India World Forum

I cannot find words to condemn the barbaric acts of terror that resulted in the senseless killing and injuring of innocent people in Mumbai yesterday. I understand the shock and outrage of the people of Mumbai. I share their pain, anguish and anger. I have come here in solidarity with the people of Mumbai. I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to those who have suffered in this terrible tragedy. The need of the hour is to look after their medical and other immediate needs. I have asked the State Government to ensure that all support is provided so that these families can overcome the tragedy and rebuild their lives. We have already announced ex gratia payment of Rs.2 lakhs to the next of kin of those killed and Rs. 1 lakh to those injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The Central Government and the State Government have acted quickly to deal with the situation. I have asked the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Union Home Minister to continue to c...

Following the official announcement of his visit to Bangladesh on 6-7 September, the Prime Minister called the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina to say how much he was looking forward to the visit and to renewing contacts with his old friends there. Prime Minister Hasina said that she personally and the people of Bangladesh were waiting eagerly to receive him and there were high expectations from the visit, which she hoped would be a historic one. The Prime Minister conveyed his warm personal greetings to Prime Minister Hasina and through her to the people of Bangladesh . He said that India attached the highest importance to relations with Bangladesh and a strong and productive partnership between the two countries was in the interest of the two peoples and the people of South Asia as a whole. The visit would provide an opportunity to give added momentum and high level political direction to bilateral ties, which have been intensifying steadily in recent years. ...

I think that there is a growing perception that this government is in siege, that we have not been able to deliver on our agenda. An atmosphere has been created in the country - and this I say with all humility – the role of the media today in many cases has become that of the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge. Now that way no Parliamentary democracy can function and I would like to tell you that if you are taking governmental decisions, particularly big macro decisions, we don't know all the facts and yet we have to take decisions. When I was a student at Cambridge, Sir Paul Chambers, who was then the Chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries, came and addressed us on who is a good manager, who will be considered by industry as a good manager. He told our student group that, in an uncertain world in which we live in, if 5 out of 10 decisions that I take ex-ante turn out to be correct ex-post that would be considered as a job well done. If out of 10 decisions that I take, 7...

GUIDELINES for implementation of Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities   The Hon’ble President, in his address to the Joint Session of Parliament on February 25, 2005, had announced that the Government would recast the 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities with a view to incorporate programme specific interventions. Prime Minister, in his address on the occasion of Independence Day, 2005, announced inter-alia that “We will also revise and revamp the 15 Point Programme for Minorities. The new 15 Point Programme will have definite goals which are to be achieved in a specific time frame”. In pursuance of these commitments, the earlier programme has been revised as the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities. A copy of the programme is enclosed. 2. The objectives of the programme are as follows:- a) Enhancing opportunities for education. b) Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activitie...