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Tue, 25 July 2017
Pahlaj Nihalani to step down as Censor Board chief?

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23:57  
JUST IN: Separatist leader Shabir Shah has been arrested in Srinagar.
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23:14   Mumbai building collapse: Maharashtra CM asks BMC to file report within 15 days
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the site of building collapse in Mumbai's Ghatkopar on late Tuesday evening and directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to file a report on the incident within 15 days.

"The offence has been registered. Police is investigating the matter. I have directed the BMC Commissioner to investigate and submit a report within 15 days," Fadnavis told the media.

The CM further said that the government will take a stringent action against the culprits.
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22:53   Pahlaj Nihalani to step down as Censor Board chief?
Central Board of Film Certification chief Pahlaj Nihalani, who is best known for suggesting cuts in films like Udta Punjab, Lipstick Under My Burkha and Jab Harry Met Sejal, has reacted to rumours that the government plans to remove him from his post. 

Nihalani said that he hasn't received any official notification so far but is willing to step down from his post if asked to do so.

"It was they who asked me to take over in January 2015. The decision to hire me was a complete surprise to me. I immediately took charge and began working to the best of my abilities. If now I am asked to leave, I'd do so just as swiftly, wishing my successor all the best," he said. 

"So far, I have not heard any such plans from the government. I am sure my well-wishers are holding their breath. But they can exhale for now. As far as being asked to relinquish my post as the CBFC chairperson is concerned, I leave the decision entirely to the government," he added. 

Pahlaj Nihalani was appointed as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification on January 19, 2015.  
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22:48   Trump hails McCain as 'American hero'
US President Donald Trump today hailed Senator John McCain as an "American hero" for returning to Washington to take key votes on repealing Obamacare despite being diagnosed with brain cancer.

"So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave -- American hero! Thank you John," Trump tweeted.

McCain, recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, will return to the Senate today to cast a critical vote on the Republican health care bill.

The 80-year-old Senator, who underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye early this month, was diagnosed with a brain tumour known as a glioblastoma.

The President's tweet comes just over two years after the then-presidential candidate said McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured during the Vietnam War, was not a war hero because he was captured.
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21:43   Pranab Mukherjee joins Twitter as @CitiznMukherjee
As Pranab Mukherjee left the palatial Rashtrapati Bhavan to make way for India's 14th President Ram Nath Kovind, who was sworn-in today, to his new residence at 10 Rajaji Marg, a change of guard was also reflected on Twitter.

As part of a digital transition, the Twitter handle of @rashtrapatibhvn now represents Ram Nath Kovind.

All tweets made under the past president Pranab Mukherjee have now been archived under a new Twitter handle @POI13.

Pranab Mukherjee will however continue to tweet under a new handle @CitiznMukherjee. This will act as a personal account of Pranab Mukherjee.

His new Twitter handle reminds what Mukherjee had said yesterday about returning from the Rashtrapati Bhavan as a citizen after spending five years as India's first citizen.
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21:19   Modi reprimands BJP MPs for sloppy voting in Prez poll
At the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, the Prime Minister today chided party MPs for low attendance in Parliament. He spoke of Bills getting stuck because of the quorum not being complete at times in either House.

Prime Minister Modi said passage of Bills is the responsibility of the ruling establishment and if they were stalled because of poor attendance, then it was disappointing.

The Prime Minister, pointed out that on Fridays especially, during sessions, members do a no-show post-lunch, which is not acceptable.

Prime Minister Modi also expressed concern that 22 MP votes had been declared invalid in the recent Presidential elections. While it is not revealed, which political denominations these votes belonged to, the Prime Minister expressed worry that despite specific instructions on the voting process, crucial votes had been declared invalid and accounted for nil.

A day before polling, in fact, a presentation was given to the NDA collegium on the protocols of the process. Prime Minister Modi said that MPs whose votes had been cast aside, had eventually let down their constituents.
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20:43   PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh aid to victims' families of Gujarat floods
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those killed in the Gujarat floods. The PM made the announcement after he took an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas. The PM also announced that more than Rs 5,000 crore would be provided to the state disaster management for the floods. 
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20:02   US Navy ship fires warning shots at Iranian vessel
A US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel in the Persian Gulf Tuesday after it approached within 150 yards, a US defense official said.

"The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots," the defense official said. 

After the US ship fired the warning shots, the Iranian vessel stopped, the official said, at which point the Thunderbolt continued on her way.

The episode marks the latest in a series of close encounters between US ships and Iranian naval vessels.
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19:38   Jharkhand Muslim man arrested for speaking against Modi, cows in WhatsApp video
Police in Jharkhands Hazaribag arrested a 25-year-old Muslim man late Monday night for allegedly abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cows in a video that recently went viral on WhatsApp, Hazaribag superintendent of police Anup Birthare said on Tuesday.

Later Tuesday, a judicial magistrate remanded Mohammad Arif to 14 days of police custody.

This is the second incidence in a month when a Muslim man has been sent to jail for speaking explicitly against Modi in BJP-ruled Jharkhand. On June 23, the Sahibganj police arrested 20-year-old Sameer Ansari for allegedly raising anti-Modi and anti-India slogans in a video which was largely shared on social media.
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19:07   China bound to be a threat in the coming years: Army vice chief
China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas in India's neighbourhood and is bound to be a "threat" in the coming years, a top army general said today.
Lt Gen. Sarath Chand, the vice chief of the Indian Army, also castigated Pakistan's Army for targeting civilians in cross-border shelling, stressing they had "stooped so low" as to fire at schools.
"This is not what the Indian Army would do," the vice chief said at the inaugural session of AMICON 2017, a two-day conference organised by the Army and the Confederation of India Industry.
Chand also downplayed Army chief Bipin Rawat's comment that the Indian Army was "ready for a two and a half front war", stating that Gen Rawat "never meant to whip up a war hysteria" but was merely stating that India needed to pay more attention to its security.
Last month, the Chinese military had described Rawat's remarks as "irresponsible", and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".
Chand's remarks follow a month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the two nations' trijunction with Bhutan.
"China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas into our neighbourhood despite being an economy five times the size (of India), (with) such a large standing army, and despite having the Himalayas between us, it is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead," Chand said.
He said a large part of the Chinese defence expenditure was "undeclared".
He also asserted that India needed to pay more attention to security in view of the existing scenario, and said military strength was essential for providing the security needed for economic development.
"You are aware of the tensions building up on our borders near Sikkim. You are aware of the trans-border engagements we are having. Last week alone, we lost seven lives. You are also aware of the insurgencies taking place in various parts of the country," Chand said.
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18:33   One can win elections on fake promises but not a war: Uddhav's dig at PM
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today said that before provoking China, the government needs to keep in mind the defence preparedness of the country.
In a dig at the ally BJP, Thackeray also said one might be able to win elections by making false promises but a war cannot be won by indulging in self-praise.
"The Pakistan and China threats have increased in recent past and we do not have enough ammunition to fight them. Then what has this strong government done in 3 years?" Thackeray said in concluding part of his interview to the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana.'
"When we tell China that India today is different from what it was in 1962, we should remember the kind of ammunition that we possess before opening our mouth," he said.
"One can win elections on fake promises and self-eulogy but not a war," said Thackeray, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
Thackeray also said the government has not delivered on its promise of generating a large number of jobs.

"After the demonetisation, in the last 4 months, 15 to 16 lakh people have lost their jobs and the situation will only worsen in future," he said.
Asked about the victory of the  BJP in civic polls in the state, the Sena president said this has happened only in Maharashtra and in states like Goa and Punjab the party did not do well.
"In Goa, none of the top Congress leaders like Soniaji took part in poll campaigns while (Prime Minister) Modiji campaigned for his party. The Congress did not even project a big face but got more seats than the BJP. In Punjab, the party (BJP) was decimated," he said.
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17:54   The only VVIP who arrived AFTER Ram Nath Kovind was sworn-in
Pomp and grandeur characterised the oath-taking ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind who took office as the President of India today. Let's go behind the scenes at the Central Hall of Parliament...


Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the toast of BJP MPs. As Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in ceremony got over, he was virtually mobbed by BJP lawmakers, many of whom touched his feet while others warmly shook his hand. Adityanath sat beside Rajasthan Governor and former BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh.


West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was seen seated with her party MPs in the rear rows of the hall while most other chief ministers were in the front rows.

As soon as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal entered the hall, Banerjee's close confidant Derek O'Brien invited him to be seated with her. The two leaders, bitter critics of the prime minister, were seen chatting animatedly for a long time.

When Modi was about to leave the venue after the function got over, he spotted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee among the attendees. Modi waved to her and the fiesty TMC leader promptly responded with a 'Namaste'. Putting their political acrimony behind, the two moved forward and chatted briefly.


Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen occupying his place in one of the rear rows with four party MPs who were among the six to have been suspended for their "highly unbecoming" conduct in Parliament over recent mob lynchings yesterday. These included M K Raghavan, Gaurav Gogoi, Sushmita Dev and Ranjeet Ranjan.


PM Modi was seated with former president Pratibha Patil and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda in the front row. Many were surprised at the arrival of Patil after Kovind had already taken oath.


BJP president Amit Shah was seen seated with veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, both members of the party's 'Marg Darshak Mandal', the panel constituted to advise the party. Giving them company was M Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA's vice presidential nominee.


Naidu was seen engaged in conversation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who occupied the seat beside him.
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17:32   Pak envoy to India to retire early
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has sought early retirement and his request has been accepted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a media report said today. Basit, who was set to retire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2018, had "submitted an application to Prime Minister Sharif for his early retirement which was accepted," Geo News reported, citing sources.
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17:22   Welcome to your new home, Pranabda
Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India, being received at his new residence ,10, Rajaji Marg, New Delhi, by MoS Shri Kiren Rijiju.
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17:13   Sena leader's flat renovation led to Ghatkopar building collapse: Residents
The residents of the four-storey building that collapsed today in Mumbai's Ghatkopar have alleged that the mishap took place because of the renovation work being carried out at the first floor.

The renovation work was undertaken on ground floor nursing home reportedly owned by Shiv Sena leader Sunil Sitap.

"There was a renovation work being carried out in the building. There was a nursing home, named Sitap Nursing Home, at the ground floor of the building which is owned by a man Sunil Sitap, who is a local Shiv Sena leader . A meeting of residents was also called last night opposing this renovation work," said a resident.

However, the BMC officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the collapse.

"We will investigate the matter and take action against the culprits," BMC Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said.

Meanwhile, former housing minister and ex-chairman of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Sachin Ahir has demanded an FIR under Section 304A (Causing death due to negligence) against the responsible.

Furthermore, Congress leader Praveen Chheda, the ex MLA from this constituency, has said that the onus of compensating for the mishap lies on Sitap.

"Property belongs to Sena's S Sitap. He was running a hospital on the ground floor and was now going to run a guest house. The onus lies on him," he said.

At least five people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after the four-storey residential building collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkpopar on Tuesday.
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16:46   Nifty tops 10,000 for a moment, Sensex slips from record
The historic 10,000 level proved to be short-lived today as the Nifty closed with a negative bias and the Sensex lost from its life high after investors went for profit in recent gainers.

The NSE benchmark made history breaching the 10,000 level for the first time by hitting an all-time high of 10,011.30 at the outset, led by stronger-than-expected earnings by blue- chips and continuous buying by foreign funds and domestic institutions.

But a wave of profit-booking dragged the gauge down by 1.85 points, or 0.02 per cent, to settle at 9,964.55. Steady monsoon progress and smooth GST take-off had helped both the key indices scale historic highs, traders said. The flagship Sensex climbed to a fresh life high of 32,374.30 before closing down 17.60 points, or 0.05 per cent, at 32,228.27.
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16:37   Ban on internet in Darjeeling extended till Aug 4
The ban on internet services in the Darjeeling hills, facing indefinite shutdown for the last 41 days for carving out a separate state of Gorkhaland in West Bengal, was extended today till August 4.   

The 41-day-long shutdown till now has emerged as the second longest so far in the picturesque hill station, which had witnessed a 40-day bandh in 1988 by Gorkha National Liberation Front and a 44-day shutdown in 2013 by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on the statehood issue.   

The ban on internet services had been first imposed on June 18 and the district administration extended it today.
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16:10   Karnan seeks remission of jail term from new President
Former Calcutta high court judge C S Karnan today made a representation before newly sworn-in President Ram Nath Kovind seeking remission of the six-month jail term awarded to him by the Supreme Court.

The controversial former judge made the representation through his counsel Mathews J Nedumpara.

"A representation seeking remission of the six-month jail term awarded to Justice(retd) Karnan was presented to the President's office today," Nedumpara told PTI over the phone.

"We will be seeking an audience with the President in this regard as soon as possible," he said, adding "We are in touch with the President's office."

The representation was made under the Article 72 of the Constitution. Karnan evaded arrest after the six-month jail term was imposed on him on May 9 by a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court.

He was arrested from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on June 20 and is presently lodged in the Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata.

He became the first sitting high court judge in the history of the Indian judiciary to be awarded a jail term by the apex court.  -- PTI
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16:03   Michael Kors to buy Jimmy Choo for 1.2 billion dollars
Michael Kors on Tuesday said it has agreed to acquire upscale shoemaker Jimmy Choo for 896 million pounds, or about USD 1.2 billion.   

The latest push by the American luxury company comes in its pursuit to find sources of growth in an increasingly competitive retail landscape, reported New York Times.   

"We believe that Jimmy Choo is poised for meaningful growth in the future. We are committed to supporting the strong brand equity that Jimmy Choo has built over the last 20 years," John D Idol, the Michael Kors chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.   

Jimmy Choo was founded in 1996 by Tamara Mellon, then accessories editor at British Vogue, and the Malaysian cobbler Jimmy Choo.   

The brand shot to fame thanks to a slew of celebrity patrons, including Diana, the Princess of Wales, and actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who embraced its signature sky-high stilettos.
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15:46   India-China war of words becomes more critical
The month-long military standoff on the border near Sikkim may be about to enter the home stretch this weekend, as Beijing draws its 'red line', writes MK Bhadrakumar. Read more here.
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15:43   When the President dropped off Pranab at his new home
For the 14th time in India's history, a new president stepped into the Rashtrapati Bhavan today, on a day of ceremony and regalia that started with a gentle knock on the door of Ram Nath Kovind's Akbar Road residence in the morning.

It was Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla, inviting 71-year-old Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Pranab Mukherjee was waiting for them in the study.

A few hours later, the roles had reversed and President Kovind escorted Mukherjee out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Earlier, the then president-elect and the outgoing president had gone to the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais.

Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard (PBG), the cavalry regiment of the Indian Army, with Kovind standing to his left. He and his successor drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of the Parliament in a black limousine, with Mukherjee in the right and Kovind on the left.

Escorting them was a grand equestrian procession by the PBG, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work. The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional 'hazaar salaam' to the president -- the supreme commander of the defence forces.

The procession reached gate five of Parliament where Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India J S Kehar received President Mukherjee and President-elect Kovind who were then taken to the Central Hall.

After the oath ceremony, Kovind met leaders in Central Hall before leaving for the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine, this time with Mukherjee in the left and India's new president on the right.

The skies opened up as the procession made its way from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan. The black tarmac of Rajpath seemed washed clean as the PBG marched with military precision in the pouring rain. Kovind and Mukherjee reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the former took charge after signing the register.

After taking charge, Kovind came out to the forecourt in the Presidential buggy, a black carriage with national emblem--the Ashoka insignia--embossed in gold and drawn by six horses.

It was Mukherjee who had revived the tradition of the buggy ride. Kovind inspected the Guard of Honour and returned inside. He then escorted Mukherjee to the forecourt in the buggy where the former president was given the last Guard of Honour.

Kovind then accompanied Mukherjee in the Presidential limousine to see him off to his new residence at 10, Rajaji Marg which was once occupied by former president A P J Abdul Kalam.
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15:24   How not to talk about nuclear weapons
Growth is often interpreted as a sign of health. Thus the moniker "fastest growing' should be taken as a positive statement. Fastest growing economy, for instance. Or fastest growing middle class. Or fastest growing IT sector. In South Asia, there is one area where "fastest growing" has become something of a slur: the fastest growing nuclear programme. Read more
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15:20   Mamata: Removing Tagore from textbooks is rubbish!
After RSS ideologue Dinanath Batra recommended a host of changes to the National Council of Educational Research and Training in its textbooks, including removal of Rabindranath Tagore, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked as to how can someone talk about removing a person who is the "pride of the nation".

"I think very soon they will remove everyone from the country. How can one even talk of removing Tagore from school text books? This is just rubbish. He is the pride of the world everybody respects him. I think nobody is supporting it," Mamata told the media outside the Parliament.

Batra, who the heads Nyas, said that various things ought to be removed from the text books referring to Mughal emperors as generous, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's apology over the 1984 riots, and the sentence that around 2000 Muslims were allegedly killed in the Gujarat riots.

The recommendations were about five pages which highlighted the portions of what to be removed.

Earlier, Nyas had campaigned against A K Ramanujan's essay Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation from the University of Delhi's syllabus.

They had also moved court to demand removal of The Hindus by Wendy Doniger.
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14:54   Ashok Malik: Working for Rashtrapati Bhavan an honour
President Kovind's newly minted press secretary Ashok Malik tweets.

@MalikAshok Thanks friends for your wishes. Thanks sceptics for keeping me grounded. Working for @rashtrapatibhvn is an honour. I hope I live up to it.

Malik was Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a policy think tank. He is head of the ORFs Neighbourhood Regional Studies Initiative.


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14:47  
J&K: One Over Ground Worker of Jaish-e-Mohammed arrested in a joint operation by police and Army in Kupwara, one grenade recovered.
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14:42  
Rescue workers at the site of the collapsed building in Ghatkopar.
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14:42   Building collapses: 3 dead in Ghatkopar, several buried in Kolkata
A four-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar this morning leaving four dead and at least 30 people feared trapped under the debris, an official of the city's civic body said. The building is in Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) fire brigade department chief P S Rahangdale said.

The civic body's control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident, he said.

Around eight fire engines, a rescue van and an ambulance have been rushed to the spot, he said.

In Kolkata, a portion of an old building collapsed in central Taltala area of the city this afternoon and some people are feared trapped under it. No one was injured till last reports were received, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

A portion of the almost century-old building at 10 Mirror Street under Taltala police station limits collapsed at around 12.45 pm, the police officer said.

"Luckily nobody was hurt as some inmates managed to rush outside," he said. "We fear that a few are still stuck inside," the officer said.

Two fire tenders and a huge team from the fire department along with personnel from Disaster Management units and police personnel from the local police station were conducting the search, the officer said.

Image: The collapsed building in Kolkata
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14:11  
NIA gets 18-day custody of 7 Hurriyat leaders who were arrested yesterday on terror funding charges.
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14:06   Vande Mataram must be sung in schools, offices: Madras HC
The Madras High Court on Tuesday ruled that 'Vande Mataram' must be sung schools, educational institutes and government offices.

Justice MV Muralidharan said that schools must be made to follow it at least once a week either on Monday or Friday, whereas, the national song must be sang in offices once a month.

"Vande Mataram is of Sanskrit origin, and written in Bengali which is ought to be sung in every school and college," Muralidharan added.

He further directed the Director of Public Information to upload and circulate the translated version of Vande Mataram in Tamil and English, thereby making it available in the government websites and also in the social media.

"Let a copy of this order be marked to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Tamil Nadu, who shall issue appropriate instructions to the concerned authorities," he asserted.

Muralidharan said that in the event, if any person or organisation has difficulty in singing or playing the national song, he or she shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so.

"The youth of this country are the future of tomorrow. This court hopes and trusts that this order shall be taken in the right spirit and also implemented in letter and spirit by the citizenry of this great nation," he added.

Incidentally, the Supreme Court is also hearing a petition asking the Centre to make the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in schools.

While the apex court had in April given the Centre four weeks to reply, the next date of hearing is scheduled for August 25.
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13:57   President Kovind rakes in 3.27 million Twitter followers on day 1
Minutes before becoming the 14th President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday wrote his first tweet.

Interestingly, his fresh Twitter account has already garnered over three million followers within an hour.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan Twitter handle now showed Kovind as President and said in its inaugural tweet, "Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind"

In his second tweet, President Kovind promised to stay true to all his duties and the people. "I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me #PresidentKovind"

At around 12:15 pm, Kovind was sworn-in as the 14th President of India in a glittering ceremony at the Central Hall of Parliament. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar.

President Kovind then addressed the gathering at Central as President of India, "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab-da".

Kovind arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt escorted by the Military Secretary to the President. Pranab Mukherjee had also taken Kovind on a tour of the official residence.

In view of the ceremonial functions, the outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee along with Kovind proceeded to Parliament in a car as it was raining. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel escorted the cavalcade which included the President's bodyguard on horses, up Raisina Hill road.

Ramnath Kovind's family members, associates and close friends arrived for the swearing-in at Parliament House.

Earlier in the day, Kovind reached Rajghat and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi along with wife Savita.

At the Parliament, both were received by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

The dais at the central hall was shared by President and President-elect, Speaker, Vice President and Chief Justice of India.

After the event, outgoing President Mukherjee proceeded to his new residence - 10, Rajaji Marg.
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13:36   PM on Prez Kovind's address
What PM Modi said about Ram Nath Kovind's first speech as President. "Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji on taking oath as the President of India. Inspiring address by President Ram Nath Kovind-ji, which beautifully summed up essence of India's strengths, democracy & diversity."
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13:27   The house where Pranab Mukherjee will be staying
Pranab Mukherjee will now be staying at 10 Rajaji Marg in Lutyens Delhi -- his new residence post retirement.

Spread over an area of 11,776 sq feet, 10, Rajaji Marg's ground floor has a library and an attached reading space. Interestingly, the house was occupied by another president -- Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Kalam lived in this bungalow till his death in 2015. It was then allotted to Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, which had evoked strong reactions from some quarters following Sharma's reported remarks that Kalam was "a nationalist despite being a Muslim'. 
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13:23   What Ram Nath Kovind said in his first speech as President
"Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India. I will be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility.

I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me.

Our Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi.

We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar.

The key to India's success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique.

We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India.

Nations are not built by governments alone. Nation building requires national pride. Each citizen of India is a nation builder. Each one of us is a custodian of India's well-being and of the legacy that we will pass on to coming generations.

The armed forces that protect our borders and keep us safe are nation builders.

Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are nation builders.

Farmer toiling in the blazing sun to feed fellow citizens is a nation builder. Scientist concentrating tirelessly to send an Indian space mission to Mars, or invent a vaccine, is a nation builder. Nurse or doctor helping the sick to recover and fighting disease in a remote village, is a nation builder.

Young person who founds a start-up and becomes a job creator is a nation builder.  It is appropriate that land of Lord Buddha should lead the world in its search for peace, tranquility & ecological balance. India's voice counts in today's world. 

The entire planet is drawn to Indian culture and soft power. In a globalised world, our responsibilities are also global.  We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster is relentless.

The citizen of this country are the real source of strength to me. Confident that people of India will continue to give me the energy to serve the nation.

We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities."
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12:57   President Kovind heads to his new home
President Ram Nath Kovind on his way to Rashtrapati Bhawan after swearing-in ceremony. The President will according to tradition, drop former President Pranab Mukherjee at his new home at 10, Rajaji Marg in Lutyens Delhi.

Image: An earlier image of then President-elect at Rajghat.
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12:42   Slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Jai Shri Ram after Kovind is sworn-in
After the national anthem cries of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Jai Shri Ram rend the air. This is not the first time chants of Jai Shri Ram have been heard in Parliament House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a grand welcome by BJP members in the Lok Sabha when he entered Parliament House for the first time after the general elections. Slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Modi Modi" had greeted him then.
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12:30  
Vice-president Dr Hamid Ansari reads out the English translation of the President's acceptance speech. The ceremony ends with the national anthem.


Image: PM Narendra Modi, former President Pratibha Patil, former PMs Deve Gowda and Dr Manmohan Singh.
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12:28  
President of India tweets: @rashtrapatibhvn Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind.
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12:25   Feel privileged to walk in the path of Radhakrishnan, Pranab-da: Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind begins his acceptance speech. "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility. National pride is the foundation of our national development. Ham sab ek hain aur ek hi rahenge. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab-da. I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility," President Kovind says.
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12:20  
All the best, Mr Kovind. President Pranab Mukherjee with President-elect Ram Nath Kovind just ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
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12:16   Kovind's first speech as President
That's the image of Ram Nath Kovind being sworn-in by CJI JS Khehar.  Polling over 65 per cent votes in electoral college, Kovind defeated his rival Meira Kumar by over 33,000 votes.

Seated in the first row of the Central Hall in Parliament House are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh, Deve Gowda, senior ministers Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge and others.

President Kovind his now addressing the MPs. 
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12:12   Ram Nath Kovind sworn-in as the 14th President of India.
Swearing in ceremony of President Ramnl Nath Kovind to begin at Central Hall, Parliament shortly after the national anthem is played. At the dais are the President, President-elect, Speaker and the CJI.

Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as the 14th President of India.
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12:07   President, President-elect reach Parliament House
Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind are making their way to the Central Hall accompanied by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Vice-president Hamid Ansari and the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. Ram Nath Kovind to take oath between 12:15 and 12:20 pm.
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12:03   President, President-elect reach Parliament House
President-elect Ram Nath Kovind and President Pranab Mukherjee reach Parliament House. Kovind will take oath as India's 14th President today at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind made their way in a car to Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. The President's car is being escorted by the Presidential bodyguard on horseback.

Those present at the swearing-in ceremony include Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, union ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers
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11:58  
President of India @RashtrapatiBhvn tweeted yesterday: Thank you for your affection & support ; tomorrow when I engage with you it will not be as President but as a citizen #PresidentMukherjee
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11:57  
Subramanian Swamy @Swamy39  Got stuck in huge traffic to Parliament House after a brief exit. So will watch Presidential Swearing on TV.
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11:52   President, President-elect head to Parliament House
President-elect Ram Nath Kovind meets Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the extreme left is Mrs Kovind. President Pranab Mukherjee is now giving Kovind a guided tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan where he has made many welcome changes. The President and President-elect are now headed to Parliament House. They will drive down to Parliament House. This is Pranab Mukherjee's last public appearance as the President of the nation.   

Both Houses of Parliament have been adjourned till 2 pm to enable members participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the President. The vice-president, PM, MPs and CMs will be at the ceremony.
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11:46   Building collapse in Mumbai
Update: A building in Ghatkopar, suburban Mumbai, has collapsed. At least 8-10 people feared trapped. Details awaited. 
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11:36   Ram Nath Kovind reaches Rashtrapati Bhavan, next stop Parliament House
President-elect Ram Nath Kovind arrives at Rashtrapati Bhavan from his 10, Akbar Road residence for the swearing-in ceremony which will take place at 12:15 pm. Kovind will be sworn-in in the Central Hall of Parliament House.

At Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Pranab Mukherjee receives Kovind with a bouquet. They will head to Parliament House together.

Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar.

He will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new President will then deliver his address.
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11:28   Tillerson planning to quit
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is considering resigning his position amid a rash of staffing changes at the White House, reports have claimed. Read more
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11:17  
Ramesh Srivats @rameshsrivats Today's schedule for President Ram Nath Kovind:
1. Visit Rajghat
2. Take oath
3. Get Rashtrapati Bhavan Wifi password from Pranab Mukherjee
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11:01  
Ram Nath Kovind's family members arrive at Parliament ahead of his swearing-in, and say they are extremely happy and proud.
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11:00   Opposition unites in support of suspended Congress MPs
Opposition leaders gather inside Parliament to protest against the suspension of six Congress Lok Sabha MPs. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said Speaker Sumitra Mahajan should withdraw her order and allow the MPs in the House. It has never happened under Meira Kumar. She never lost her cool. Speaker shouldn't come under government's pressure."

Six Congress members were on Monday suspended from the Lok Sabha for five days by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for causing "grave disorder" by storming the Well, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair during their protests over the lynching issue.

Ordering their suspension amid noisy protests by Congress members and counter-slogans of "shame, shame" from the Bharatiya Janata Party benches, the speaker said the conduct of Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M K Raghavan was "highly unbecoming" and had undermined the Chair's dignity.
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10:42   Ram Nath Kovind pays homage at Rajghat
Ram Nath Kovind is at Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi at Rajghat ahead of his swearing-in ceremony today.

He will take oath as India's 14th President today at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament at 12:15 pm.

At Rajghat, accompanied by his wife, he placed flowers at the samadhi and paid his respects before the memorial.  Kovind will now be heading to Rashtrapati Bhavan where he will be received by President Mukherjee. Both will then proceed to Parliament.

Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar.

He will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new President will then deliver his address.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, union ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers will be among those present.

Kovind will address MPs at 12:23. The swearing-in ceremony concludes at 12:43.

After the ceremony ends, the new President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan at 12:57 where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in its forecourt. Mukherjee will leave for his new address - 10 Rajaji Marg.


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10:33   Expectations of RBI rate cut makes Nifty happy
Update on the Nifty story.

The 50-issue Nifty breached the historic 10,000 level by gaining 44.90 points, or 0.45 per cent, to trade at all-time high of 10,011.30, surpassing its previous intra-day high of 9,982.05 touched yesterday.

Brokers said sentiment was upbeat on sustained capital inflows and widespread buying by retail investors, driven by strong earnings by some more bluechip companies.

The flagship BSE Sensex too climbed 128.43 points, or 0.39 per cent, to trade at new record high of 32,374.30, breaking its previous record high of 32,320.86 reached in yesterday's trade.

The gauge rallied 341.47 points in the previous two sessions. Besides, expectations of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank at its meeting next month too bolstered trading sentiments as participants indulged in raising their bets, they said.

Top performers during initial trade were Hero MotoCorpt, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, Power Grid, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, SBI, M&M, Dr Reddy's, Adani Ports and ITC Ltd, rising by up to 1.28 per cent.
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10:02   Nifty breaches 10,000 points for the first time
The NSE Nifty breached the 10,000 mark for the first time today ushering in hopes of improving earnings, accelerating economic growth. The Sensex rose by 69.47 points, currently at 32,315.34.

Yesterday, among the 51-components in the Nifty index, Reliance Industries scaled fresh 52-week high of Rs 1,624.90. However, the index closed 2.15 per cent up at 1,619.

RIL advanced after the company on Friday announced the launch of JioPhone, a 4G VoLTE-enabled feature phone, at an effective price of Rs zero.

Tata Consultancy Services, Indiabulls Housing Finance (up 1.98 per cent), HDFC Bank (up 1.95 per cent) and Bharti Airtel (up 1.87 per cent) stood among other top gainers in the index.
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09:23   Noted scientist, educationist Prof Yash Pal passes away
JUST IN: Scientist and academician Padma Vibhushan Professor Yash Pal, 90, passes away at his residence in Noida.

He is known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder.

He had been the secretary general of the Second United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (1981-82).

He held the posts of chief consultant, Planning Commission (1983-84) and secretary, Department of Science and Technology (1984-1986), after which he was appointed chairman, University Grants Commission (1986-91).

He was awarded Padma Bhushan for his contribution to science and space technology in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013.

In his later years, he has become one of the leading science communicators of the country.  -- Agencies
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09:06   Naidu dismisses Congress' land grab charge as 'politically motivated'
National Democratic Alliance vice-presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu hit back at the Congress party's allegations about his property and said the allegations are 'entirely false and politically motivated'.

Naidu's reaction came after Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh raised a question about Naidu's accumulation of properties and asserted that he should come clean about all of them.

"The allegations are entirely false and are politically motivated as he has raised the issues which were responded to in the past. This is a clear evidence of the sense of hopelessness and political bankruptcy of the Congress Party," Naidu said.

He further said the issue has been raised a few days before the vice presidential election reflects the mischievous intentions of the Congress Party.  -- ANI
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08:45   Terrorists in car escape from checkpoint, army launches search
A cordon and search operation has been launched by the Indian Army on Monday late night after unknown number of terrorists exchanged fire with the forces in Ajas area of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to police, the terrorists, riding a car, managed to escape a checkpoint laid out by the security forces at Ajas on Monday evening.

The forces also recovered a grenade and a pouch from the spot.

Further details are awaited. -- ANI
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08:07   Kovind to be sworn-in as India's 14th President today
Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn-in as India's 14th President on Tuesday afternoon, at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Kovind will start the day with a visit to Rajghat to pay his respect to Mahatma Gandhi.

He will then go to Rashtrapati Bhavan where outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee will receive him and both will proceed to Parliament.

Mukherjee and Kovind will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Jusitce of India Justice J S Khehar.

Kovind will then exchange seats with Mukherjee.

A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new president will then deliver his address.

After the ceremony ends, the new President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in its forecourt. -- Agencies

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
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00:10   Trump slams attorney general for not probing Hillary Clinton
US President Donald Trump slammed his own attorney general for not probing the alleged links his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton had with the Russians during the last year's presidential polls.

Over the past week, Trump has been attacking Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his decision months ago to recuse himself from the investigations into possible connections between Trump's campaign and Russia.

In March, Sessions had announced that he would recuse himself from investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign, including those into Russian interference in the electoral process.

Trump had said in an interview with the New York Times last week that he would not have appointed Sessions if he had known the attorney general would recuse himself, as he considers the decision "very unfair to the president."

Sessions, a former senator from Alabama, supported Trump from the early days of his candidacy and became a trusted adviser.

He had said last week that he will stay in this position as long as it is appropriate.

Trump, who has 34.4 million followers on Twitter, fired a series of tweets on issues close to him.

"So why aren't the committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered attorney general, looking into crooked Hillary's crimes and Russia relations?" Trump asked in a tweet.

In one of the tweets, he was critical of his own lawmakers in the Congress expressing his frustration over the failure of his healthcare bill to get through the legislative process.

"Republicans have a last chance to do the right thing on Repeal and Replace after years of talking and campaigning on it," Trump tweeted.

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