Politics

German as third language violates India's education curriculum: Smriti Irani

New Delhi, Nov 15 (ANI): Education Minister, Smriti Irani has said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Kendriya Vidyalaya in 2011 which includes German as the third language, was violation of the national curriculum framework. According to media reports, from now on, no Kendriya Vidyalaya will teach German. Instead, children will have to opt for the Sanskrit language. However, Irani said that German has not been removed entirely, adding that now the language shall be taught under the 'foreign language' category. Meanwhile, German ambassador to India, Michael Steiner, hoped that a decision would be taken in the interest of students and both the nations. With increasing globalization, more and more Indian children are opting for a foreign language at school level.

Nov 15, 2014

Expatriate Indians hail PM Modi for raising black money issue at G-20 Summit in Brisbane

Brisbane, Nov 15 (ANI): Expatriate Indians on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising black money issue at the G-20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia. Indians living in Australia said that it is great honour to have Indian PM in the country after 28 years and remained hopeful that India will go in positive direction under Modi's leadership. Meanwhile, the NRIs demanded PM Modi to grant dual citizenship for them so that they too can contribute to India's development in a number of ways. PM Modi raised the issue of black money while in meeting at G-20 Summit and said that 'repatriation of unaccounted money abroad is a key priority for India'.

Nov 15, 2014

Police seal drug company linked to sterilization camp deaths

Raipur, Nov 15 (ANI): The Chhattisgarh Police have sealed the drug company linked to sterilization camp deaths in Chhattisgarh and detained the owner. Mahawar Pharmaceuticals, run from an upscale residential street in capital Raipur, is now at the centre of a probe for more than a dozen deaths in Chhattisgarh after 83 women were sterilized at a government-run family planning camp. More victims arrived at hospitals from villages in Bilaspur district, about 100 km from Raipur, on Thursday and Friday, a doctor at the district's main public hospital said. The factory owners, Sumit and Rajesh Mahawar deny there was anything wrong with their medicines. Inspector General of Police, Raipur, GP Singh said the investigation of the drug samples of the company was underway.

Nov 15, 2014

Development and Good Governance to be BJP campaign agenda for Kashmir assembly polls: Jitendra Singh

Jammu, Nov 15 (ANI): India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to start campaigning for the upcoming Kashmir polls with the agenda of development and good governance for the state. After winning the biggest national mandate in 30 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP has launched its most audacious election project yet - to win power in Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir and integrate the disputed region fully into India. Minister of States in the PMO, Jitendra Singh and General Secretary of BJP, Ram Madhav addressed mediapersons in Jammu. The BJP will also be providing its election manifesto in a few days. Singh said the state was being ruled by certain corrupt families. Singh also added the locals have finally got a chance to vote for good party.

Nov 15, 2014

We should focus on next generation infrastructure: PM Modi during meeting with BRICS leaders

Brisbane, Nov 15 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with the BRICS leaders stated that they should together promote new models of governance and financing while maintaining highest banking standards. He added that they should focus on next generation infrastructure.

Nov 15, 2014

G-20 Summit begins in Brisbane, PM Modi to focus on unaccounted money kept abroad

Brisbane, Nov 15 (ANI): The two-day G-20 summit in Australia began on Saturday with world leaders meeting to focus on growth as their top most agenda. The summit will conclude on Sunday with the release of an official communique, a rundown of what the countries have achieved and want to achieve in the future. Ahead of G-20 Summit in an informal meeting with leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them that repatriation of unaccounted money abroad is a key priority for India. In a series of tweets MEA Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin in his twitter handle quoted Prime Minister Modi's views relating to this issue. "Repatriation of unaccounted money kept abroad is a key priority for us-PM @narendramodi to BRICS ahead of G-20 Summit," Akbaruddin tweeted.

Nov 15, 2014

Home Minister Rajnath Singh assures modernisation of prisons

New Delhi, Nov 15 (ANI): Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the second-phase of modernisation of prisons will begin from next financial year, while addressing a seminar by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on prison reforms. The NHRC organised a two-day national seminar on prison reforms in New Delhi, which concluded on November 14, with an aim to see that the recommendations given by it in 2011 were implemented. In his speech, Singh said that he has been to prison four to five times and has seen it very closely. He added that the situation of the prisons were quite miserable. Meanwhile, he praised the Commission for picking up this subject. He also said that NHRC chairman KG Balakrishnan’s concern of overcrowding prisons was also addressed.

Nov 15, 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for G-20 Summit

Brisbane, Nov 15 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the venue of the G-20 Summit meeting where he will be seen joining ranks with leaders from 20 nations around the world on Saturday. Earlier today, US President Barrack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladamir Putin arrived in Brisbane for the summit. Yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted a dinner for his Indian counterpart on the margins of the G-20 Summit, and had told the leader that he was happy to meet him once again. After attending the G-20 Summit in Brisbane, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to travel to Sydney, where he will attend a community reception and address the Indian Diaspora. The Prime Minister will then travel to Canberra and address the special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament on November 18. He is also to address a community event in Melbourne before travelling to Fiji.

Nov 15, 2014

Migratory Siberian birds grace holy waters in Varanasi

Varanasi, Nov 15 (ANI): Tourists from across the world are flocking to the holy town of Varanasi to see migratory Siberian birds swim in the river Ganges. During winters Siberian birds, like their name suggests, fly thousands of miles away from the cold Arctic regions of Siberia as they begin to freeze over, preferring to move to warmer climates. These birds travel through Afghanistan and Central Asia before arriving at India, where they breed. A tourist, Anirudh, said the birds migrate back to their country after the harvest festival in February.

Nov 15, 2014