Bhutan's royal couple in India on nine-day visit

Bhutan's royal couple in India on nine-day visit

Report from Zee News India,

New Delhi: Bhutan's immensely popular King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived here with his newlywed queen, Jetsun Pema, on a nine-day state visit to India on Sunday.

The visit comes soon after the 31-year-old Oxford-educated King married the 21-year-old Pema, daughter of an airline pilot, in an elaborate ceremony replete with Buddhist mysticism at a monastic fortress in Punakha on October 13.

Dressed in traditional Bhutanese attire, Wangchuck and Pema appeared all set for their India tour, which is incidentally the King's first visit abroad after his wedding.

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The charismatic royal couple was accorded a warm welcome upon their arrival at a New Delhi airport, where India's junior telecom minister, Milind Deora, received them with honour.

During their visit, Wangchuck and Pema will be meeting Indian President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, besides other dignitaries.

 

According to government sources, the royal couple would also visit Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambore and Jodhpur. The royal couple will stay in India till October 31.

This is Wangchuck's fourth visit to India since his coronation in 2008.

The young, dynamic king is enormously popular, especially among the young, as he aspires to build a better future for Bhutan - a country of just 635,000 people sandwiched precariously between billions of Indians and Chinese.

Bhutan is perhaps best known for its philosophy of Gross National Happiness, the idea that mental and spiritual well-being matter as much as material gain that the environment, culture and quality of life also count. 

source: Zee News India

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Anna Hazare agitation a 'business' and a 'flop', says Lalu Prasad (India)

Anna Hazare agitation a 'business' and a 'flop', says Lalu Prasad (India)

 NEW DELHI:

According to Times of India News Report's,  terming Anna Hazare's agitation on Lokpal Bill in Mumbai as "flop", RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Thursday said the people have "rejected" Team Anna as they have understood its "gameplan".

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"They (Team Anna) were selling in the name of people. They have made a business of it. It has all flopped," Prasad told reporters outside Parliament House here.

Hazare had called off his agitation yesterday in the wake of his deteriorating health and poor response in Mumbai. Hazare also scrapped the 'jail bharo' campaign.

Lalu, a strong critic of Team Anna said, "People of the country have understood and they have realised it.

People have rejected them." RJD leader, however, maintained, "Lokpal Bill is weak. It will not remove corruption."

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source: Times of India

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Team Anna launches online campaign for 'jail bharo' agitation (India)

Team Anna launches online campaign for 'jail bharo' agitation (India)

According to Indian Express Report,  team Anna has now launched an online campaign for their 'jail bharo' agitation from December 30 against government's Lokpal Bill wherein people can register themselves for the protest. 

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Besides online registration, people can also approach Team Anna through text messages and a missed call service. 

Those planning to participate in the 'jail bharo' agitation can either register through www.jailchalo.com or sent a text message to 575758 or give a missed call to 073031509500. 

Till now, over 5,500 people have registered for the agitation through online alone with Maharashtra and Delhi topping the list with over 1,000 each volunteers joining hands with Team Anna. 

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source: IndianExpress

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Indian Government to introduce new Lokpal Bill in LS tomorrow (22nd Dec)

Indian Government to introduce new Lokpal Bill in LS tomorrow (22nd Dec)

The government plans to introduce the new Lokpal Bill and the Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 22 and to see that they are passed on the same day.

 

 Also, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday night approved a historic Bill for creation a Lokpal with Constitutional status that will have no control over CBI but brings within its purview the Prime Minister with a number of safeguards. Not succumbing to Anna Hazare's demand for inclusion of CBI under Lokpal, the government also decided against hiving off of the prosecution wing of the CBI. After two days of intense drafting by a group of ministers and officials, the new draft of Constitution (Amendment) Bill was cleared at a special Cabinet meeting that lasted 70 minutes.

 

Moreover, sources said after their passage, the two Bills will be taken to Rajya Sabha the next day December 23 for passage. The sources said the government was being forced to hurry with the issue because of opposition to the plans for extension of the Session beyond Christmas. On Thursday, the existing Lokpal Bill introduced in August will be withdrawn.

 

In addition to that, the Bill will be introduced in Lok Sabha on Thursday and the existing one, introduced in August, would be withdrawn. The Lokpal will be a nine-member body, whose Chairman will be selected by a four-member panel consisting of Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India or his nominee from among the Supreme Court judges, sources said. The Bill provides for the Prime Minister to be brought under the purview of the Lokpal with certain safeguards that keep out aspects like international relations, public order, atomic energy, space, internal and external security from inquiry.

 

Furthermore, probe on any complaint against the Prime Minister will be decided by the full bench, of which at least three-fourth should agree. The probe will in-camera and if a complaint is dismissed, the records on it should not be made public. Though the Lokpal will have no control over CBI, a demand strongly pursued by Hazare, an important provision has been added under which the CBI Director will be selected by a committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge, they said.

 

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source: Indian Express

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Anna Hazare threatens ‘Jail Bharo’ from January 1, 2012 (India)

Anna Hazare threatens ‘Jail Bharo’ from January 1, 2012 (India)

According to related posts, stepping up pressure, Anna Hazare today announced a new agitation of filling up jails (jail bharo) from January 1 if Parliament does not pass a strong Lokpal law, amid indications that it is unlikely to be done before the scheduled conclusion of the current winter session.

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Moreover, the agitation is in addition to the indefinite fast Hazare has already announced from December 27 unless a strong Lokpal bill is not not adopted by Parliament. Racing against time the Department of Personnel has begun drafting the Lokpal legislation taking into account the views of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and those of various political parties as articulated at yesterday’s all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.


In addition, what appears to be certain now now is that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced before December 22 when both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to adjourn sine die. However, the government has the option of extending the session into early January and taking a year-end break to enable members be with their families for Christmas and the New Year. Both Houses could reconvene in the first week of January to consider the Lokpal law.


Also, the draft legislation is expected to be considered by the Union Cabinet early next week, either on Sunday or Monday, after the Prime Minister returns from Moscow on Saturday. It could then be introduced in Parliament on December 20 or 21

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