At a recent international conference organised by the Assilah Forum Foundation in the eponymous picture postcard-pretty town in northern Morocco, speakers highlighted the importance of India as a key player in the American “rebalance” in the Asia-Pacific, especially with the worrying rise of China, politically, militarily and economically. At a lecture in New Delhi to […]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the nation even as an overcast sky threatened to open up and play spoilsport. However, the rain held up long enough to allow the event to get over, but Delhi was swamped with steady showers later. No Swacch Bharat here In what could be seen as contradictory to […]
Nearly 100 children fell ill on Saturday after consuming sweets distributed by a village head in Bihar’s Darbhanga district to celebrate Independence Day, police said. The incident took place in Ranipur village in Darbhanga, about 200 km from here. “The village mukhiya distributed sweets to mark Independence Day. But soon after consuming it, many children […]
Of the many freedom fighters who liberated India from the 200-year-long British rule, one was Gour Hari Das, whose struggle didn’t end even after independence. He says his 32 years of struggle to prove his status as a freedom fighter, “speaks for the fault line in our governance” where because of misuse of political power, […]
New Delhi, Aug 15 As Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his second Independence Day speech, IndiaSpend and FactChecker reviewed the implementation of key pronouncements he made in his first Independence Day speech on August 15, 2014: 1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana – More than 174 million bank accounts opened; 46 percent have no money […]
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Saturday launched its blog to mark India’s 69th Independence Day and ensure “qualitative flow of information”. The blog, https://pibindia.wordpress.com/, currently has articles by various union ministers such as Minister of Rural Development Birender Singh and Minister of State for Environment and Forest Prakash Javadekar. It also has posts from […]
There was no eye-catching bright colourful flowing turban this year, that had made as much an impact as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech last year. Modi, whose sartorial preferences have been much written about, chose a subdued creamish-yellow turban this year, matching with his simple cream coloured churidaar-kurta and jacket. Matching his dress […]
As the country celebrated Independence Day on Saturday, the historic Assam Accord, signed on this very day 30 years ago to detect and deport illegal immigrants in the northeastern state, has returned into focus. Though the accord was signed to end a six-year-long mass movement demanding detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, mostly from Bangladesh, […]
There was no exchange of sweets between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers at the international border here on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day on Friday. With tensions between India and Pakistan over recent terror attacks in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, officials of BSF and Pakistan Rangers didn’t follow the tradition […]
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday expressed his country’s desire to have tension-free relations with India. Addressing a flag hoisting ceremony to mark the Independence Day celebrations here, Hussain regretted what he said were “acts of aggression” by India. He said Pakistan desired peaceful coexistence with India and all other neighbouring countries but any “threat […]