India News

By Lawyers Collective

By IANS

New Delhi : With a dancing Santa Claus, lit-up Christmas trees, and a beautifully made crib in the background with various choir groups, set the mood for the festive season in the majestic Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan Thursday.

The audience, led by President Pratibha Patil, appeared to have enjoyed every note of the 16 Christmas carols sung by eight groups. Although some of the songs were in Mizo, Manipuri and Malayalam languages, the audience visibly absorbed the spirit.

By IANS

New Delhi : France Thursday said that it will support the India-US civil nuclear deal in the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but expressed disappointment over New Delhi's scrapping of a proposed $550 million deal for buying 197 French military helicopters.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner held talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee here and discussed with him a host of bilateral and global issues, including civil nuclear cooperation and strengthening of defence ties between the two countries.

By IANS

New Delhi : At least 15 people sustained injuries Thursday as police allegedly resorted to baton charge to disperse protesting factory workers who had blocked vehicular traffic in Mayapuri area of west Delhi.

The workers, protesting shifting of their garment factory Chelsea to Manesar in Haryana since the beginning of this month, went berserk and destroyed windowpanes of other factories and cars in the area. The group of about 70-80 workers also blocked the traffic for at least 30 minutes.

By IANS

New Delhi : Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Thursday sought to play down his remark that a doctor from Bihar was the sole reason for Britain to derecognise Indian medical degrees, saying he as a doctor would not like to defame any other medical practitioner from another state.

"I am also a doctor. I will be the last person to denigrate or defame any doctor from any state. It is a noble profession and I respect everyone coming from any state - be it Bihar or Uttar Pradesh," he told reporters here.

By IANS

New Delhi : The Indian government Thursday cast its net wide in its hunt for a new head for the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), saying it would welcome foreign applicants as it aims to take the institute to an international level.

Announcing the start of the selection process, Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said, "We are calling for nomination nationally and internationally."

By IANS

New Delhi : International climate change campaigner R.K. Pachauri of India figures on the cover page of 'Nature', and the highly regarded science magazine has named him as its 'Newsmaker of the Year'.

The magazine, published from Britain, in its latest issue said: "Nature is pleased to name Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian engineer and economist, and chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as our inaugural Newsmaker of the Year."

By IANS

New Delhi : International climate change campaigner R.K. Pachauri of India figures on the cover page of 'Nature', and the highly regarded science magazine has named him as its 'Newsmaker of the Year'.

The magazine, published from Britain, in its latest issue said: "Nature is pleased to name Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian engineer and economist, and chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as our inaugural Newsmaker of the Year."

By IANS

Karnal : A class 11th student of a government school in Haryana died after physical education teacher allegedly forced him to run laps as a punishment for coming late to school.

The parents of the 16-year-old Ravinder said that he was a heart patient and died when forced to run by the teacher.

However, the school authorities told the police that the boy had come running to the school assembly as he had got late. "He collapsed immediately after coming to the school. No punishment was given to him," a teacher said.

By IANS

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Thursday granted three months' time to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a detailed report on the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the 2005 deal for French Scorpene submarines.

A division bench comprising of Justices T.S. Thakur and Veena Birbal asked the agency to file its reply by April 25. "Come to us after three months and inform us if a first information report (FIR) in this case can be registered or not," it said.