Browsing Tag: India

There was a sense of disbelief among ministers and ambassadors from diverse nations when the chairperson of the 11th Info-Poverty World Conference held at the United Nations introduced the jeans-clad Chhavi Rajawat as head of a village in India.

In a ray of hope to Gujarat's minorities, chief minister Narendra Modi is learnt to be reconsidering his earlier decision not to provide Government of India-sponsored pre-matriculation scholarship to more than 52,000 students belonging to Muslim, Christian, Parsi, Sikh and Buddhist communities.

Make no mistake, India's future will not be brighter for having sunk to 914 girls per 1,000 boys. The daughter deficit will create a society that is much less stable and much more volatile than it would be with a more balanced ratio. The sustainability of peace and stability -- for India and the region -- will be progressively undermined in lockstep with the devaluation of India's daughters.

The Centre on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib to be established with the cost of Rs. 47.05 crore, today become functional with the blessings of the Almighty and Ardas by Jathedar Akal Takhat, Singh Sahib, Giani Gurbachan Singh at the Guru Nanak Dev University Campus here.

Mosques, churches, Sikh gurdwaras and Hindu temples were united in special prayers for the national team. Party flags disappeared in favor of the national flag, and Pakistanis learned a valuable lesson: an over-politicized nation has better things to do than watch boring politicians shouting on equally boring talk shows.

United Sikhs has filed today a criminal complaint with the Mohali Judicial Magistrate First Class about the willful public removal of a Sikh's Turban by a Punjab Police officer, who said he was acting on the instructions of a police superintendent.

According to human rights lawyer and legal advisor to SJF Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, forcibly removing the turban of a Sikh is the worst form of religious persecution and violation of Sikh human rights, especially when it takes place in Punjab, the homeland of Sikhs under the government headed by a Sikh.

"I am confident that the breadth of resources presented during the conference will shed light on the impact of Christianity on medieval and classical India and its effects on the cultural and political climate of India..."

S. Harbinder Singh Rana of Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail writes, "A remarkably well researched work offering a refreshingly alternative perspective on the Anglo-Sikh Wars and the surging imperial intrigues that presaged them."

A Cheshire businessman has set up a charity which aims to prevent families in India aborting girls. Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal became involved when he visited the Indian village where he was born and noticed most children in a school class were boys.

India has decided to move a resolution at the UN General Assembly stating that the turban was a symbol of Indian religious sentiments and has to be respected by all. ..."The kind of acceptability India enjoys among the member states, we are hopeful that the resolution will be passed," he explained.

Amritsar Vikas Manch has demanded establishment of centrally funded and managed Amritsar Sikh University much on the pattern of Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University and affiliating Khalsa College Amritsar with it...

They said the department was already working on a number of different sites and soon repair work on the Baradari would also start. There is also a shrine of famous Sufi Saint Allama Mirza Syed Shah Bilawal Qadri on the premises of the Baradari where used to be held a Muslim festival.

District Administration in a joint drive with Military Authorities, Forest Deptt., Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) and NGOs will initiate a massive plantation drive in the military areas of the city, informed Mr. K.S.Pannu Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar after formally commencing the drive at Gobindgarh Fort, here today.

India's acknowledged 'booming market' for 'cheap' reproductive labour and IVF services is under scrutiny. For many parents, however, going onto the surrogacy 'market', is the only recourse, they say. And India, where commercial surrogacy is allowed, is the destination.

India's tortuously slow and corrupt legal and police investigation structure was insurance against them being caught, although since the mid 1990s a handful of convictions had occurred but under pressure from overseas authorities.

Now, a grassroots movement is fighting back. Invoking a little-known law from 1994 that allows local councils to impose prohibition in the areas they control if two-thirds of voters support them, dozens of Punjab villages are trying to shut down such shops.

Dr. Rajwant Singh, convener of Washington based EcoSikh, congratulated Dr. Inderjit Kaur and Pingalwara institution and said, "this kind of initiative is needed in Punjab to stop the continuing damage with various chemical and pesticide based agricultural practices. We are also heartened to see that this is being dedicated to Guru Har Rai ji, who inspired Sikhs to care for nature and mother earth."

Despite the booming information technology industry that has made it "the back office to the world," India still lags far behind nimble China in the race to provide universal internet access to its citizens. But as prices for smart phones plunge and India's cost-slashing mobile service providers get ready to roll out broadband-ready 3G networks, India is poised to leapfrog the PC and take pole position in the mobile internet revolution, says McKinsey & Co.

The All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) today claimed to have discovered a village in Haryana’s Rewari district where Sikhs were killed in the 1984 riots and since then the homes inhabited by them and the village gurdwara have been lying in ruins. Responding to the claim, the SGPC said it would investigate into the matter.

It is not only the government but the society at large including socio-religious leaders will have to play an honest role to establish peace and prosperity over this planet to make it a livable haven. Dr Bains stressed that families, doctors, nurses and radiologists who indulge into illegal gender selection for female foeticide must be dealt with severely under strong laws so that the menace is wiped out sternly through social and legal applications.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought with a rare news conference Wednesday to regain momentum after a string of corruption scandals that have paralyzed Parliament, put off foreign investors and angered voters. Analysts, however, said the attempt may have backfired.

Badal has announced to bestow 'PUNJAB RATTAN AWARD' on these two dynamic and vibrant Punjabis. The Chief Minister while approving the proposal of awarding this honor mentioned that their contribution to the national scene will be ever remembered and the future generations will continue to get inspiration from the life, sincerity and commitment of these national heroes.

When she was a child, a helicopter would buzz over Sujata Sundaran's village twice a year, spraying pesticide over the lush trees on cashew farms nearby...

The North Regional Language Centre (NRLC), Patiala, a part of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, will write to the Human Resource and Development Ministry for propagating Punjabi among the Sikligarh and Wanjara Sikh communities in Maharashtra.

The Guru Nanak Dev University will establish a Center on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib with the cost of Rs. 4705 Lacs. This Center would be fully funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on the Long Term Basis.

Alarmed by a report on the decline of Punjab, one man walked 45 days, over 1,200 kilometres across 21 districts, to learn the truth.

Canadian Member Parliament for Brampton-Springdale Dr. Ruby Dhalla Tuesday said that investment in Punjab for NRIs was not safe since there is no security of their assets.

In return, New Delhi wants better access to Russia's oil and gas industry, and support for its bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. The latter effort could take years and faces uncertain prospects, but India's pursuit of permanent membership underscores its global ambitions.

The cradle of civilizations, religions and philosophies, India's wealth is so vast that it would be unthinkable not to dream of going there. From the majestic architecture and ornamentation of its sacred temples to its outstanding scenery and the friendliness and honesty of its people, the list of attractions is as long the River Ganges.