The Union Budget delayed because of elections in five states will now be presented on March 16, four days after Parliament will begin its Budget session.

The upshot of the government's 'formal' climbdown on FDI in retail is that it will not be able to take up the issue again in the near future, certainly not till after the forthcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states, says Neerja Chowdhury

The upshot of the government's 'formal' climbdown on FDI in retail is that it will not be able to take up the issue again in the near future, certainly not till after the forthcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states, says Neerja Chowdhury

Important pieces of legislation, including financial Bills, are required to be introduced and passed.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said he was confident of the DTC being recommended by the standing committee in the coming (winter) Parliament session.

Iowa's influential Indian American State Senator Swati A Dandekar, a Democrat, who represented the state's district 18, has resigned from the legislature to take up a major position as one of three directors of the powerful Iowa Utilities Board.

Industry's wait for new bank licences may get a bit longer as the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) suggestions to amend the Banking Regulation Act will not be incorporated in the report of the Standing Committee on Finance in the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

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.

Two more senior Indian American Obama administration officials have flown the coop.

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.

It is expected that it will be "far better than Lok Sabha TV and will give competition to private channels in the 9 pm news segment".

The roller-coaster ride of the government-civil society joint drafting committee on the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill has ended in a draw, but left both sides badly injured. Whether the tie will be broken when they present their separate recommendations to a proposed all-party committee in July remains an open question.

This is the second such initiative for urban reforms after the successful implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission launched in FY06.

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 Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched a campaign against Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj demanding his immediate recall and knocked at the doors of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who gave an assurance that "nothing unconstitutional" will be done.

If the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has its way, individuals and corporations donating to educational institutions may soon be eligible for tax exemptions.

United States President Barack Obama has nominated two Indian American women to key posts in his administration, according to a White House statement.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi does not think she has anything worthwhile to tell her party MPs even though Congress MPs have been more than keen to listen to her views on a number of issues, including the numerous controversies hitting the party and the government.

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

In a relief for the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh, party members of legislative assembly from Telangana region on Monday ended their boycott of the ongoing budget session over the raging Telangana issue. The decision came following a meeting they had with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress president D Srinivas in the assembly buildings.

Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh on Friday demanded the Centre immediately take a decision "either way" on the contentious Telangana issue and end the uncertainty facing the state. They accused Congress of keeping Andhra Pradesh on the boil and paralyzing normal life for over a year and a half now.

The Lok Sabha on Monday approved the Rail budget for 2011-12 after Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee assured the House of effecting measures to ensure availability of adequate coaches and wagons in the coming years.

Senior Congress member P C Chacko was on Friday made the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum issue, setting in motion the probe into what the opposition is alleging as the biggest scam in independent India.

The party -- happy that the government has accepted its demand for a parliamentary probe into the 2G scam -- might not obstruct most of the important Bills the government would present in this session, said senior BJP leaders.

To promote low-cost housing, this Budget proposes to extend the existing one per cent interest subsidy for a loan up to Rs 10 lakh for a house costing not more than Rs 20 lakh to apply for a housing loan up to Rs 15 lakh for a house costing up to Rs 25 lakh.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured a Buddhist delegation that he will personally look into the case of recovery of foreign currency to the tune of Rs 7.5 crore from Gyuto Monastery, the transit home of Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje, in Himachal Pradesh.

Slogans like 'We want JPC' were no more heard, there was no trooping into the well over the 2G spectrum scam and all members conducted themselves peacefully as the Parliament's Budget session started on Tuesday.

The National Democratic Alliance on Monday said it will allow the Parliament to function if formation of Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam is announced by the government on Tuesday, but would continue to raise irregularities in the Commonwealth Games-related projects and Adarsh Housing scam.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Yashwant Sinha wants the government to first introduce goods and services tax (GST) at the central level and set example for states to implement the indirect tax reform.

Putting aside its winter fiasco, Parliament is all set for a smooth budget session from Monday with government telling the Opposition that an announcement on the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the 2G spectrum will be made on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam along with those of Commonwealth Games projects and Adarsh Housing society are neither correct nor timely, Communist Party of India said on Saturday.

If implemented, the measure would have choked the availability of funds for real estate firms and infrastructure companies, which typically have several layered subsidiaries.

Prospects of an immediate end to the deadlock in Parliament over the JPC probe into 2G spectrum scam appeared dim with the Opposition and government remaining firm in their respective positions for and against such an inquiry on the eve of an all-party meeting on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday said she was hopeful the government and opposition parties find a middle ground over the 2G Spectrum controversy so that the budget session can be held without any interruptions. She addressed mediapersons after a third round of talks in New Delhi with government nominees, independent members of Parliament and leaders of the single member parties to ensure smooth functioning of the Parliament.

India needs strong action against corruption, Janata Dal - United president Sharad Yadav, the convener of the National Democratic Alliance, tells Gyan Varma

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Opposition parties convened by the government, Congress on Friday appeared to have softened its stand on the joint parliamentary committee probe issue in a bid to break the deadlock in Parliament on the 2G spectrum allocation scam."We are open to discussing such a resolution in Parliament on the JPC issue," Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said, noting that she was seeking cooperation of the Opposition to ensure a smooth budget session.

The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership was not divided over the issue of taking action against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, facing corruption charges, but no prima facie case has yet been made out against him, senior leader Rajnath Singh said in Bengaluru on Thursday.