Page 11 - President

Modi govt's arrogance has destroyed parliamentary system: Congress

The Congress on Thursday stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, saying "one man's ego and desire for self-promotion" has denied the first tribal woman president her constitutional privilege to inaugurate the complex. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the "arrogance" of the Modi government has "destroyed" the parliamentary system. "Mr Modi, Parliament is the temple of democracy established by the people. The office of the President is the first part of Parliament. The arrogance of your government has destroyed the parliamentary system," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi. "140 crore Indians want to know what do you want to show by taking away the right of the President of India to inaugurate the Parliament House?" the Congress chief said. The All India Adivasi Congress too accused the Modi government of "insulting" tribals by not getting Droupadi Murmu, the country's first tribal president, to ...

Need to preserve cultural identity of Scheduled Tribe: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a three-day visit to Jharkhand, on Thursday said there is a need to preserve the cultural identity of the Scheduled Tribe community. The tribal society presents ideal examples in many fields, and "one of these is the non-prevalence of the dowry system", she said. Murmu urged tribal women to come forward and reap the benefits of government schemes. "Come forward and take the benefits of government schemes which are run for your welfare. Tribal women of Jharkhand are ahead of those in other states when it comes to women empowerment," Murmu said, while addressing self-help groups at an event in Khunti. The President stressed on the need for preserving the distinct cultural identity of tribals and said their society is "free of evil practices such as dowry". "There is a need to preserve the cultural identity of the Scheduled Tribe community," Murmu said. She pointed out that many people in society, even the well-educated ones, have not been able to

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates new Jharkhand High Court building

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday inaugurated the new building of the Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi, built at a cost of about Rs 550 crore. The 165-acre compound of the new high court is one of the largest in the country in terms of area. Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, Chief Minister Hemant Soren and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. The new High Court building has 25 air-conditioned courtrooms and two halls for lawyers with a sitting capacity of 1,200 people each, along with 540 chambers, an official said.

President delivers speech in darkness, BJP seeks Odisha CM's apology

Lights went off as President Droupadi Murmu addressed the convocation of a university in her home district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha on Saturday, leading to a political row in the state. Murmu was addressing the 12th convocation of the Maharaja Shri Ramchandra Bhanjadeo University. Four minutes into the speech, lights went off due to a power snag, plunging the venue into darkness. Murmu continued her speech in the darkness, which lasted for nine minutes from 11.56 am to 12.05 pm before the power supply was restored. Terming it a major security lapse, state BJP president Manmohan Samal demanded an apology from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "It is a shame for the entire state. Though the state government claims that Odisha is a power-surplus state, it cannot provide lights at the place where the country's first citizen is present. We demand an apology from the chief minister," he said. BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said an inquiry would be done to find the persons responsible

President Murmu to embark on a 3-day visit to Odisha's Mayurbhanj district

President Droupadi Murmu will visit Odisha's Mayurbhanj district from May 4 to 6, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Wednesday. The President will lay the foundation stone for the Skill Training Hub and Community Centre at Pahadpur on Thursday. Subsequently, she will visit Brahma Kumaris Centre, Hatbadra to launch the Addiction Free Odisha' campaign of the centre, the statement said. On the same evening, President Murmu will attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honour by the Rairangpur Municipality at Rairangpur Stadium, it said. On May 5, the President will pay her tributes to Pt Raghunath Murmu on his birth anniversary. Later, she will visit Similipal Sanctuary. The President will grace the 12th convocation of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University at Baripada on May 6, the statement added.

President Droupadi Murmu to visit Haryana's Karnal, Hisar on Monday

President Droupadi Murmu will visit Karnal and Hisar in Haryana on Monday, an official statement said on Sunday. At Karnal, the president will grace the 19th convocation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research National Dairy Research Institute. While at Hisar, she will grace the 25th convocation of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, said the statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President declares Rashtrapati Niwas in Shimla open for general public

Amid a heavy hailstorm, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday officially declared the Rashtrapati Niwas here open for the general public, and said people will be allowed to visit from April 23. Murmu announced this during the 'At Home' ceremony hosted by her at the 173-year-old heritage building located at Chhabra in Mashobra block of Shimla district. Key attractions for tourists include the main building, official dining halls and artifacts. Other highlights include nature trails and the orchards at the Rashtrapati Niwas. People will be able to visit the retreat by paying a nominal fee Rs 50 per person for Indian nationals and Rs 250 per person for foreign nationals, officials said. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and cabinet colleagues, MLAs, senior civil and police officers of the state, senior military officers and other prominent people of the town attended the 'At Home' function. Earlier in the day, the President visited th

Competition law amendment bill gets President Droupadi Murmu's assent

President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the bill to amend the competition law and the changes seek to ensure regulatory certainty and foster a trust-based business environment. The bill to amend the Competition Act was cleared by Parliament on April 3, nearly eight months after its introduction in Lok Sabha, which gave its nod on March 29. The bill was also referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, which tabled its report in Parliament on December 13 last year. Rajya Sabha approved the bill on April 3. Both Houses passed the legislation without any discussion. "Hon'ble President of India has given assent to the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, an act further to amend the Competition Act, 2002," CCI said in a tweet on Wednesday. Separately, in a series of tweets, Competition Commission of India (CCI) Acting Chairperson Sangeeta Verma said the updated legislation ensures regulatory certainty and fosters a trust-based business environment. "The updated law .

TN adopts resolution urging Centre to fix timeline for Guv to approve bills

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution to urge the Centre and the President to fix a timeframe for State Governors to approve Bills adopted by the respective Houses. The bill, moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin and adopted by the House also sought the President and the Centre to 'advise' Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi to give his assent to the Bills passed by the state Assembly in a time-bound manner. The government's move came in the wake of bills including the ones seeking exemption to Tamil Nadu from the NEET ambit and banning online gambling pending with the Raj Bhavan for the Governor's assent. While moving the Bill, Stalin launched a tirade against the Governor, saying Ravi was not approving certain bills due to his "whims and fancies." He also charged Ravi with converting the Raj Bhavan into a "political Bhavan" and accused him of being against the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. The resolution "regretfully" recorded that by keeping the Bills pending, the

President Droupadi Murmu takes maiden sortie on Su-30 fighter jet

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday took a sortie on a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, officials said. The President, currently on a visit to Assam, is the Supreme Commander of the three services. The Sukhoi-30 MKI is a twin-seater multirole fighter jet developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Jewish people will always be part of India's composite society: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the Jewish communities in India have maintained and enriched their unique heritage and traditions and will always be an integral part of the country's composite society. Welcoming a Parliamentary Delegation from Israel led by the Speaker of Knesset Amir Ohana, who had called on her, the president said over the last 30 years, the diplomatic relations between the two countries have grown into a multi-dimensional strategic partnership. Murmu noted that throughout their long history, the Jewish communities in India have maintained and enriched their unique heritage and traditions, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. She said the Jewish people have been and will always be an integral part of India's composite society. The president said in India, Israel is well known as a key source of expertise in advanced agriculture and water technologies. "Our collaboration in research and innovation has also boosted the Make in India' initiati

Prez Murmu to launch festival in Assam to mark 30 years of Project Elephant

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate a two-day "Gaj Utsav" on April 7 in Assam's Kaziranga National Park to commemorate the successful completion of 30 years of Project Elephant and to give more impetus to conservation efforts, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday. India launched Project Elephant in 1991-92 as a centrally-sponsored scheme to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors, prevent human-elephant conflict and to ensure the welfare of captive elephants in India. "The government has decided to celebrate 'Gaj Utsav' at Kaziranga National Park on April 7-8 to commemorate 30 years of Project Elephant. President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate it on April 7," Choubey told reporters here. A first-of-its-kind event, the festival will see the participation of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, forest ministers of all elephant range states, principal conservators of forests, chief wildlife wardens, representatives

President Droupadi Murmu speaks to Nepal counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday spoke to her Nepalese counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the top office. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both presidents noted the unique and multifaceted bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries. President Murmu, who is presently on tour in Kerala, called up Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the office of the President of Nepal, the MEA said. "Both Presidents noted the unique and multifaceted relations between India and Nepal. They also discussed ways to further advance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries," the MEA said. "The President expressed confidence that under the guidance of President Paudel, India-Nepal bilateral relations would reach even greater heights," it said. Paudel took the oath of office and secrecy as Nepal's third president on Mar

Australian govt will provide safe environment to Indian people: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed confidence that the Australian government would take all necessary steps to provide a safe and positive environment to the Indian community there. The president's remarks during an interaction with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came following reports of attacks on temples in Australia over the past few weeks. Welcoming Albanese and his delegation to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu said, "The Indian community in Australia is known for being hardworking and peace-loving, with entrepreneurial skills." She expressed confidence that the Australian government would take all necessary steps to provide a safe, secure and positive environment to the Indian community in Australia," according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The president said India and Australia enjoy a very friendly relationship. "The comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has given a boost to the bilateral engagements,

Revival of traditional methods of water management need of hour: Prez

Stressing on the need for water conservation and management, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday called for revival of traditional methods along with using modern techniques for sustainable water supply. The president was addressing an event where she presented the 'Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023' and witnessed the launch of 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain-2023'. Water and sanitation hold a special place in the life of every citizen but these issues affect women the most, as generally, it is the responsibility of women to arrange drinking water for their homes in rural areas, she said. In villages, they had to walk long distances to get drinking water and arranging for drinking water not only took a lot of their time but also put their safety and health at risk, Murmu said. Usually, school and college going girls were also engaged in arranging water along with their elders, which hindered their studies, the president noted. To overcome these problems, the government has take

Prez Murmu to inaugurate international 'Dharma-Dhamma' conference on Friday

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, an official said. The three-day conference, under the theme 'Eastern Humanism for the New Era' has been organised by India Foundation in collaboration with Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, and aims to bring together religious, political and thought leaders from Dharma-Dhamma traditions to ponder over building a philosophical framework for the emerging new world order. The conference will have 45 speakers in the inaugural session, a ministers' session, keynote session and five plenary sessions to debate and discuss various subthemes, along with 115 paper presentations by experts from India and abroad in 15 session, he said. "Fifteen countries will be participating in the conference. Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state culture minister Usha Thakur and Vice Chancellor of Sanchi University of ...

CPV's Politburo member Vo Van Thuong elected as Vietnam's new President

He has an M.A. in Philosophy and an advanced degree in political theory from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

South Korean President Yoon's approval rating rises to 40.4% after 6 weeks

In the poll of 2,504 adults conducted by Realmeter from February 13-17, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance rose 3.5 percentage points from a week earlier to 40.4 per cent

Former judge Shahabuddin Chuppu elected Bangladesh's 22nd President

Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu, a former judge and freedom fighter will be Bangladesh's new President, the Chief Election Commission has announced. Chuppu, 74, was elected unopposed on Monday and will replace President Mohammad Abdul Hamid. The Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal declared Chuppu, Awami League Advisory Council member and the party's nominee, the President-elect of Bangladesh unopposed after scrutinising his nomination papers submitted on Sunday. He became President by default as there was no rival candidate. A gazette was issued on Monday on the appointment of the new Bangladesh President by the Chief Election Commissioner. Chuppu will be the 22nd President of Bangladesh. The tenure of incumbent Hamid, the longest-serving president of Bangladesh, will end on April 23, and according to the Constitution, he cannot hold a third term. Senior Awami League leader and seven-time lawmaker Hamid were elected Bangladesh president in the last two elections. He was sw

Shahabuddin Chuppu elected unopposed as Bangladesh's 22nd President

Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu, a former judge and freedom fighter was elected unopposed as the country's 22nd President, the Chief Election Commission said on Monday. Chuppu, 74, will replace President Mohammad Abdul Hamid. The Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal declared Chuppu, Awami League Advisory Council member and the party's nominee, the President-elect of Bangladesh unopposed after scrutinising his nomination papers submitted on Sunday, according to news agency UNB. A gazette was issued on Monday on the appointment of the new Bangladesh President by the Chief Election Commissioner, the report said. The tenure of incumbent Hamid, the longest-serving president of Bangladesh, will end on April 23, and according to the Constitution, he cannot hold a third term. Senior Awami League leader and seven-time lawmaker Hamid was elected Bangladesh president in the last two elections. He was sworn in for his second term on April 24, 2018. Hamid greeted the newly elected presi