Goa Assembly's Public Accounts Committee is understood to have expressed fears that if illegal mining in the state is not curbed, even the legal mines in Goa will face closure, highly-placed sources said.

The Lokpal Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament on personnel, public grievances, law and justice. In this FAQ, we explain the process of these committees.

The Lok Pal Bill has been referred to the standing committee of Parliament on personnel, public grievances, law and hustice. In this FAQ, MR Madhavan explains the process of these committees.

Rickey Gill, the young US Republican Congressional hopeful from California, speaks to Ritu Jha

While the Confederation of All India Traders is organising nationwide protests tomorrow, others like Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal plan similar movements next month.

Finance Minister pegs 2011-12 growth at 8.6 per cent, expects inflation to fall to 6-7 per cent by end of the financial year.

Moreover, it will take some pressure off Indian negotiators in the different investment and trade negotiating forums where the country is routinely castigated for its restrictive policies in key economic sectors.

As soon as the news spread last night, the farmers, mostly belonging to villages in the Beraberi-Purbapara and Gopalnagar-Ghospara clusters, decided to celebrate thedevelopment the next day.

Sonia Gandhi kept off the media, Rahul Gandhi was basking in his UP foray, while other Congressmen showed little exuberance when they were not sniping at each other. Sheela Bhatt reports on UPA II's dinner to mark two years in office

The Supreme Court on Monday sought response of the Rajya Sabha-appointed panel on Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran's allegations that the committee has exceeded its jurisdiction in probing charges of judicial misconduct and corruption against him.

Ruling Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam MLAs came to near blows inside the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Monday after Agriculture Minister Y S Vivekananda heckled two TDP MLAs as they held a placard that denigrated supporters of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Economic Affairs Secretary R Gopalan, who retains charge of financial services, has shown an ability to grasp ground realities in pushing critical reforms.

Sixteen charges of corruption and irregularities have been slapped by a Rajya Sabha constituted panel against Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice P D Dinkaran, who is facing impeachment proceedings in Parliament. The committee comprising Supreme Court Justice Aftab Alam, Karnataka High Court Justice K S Khehar and eminent jurist P P Roy issued the charge-sheet to Dinakaran on March 16 and has sought his response by April 9.

The US, he said, is working in the G-20 to help build consensus on long-term reforms that will provide the foundation for a more balanced, more stable global economy.

Madam, the debate has been vigorous. Several issues have been raised which deserve the attention of the Government as well as all other entities.

The budget session of Parliament will begin on February 21 and the general budget is slated to be presented to Lok Sabha on February 28.The decision to recommend the date for convening of the session to the President was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also Leader of the House in Lok Sabha.

The Budget session of Parliament will begin on Feb 21 and the general budget is slated to be presented to Lok Sabha on Feb 28.

The GoM, which would be headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, would suggest a comprehensive policy and institutional mechanisms to tackle paid news, sources said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar held talks with leaders of the opposition in her attempt to break the Parliament impasse on the 2G spectrum issue.Leaders of several parties including the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the National Conference did not attend the luncheon meeting called by the Speaker to find a solution to the deadlock.

With the Parliament stalled for the 18th consecutive day on Tuesday over the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the 2G spectrum scam, the Congress core committee met yet again on Tuesday evening to take stock of the situation both inside and outside Parliament.

United Progressive Alliance allies on Monday expressed full support to the government over its refusal to agree to a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam, an issue that has paralysed Parliament proceedings for the last 12 working days. Against the backdrop of some UPA constituents appearing not being averse to the JPC probe, the government on Monday held a luncheon meeting of its allies to devise a common strategy.

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, leaders of the UPA allies on Monday met in New Delhi to discuss their strategy to counter the Opposition which is geared up to target the government on price rise and a host of other issues.

The Chinese securities regulator on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to the staggering $30-billion issue from the Agricultural Bank of China, which will be the world's largest ever public public float.

The Union government will limit its investigations to financial irregularities and tax violations by the Indian Premier League (IPL), its 10 franchisees, as well as the broadcaster. The government does not want to interfere in the functioning of existing sports institutions, a top functionary of the finance ministry said.

Debates over introducing Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified food crop in India, might have taken a different turn if the government had taken note of studies by one of its own R&D bodies, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, showing that indigenous methods of controlling the notorious fruit and shoot borer can be as effective, cheaper and more environment friendly than using chemical pesticide.

Nearly six months after he nominated Dr Islam A 'Isi' Siddiqui to be the chief agricultural negotiator at the office of the US Trade Representative, US President Barack Obama -- fed up with what the White House called 'obstructionist' policies by Senate Republicans in not confirming Siddiqui and several others -- appointed Siddiqui and 14 others as soon as the Senate adjourned for the Easter vacation-recess.

The biotech regulatory Bill gags dissent and takes away the power of states without providing any safeguards to farmers and consumers.

GSR 592(E) states that all NRIs -- including PIO like your son -- are not eligible to open PPF accounts. The accounts opened prior to all these dates are allowed to run up to their maturity but no extension or renewal can be made.

Here is the entire text of the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's Budget Speech:

Suresh Kumar's nomination by United States President Barack Obama, to be assistant secretary of commerce and director general of the United States and Foreign Commerce Service, sailed through two key US Senate Committees last week.Now the full Senate has to vote on his nomination, and sources said he could be in place in his job at Commerce by late February or early March.

A draft of the infrastructure portion of the Budget speech for Pranab Mukherjee's consideration.

The senate banking committee and commerce committee approved Kumar's nomination, which was buoyed by a rousing introduction of Kumar by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, where Kumar has resided since 1993, and it's now the full senate that has got to vote on his nomination, and sources said he could be in place in his job at commerce by late this month or early March.

India and the United Kingdom have agreed on the text of a landmark civil nuclear agreement and a formal pact may be signed within a week, Britain's Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson announced on Thursday. "The civil nuclear deal text has been agreed to and it will be signed soon, may be within a week after ministerial approvals," Lord Mandelson told a joint press conference with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.

The delegation, comprising leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her counterpart in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and others, said Mukherjee had assured them that DTC was only at the drafting stage and discussions were still on.

As the relay hunger strike by the legislators from the Telangana region continued on third day on Monday, demanding the Centre to start the process of formation of separate state, the legislators from Andhra and Rayalseema regions were becoming active once again to bring counter pressure on the Central government.

The Reserve Bank of India will announce the third quarter review of its Monetary and Credit Policy on January 29.

"Pakistan must be dissuaded from using terrorism as a state policy, and part of the US engagement with Pakistan should be focused on that result," says Ed Royce, senior Republican lawmaker.

The government on Friday shot down a suggestion in the Lok Sabha for setting up a committee under the member of Parliament in respective constituencies for monitoring disbursement of loans by banks to priority sector like agriculture, small and medium enterprises.

The Centre's decision to carve out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh has given a much-needed boost to the proponents of a new Vidarbha state out of Maharashtra.

American Congressman Ed Royce, a ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the senior-most minority member on the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Nonproliferation, who was part of the Congressional leadership that met with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to Washington, is disappointed that the United States-India civilian nuclear deal wasn't completed to make it the signature highlight of the Obama-Singh summit.