Woman officer leads guard of honour for Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan

January 25, 2015

Obama honoured

New Delhi, Jan 25: Wing Commander Puja Thakur led the ceremonial guard of honour for US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday.

Wing Commander Thakur walked Obama for the inspection of the tri-service guard of honour. This comes as 'nari shakti' (woman power) is the theme for Republic Day parade this year where Obama is the chief guest.

This Jan 26 will also be the first time when women contingents of the army, air force and navy will walk down the Rajpath.

"It is a great honour and we are so grateful for your extraordinary hospitality," Obama said after the ceremony, where he was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour and a 21-gun salute.

The US President was received at the gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan by a cavalcade of the President's Bodyguards dressed in bright red with contrasting blue turbans.

Forming a ring around his Cadillac 'the Beast', the guards escorted him to the central area of the red-sand forecourt of the estate.

The precinct of Rashtrapati Bhavan was decked up for the visiting Head of the State, who will be the first US President to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function tomorrow.

The entire stretch from his hotel to the Rashtrapati Bhavan was swarming with security personnel and snipers positioned at roof tops who provided an unassailable ring of security around him.

Upon his arrival at the forecourt, Obama was received by the President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He was escorted to the stage as the national anthems of the United States and India played in the background.

Soon after the Guard of Honour, Obama was escorted to a canopy where the President, the Prime Minister along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung received him. Mukherjee introduced Obama to the Cabinet Ministers and other dignitaries.

Following the ceremonially welcome, Obama headed to the Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

He was accompanied by union Minister Piyush Goyal. Obama observed a moment of silence, and took a 'parikrama' around the memorial. He placed a huge wreath and the paid floral tributes at the memorial

Obama honoured1

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News Network
February 9,2020

New Delhi, Feb 9: As the outbreak of novel coronavirus has lead to the death of more than 800 Chinese nationals, aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday said that foreigners who went to China on or after January 15 will not be allowed to enter India.

The DGCA, in its circular to airlines on Saturday, reiterated that all visas issued to Chinese nationals before February 5 have been suspended.

However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified, "These visa restrictions will not apply to aircrew, who may be Chinese nationals or other foreign nationalities coming from China."

"Foreigners who have been to China on or after January 15, 2020, are not allowed to enter India from any air, land or seaport, including Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Bangladesh or Indo-Myanmar land borders," the DGCA said.

Among Indian airlines, IndiGo and Air India have suspended all of their flights between the two countries. SpiceJet continues to fly on Delhi-Hong Kong route.

On February 1 and 2, Air India conducted two special flights to Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of the outbreak, evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivians.

Till date, three Indians have tested positive for novel coronavirus.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Jan 6: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said the country's economy is not showing good signs though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has manifested tremendous leadership skills in fighting terror and in social welfare projects.

The fiscal decisions of the government have not yielded the desired results, the Rajya Sabha MP said here.

"Modi had shown tremendous leadership skill in fighting terror, in several social areas, micro areas like bringing toilets to every village home. But the economy is a complex system...," he said while taking part in a discussion.

While every minister is talking about a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024, but the current GDP growth has to be multiplied in four years to achieve that, the former Union minister said.

He said, if wages are slashed as a measure to cope with the situation, labor will become cheap but that will also cut down the people's purchasing power triggering dip in demand, closing down factories and rise in unemployment.

"This is one problem for which you really need an economist," he said.

Swamy said in jest, "I think Modi has one problem with me. Not only I am an economist but also a politician."

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News Network
January 23,2020

Patna, Jan 23: "They should go wherever they want," Bihar Chief Minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar said on Thursday when asked of Prashant Kishor and Pavan Verma's repeated questions about the party's stand's on the newly enacted Citizenship Act.

"It is their personal decision. They should go wherever they want. We don't have an objection. Don't look at JDU in the context of statements by some people. JDU works with determination. We have a clear stand and don't have any confusion," the Chief Minister told reporters here.

"If they have something to tell, they should come and discuss it within the party. They should go wherever they want. They have my good wishes," he said.

JDU spokesperson and national general secretary Pavan Verma has questioned his party's alliance with the BJP in Delhi Assembly polls while Kishor has more than once made his differences with the party known on the issue of the amended Citizenship Act, and National Register of Citizens.

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