

The Andhra CM is on a two-day visit to the national capital, where he is scheduled to meet PM Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and others

BJP set to reach century mark in Rajya Sabha with latest nominations | Ujjwal Nikam

The BJP is just one step away from achieving a rare milestone - 100 seats in the Rajya Sabha.

Congress to hold strategy meet on July 15 for upcoming Parliament session

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of top party leaders on July 15 to finalise strategy for the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, which is expected to be stormy with the opposition raring to raise several issues like EC's special intensive revision in Bihar and Operation Sindoor. Sources said the Parliamentary strategy group meeting would be attended by the Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, besides the deputy leaders in both houses and the chief whips and whips of the party. The meeting will be chaired by Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence and will also be attended by some senior leaders who are part of the strategy group. The government has announced that the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 21 and continue till August 21, a week longer than planned earlier, signalling a heavy legislative agenda. The sources said the Congress is likely to take up the issues

Trump-Musk feud: Elon should stay out of politics, says Bessent

Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the "America Party" in response to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country

Thailand court suspends Prime Minister Shinawatra over leaked phone call

Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an investigation over a leaked phone call with a former Cambodian leader. The judges voted unanimously Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her from duty. Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests. Paetongtarn said Monday she would accept and follow the court process although she didn't want to see her work interrupted. If you ask me whether I'm worried, I am, she told reporters. Earlier Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Paetongtarn's coalition government over the leaked phone call. The ...

Will fight tooth and nail if any word is touched in Constitution: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said that the party will fight tooth and nail if any word is touched in the Constitution. He was reacting to RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble. Speaking to reporters at his house in Bengaluru, Kharge called Hosabale "a man of Manusmriti". "He doesn't want the poor class people to come up. And what was practiced thousands of years ago, he wants the same to continue. That's why he doesn't like socialism, secularism and liberty, equality and fraternity," the Congress president said. According to Kharge, this is not only Hosabale's line, but that of RSS' line. Hosabale, while addressing an event on the Emergency recently, said that "the preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words." "During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, and judiciary became lame, then these words were added." The