Everything you need to know about Mani Shankar Aiyar: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Mani Shankar Aiyar is one of the reputed politicians in India and is a member of the parliament from the Indian National Congress representing a Lok Sabha seat in Tamilnadu. Aiyar is mainly notable for his rich educated life and living. The person was an employee of the government of India in the Indian Foreign Service. And later on the employee wanted to join the politics thus his inner will dragged him towards political field to do more for the human kind. Born in 1941 Aiyar went in to government service after education in St. Stephens and Trinity Cambridge in Delhi and London. In 1991 Aiyar crept into politics but had to face defeat in the initial attempts. In 1996 general elections Aiyar won the poll from Indian National Congress representing a Lok Sabha seat from the Indian state of Tamilnadu. In the 14th Lok Sabha poll Aiyar served as the minister of Panchayati Raj and Northeastern region development in Manmohan singh Cabinet. He has also served as minister of Youth and Sports in the same government. Being a new face in Indian politics Aiyar could achieve more fame owing to his education and personality. In addition Mani Shankar Aiyar is a good writer and intellectual. He has authorized some of the best books on good topics and on Indian security and the topics of international concern.
New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): In wake of Chinese Premier Li's visit to India, Ambassador of India in China Jaishankar during a press conference said that India is a priority in China's agenda of global development.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Peace on the border is the foundation of bilateral ties with China and special representatives of both countries will look into the recent border intrusion by Chinese troops, India's envoy to China said Monday.
Chennai, May 20 (IANS) The makers of Junior NTR's upcoming Telugu action-drama "Ramayya Vasthavayya" have released half-a-minute teaser of the film as a birthday gift for the actor, who turned 29 Monday.
New Delhi, May 19 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday urged Dr. Manmohan Singh to firmly articulate the concern of the people and the country, including the opposition, he said this, in wake of Premier Li of China's arrival in New Delhi to discuss issues pertaining both the countries and to enhance bilateral ties.
Ooty (Tamil Nadu), May 18 (ANI): Floral sculptures of the globe, a house and bright coloured flowers mesmerised tourists visiting the 117th Floral Carnival being held here.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 17 (IANS) The Kerala government Friday decided to drop the state lotteries' advertisement featuring fast bowler S. Sreesanth.
Karachi, May 17 (ANI): Former International Cricketing Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has urged the governing body to safeguard the sanctity of cricket following the spot-fixing scandals that has surrounded the Indian Premier League tournament.
Chennai, May 16 (IANS) On Sep 27, 2001, Junior NTR's earliest blockbuster Telugu film "Student No. 1" released and catapulted him to stardom. Now, on the same date this year, he plans to release his upcoming Telugu action-drama "Ramayya Vasthavayya" hoping for the same result.
Thrissur (Kerala), May 15 (IANS) A group of forest officials have allegedly been roughed up by Malayalam actor Kalabhavan Mani in Kerala, a police official said Wednesday.
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), May 14 (ANI): Two Maoists were killed and three paramilitary soldiers were injured in a gun battle in Jharkhand on Monday.
Film: "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2"; Music Directors: Sharib-Toshi; Singers: Rahul Seth, Sanchita Bhattacharya, Sukhwinder Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Mika Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Diljit Dosanjh, Sachinn Gupta, Dharmendra, and Suzzanne D'Mello; Rating: **1/2
Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 (IANS) With two cabinet ministers quitting in the wake of scandals, there is likelihood that Kerala, which currently has eight members in the cabinet, could get a ninth one.
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Over 20,000 slum dwellers were treated by a team of 262 doctors in a month-long campaign by the Art of Living (AoL) foundation, it was announced here Friday.
Panaji, May 7 (IANS) No cartoonist would dare sketch Manmohan Singh as Superman with a halo on his head during the economist's second term as prime minister, says cartoonist-cum-editor Ravi Shankar, one of the few such in India.
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) An expert committee on leveraging panchayat raj institutions called on President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday and recommended that a National Panchayat Commission be constituted.
New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): An Expert Committee on leveraging Panchayat Raj institutions for the more efficient delivery of public good and services called on President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday.
Chennai, May 3 (ANI): Former Union Minister Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss was arrested at his residence in Chennai this morning on charges of inciting violence in the course of his hate speech during one of his party functions at Mahabalipuram on April 25 last year.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Music label Sony Music will launch the album of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's much-awaited movie "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".
Hyderabad, May 1 (IANS) HIL Limited, a flagship company of the C.K. Birla Group of companies, will continue to grow at 15 percent with strong focus on green building products, managing director Abhaya Shankar said Wednesday.
Hyderabad, May 1 (IANS) HIL Limited, a flagship company of the C.K. Birla Group of companies, has joined hands with an NGO in Andhra Pradesh to train and build a talent pool of artisans for the construction industry, an official said Wednesday.
Addis Ababa, April 30 (IANS) Ethiopia, with one of the highest blindness prevalence rates in the world, will soon get a major boost in medical treatment facilities with the opening of a state-of-the-art ophthalmology centre initiated by the wife of a former Indian ambassador to this East African nation.
Ludhiana, April 28 (ANI): Popular musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy enthralled fans at a live concert in Ludhiana, over the weekend.
Chennai, April 28 (IANS) Even though Tamil actor Nakul Jaidev has crooned chartbusters such as "Kaadhal Yaanai", "Karka Karka" and "Naaka Mukka" in his decade-long career, he still prefers acting over singing.
Chennai, April 27 (IANS) Music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja crooned a song, composed by Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman and written by Dhanush, in upcoming Tamil drama "Mariyaan".
Chennai, April 26 (IANS) Tamil actor Madhu, who was lauded for his performance in recently released Tamil film "Sundattam", has joined the cast of Gautham Karthik-starrer Tamil action-drama "Sippai".
New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The Congress and the opposition were at daggers drawn Thursday, with the latter demanding the removal of P.C. Chacko as the head of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) looking into 2G spectrum allocation and the former pressing for debarring three BJP members from voting on its report. Chacko said he wouldn't budge.
New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The Congress and the opposition were at daggers drawn Thursday, with the latter demanding the removal of P.C. Chacko as the head of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) looking into 2G spectrum allocation and the former pressing for debarring three BJP members from voting on its report.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 (IANS) In Kerala where politics revolves around various allies of the rival fronts, three of four factions of the Kerala Congress have been in the news for some time now. There is the possibility of a fifth faction coming into existence ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Chennai, April 22 (IANS) Refuting rumours that Tamil director Shankar is all set to work on a sequel to his Tamil blockbuster "Indian", his agent said the filmmaker is extremely busy with "I" and has no such plans as of now.
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Suggesting suspension of live telecast of Question Hour in the upper house of parliament, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Hamid Ansari Sunday said there is a need to correct the "collective behaviour" responsible for frequent disruptions.
Mumbai, April 21 (ANI): Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar promoted his forthcoming film 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' here over the weekend.
Jaipur, April 20 (IANS) Taking revenge for his sister's rape, a man in Rajasthan kidnapped and beat to death the man accused of the crime Saturday, police said.
Panaji, April 19 (IANS) Goa's beaches were in the cross hairs of suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terror suspect Nasir Raizuddin, being tried for the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts, Wikileaks has claimed citing a recently declassified US diplomatic cable.
Karachi, Apr.19 (ANI): An anonymous former Pakistan cricketer has alleged that former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani is issuing statements and interfering in the country's cricket affairs, only to be a spot for news.
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum allocation appeared to be a Congress document, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Friday while labelling its leakage to the media a "gross breach of parliamentary propriety".
Chennai, April 18 (IANS) Southern actress Sharmiela Mandre, who has featured in remakes such as "Sajni" and "Mirattal", supports the idea of revisiting old classics because she feels such films are tested and proven.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Reservations for women, scheduled castes/tribals (SC/STs) and other backward classes (OBCs) in panchayat raj institutions should be frozen for two or three terms so that they get the same opportunity as MPs and legislators to augment experience and knowledge, says an experts committee.
Karachi, Apr 18 (ANI): Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for accommodating the coverage of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) by changing the schedule of its President's Cup one-day tournament.
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The main responsibility for effective devolution of functions, finances and functionaries to Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) rests with the central government and not with the states, an expert committee has said.
Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) After Shankar Mahadevan, composer Aadesh Shrivastava will launch an online singing classes for his fans.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 15 (IANS) Thanks to the efforts of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Kottayam is all set to be transformed into a mural city as 350 painters from across the country will participate in the project.
Chennai, April 12 (IANS) Debutante Ashrita Shetty considers herself extremely lucky to be cast opposite southern actor Siddharth Suryanarayan in her forthcoming Tamil thriller "Udhayam NH4".
Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) A four-day film festival cum photo exhibition began here Sunday to pay tribute to sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar on his 93rd birth anniversary.
Washington, April 6 (IANS) The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has selected AmeriCares, the non-profit global health and disaster relief organization, for its Service to India Award.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 (IANS) Askar, brother of actor Ajmal Ameer of "Madambi" fame, is set to make his acting debut with the oddly-titled "Holy Shit".
New Delhi, Apr. 4 (ANI): Laying emphasis on the need for good economics to complement good politics, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia today stated that no society can have a future without the two and the systems would run down in the absence of a positive balance.
Chennai, April 4 (IANS) He may be a superstar, grandson of legendary actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) senior, but at heart he is very "kind" -- feels southern actress Vidyullekha Raman, who recently worked him in an upcoming yet-to-be-titled Telugu project.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 (IANS) Kerala Wednesday set up a ministerial committee to prepare a rehabilitation package for the diaspora in the wake of tightening of labour laws in Saudi Arabia that may lead to job loss for Indians in that country.
Washington, April 3 (ANI): Researchers have discovered a trove of Neanderthal fossils including bones of children and adults in a cave in Greece.
New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) A Delhi Police official was arrested for allegedly robbing an Agra-based jeweller in the capital, police said Tuesday.
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Friday urged activist Arvind Kejriwal to end his six-day old hunger strike here against alleged inflated power and water bills.
Nikhil Advani, director of films like "Kal Ho Naa Ho" and "Delhi Safari", is all set to produce Marathi film "Lokmanya", about the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and says he believes in bringing Marathi cinema close to Bollywood. A full-lengtt feature film, "Lokmanya" will be directed by first-time director Om Raut.
Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) For some it's work and no play, while others like Shabana Azmi and Shankar Mahadevan are looking forward to celebrate Holi with organic dry colours. Actors Anupam Kher and Hema Malini plan to unwind.
Chennai, March 23 (IANS) Wonder why National award-winning Tamil director Pandiraj always prefers making films with good amount of comedy? He says as a filmmaker, this genre gives him the liberty to address varied topics by being comically creative.
Ranchi, March 22 (IANS) A man poured acid on his wife in Jharkhand Friday after she refused to stay with him, police said.
At around 6am, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials started out a search at the residence of M.K. Stalin, son of DMK chief M.K. Karunanidhi on Thursday. The search is being carried out since then.
Chennai, March 20 (IANS) The Indian Tamil film industry will put a stop to exports of Tamil movies to Sri Lanka if the UN doesn't charge Colombo with "genocide" of Tamils, a known filmmaker said Wednesday.
Chennai, March 19 (IANS) Members of Tamil film industry observed a day-long fast here Tuesday in support of the protests against alleged atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils.
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) The song "Bolo na", which has been named for two National awards Monday, had the calibre to win such an honour, says Shankar Mahadevan, who has won the best playback singer (male) for the number.
New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien will lead the Indian delegation to the inaugural pontifical mass of Pope Francis I in Vatican City on Tuesday, official sources said Sunday.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 (IANS) Kerala, which stands out from the rest of India with 94 percent literacy rate, has achieved another distinction of having the lowest dropout rate of school students in the country at just 0.53 percent.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 (IANS) Higher taxes on cigarettes and liquor, a tax on lavish weddings and a rise in pensions, interest-free loans to small farmers have been proposed in a "growth-oriented" budget for 2013-14 presented by Finance Minister K.M. Mani Friday.
New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Her mirror was her audience, and hairbrush was her Oscar trophy - Freida Pinto grew up dreaming to make it big in cinema. Now she is rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's creme-de-la-creme, but the young actress wants people in India to believe that she is very much connected to her roots.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 (IANS) State Finance Minister K.M. Mani, while presenting the state's budget for 2013-14, left out a paragraph from his speech that mentions raising the retirement age to 60 years for all state government employees who join service from the next fiscal.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 (IANS) Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani, presenting the state budget for 2013-14 in the assembly Friday, proposed a special fund to help the diaspora returning to the state.
Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) The media and entertainment (M&E) industry needs to introspect and work towards increasing the growth rate from more than 12 percent, which it is slated to grow at, Disney UTV managing director Ronnie Screwvala said here Thursday.
New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has prohibited telecom operators and mobile value added service (VAS) providers from giving live updates of cricket matches and said the Star India TV channel has the "exclusive media rights" over cricket matches organised by the Indian cricket board till 2018.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 14 (IANS) The number of unemployed professionals in Kerala continued to rise reaching 1.69 lakh by September 2012, up from 1.63 lakh for the year ended 2011, said official data released here Thursday.
Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Describing it as a landmark order, Star India CEO Uday Shankar Thursday said that the Delhi High Court has prohibited telecom operators and mobile value added service (VAS) providers from giving live updates of cricket matches.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 13 (IANS) The forthcoming budget session of the Kerala assembly is set to begin Friday. State Finance Minister K.M. Mani is set to present his 11th budget.
Film: "Aatma"; Music Directors: Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur; Singers: Sangeet Haldipur, Nikhil Paul George, Anahita Irani, Suraj Jagan, Alyssa Mendonsa, Anusha Mani, Shefali Alvares; Rating: **1/2
Mumbai, March 13 (IANS) In a bid to woo the Indian film industry, South Korea is offering a whopping 30 percent cash rebate for all films shot in the country, top officials said at the 14th FICCI-FRAMES-2013 here.
Mumbai, March 12 (IANS) Listing challenges faced by the media industry, Star India CEO Uday Shankar Tuesday said freedom of speech was still being questioned even after over 60 years of independence.
Mumbai, March 12 (IANS) Listing challenges faced by the media industry, chairman of Ficci's media and entertainment committee Uday Shankar Tuesday said freedom of speech was still being questioned even after over 60 years of independence.
Mumbai, March 12 (IANS) Listing challenges faced by the media industry, Star India chairman Uday Shankar Tuesday said freedom of speech was still being questioned even after over 60 years of independence.
Chennai, March 9 (IANS) Late Telugu actor and former Chief Minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) has been named the greatest Indian actor of all time, while Sridevi was voted the best actress, in a CNN-IBN Poll survey conducted in celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema.
New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) The high-powered TED talks - short for Technology, Entertainment and Design - have come to the Indian capital with a micro-level avatar, TEDx Mehrauli, to address issues confronting the community and city which is transforming in the globalisation rush.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 8 (IANS) Sixty-two-year-old six-time legislator P.C. George, currently vice chairman of the Kerala Congress (Mani), the third-biggest ally of the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), is perhaps one politician that not many will dare take on.
New Delhi, Mar. 7 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee presented the first annual Tagore award for cultural harmony to late Pandit Ravi Shankar at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar's legacy lives on and would continue to illuminate the world of music, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Indian classical music borne on the strings of Ravi Shankar's sitar travelled to all corners of the world, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday, posthomusly conferring the first Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony on the maestro here Thursday. Ravi Shankar passed away in December 2012.
New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee will confer the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony posthumously on sitar maestro Ravi Shankar at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Thursday, the culture ministry said in a statement.
New Delhi, Mar. 6 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee will confer the 'Tagore Award' for cultural harmony on sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Thursday.
New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) Singer Norah Jones left fans spellbound with her soulful voice as she performed for the first time in the capital Tuesday.
Kolkata, March 5 (IANS) Attributing intoxication as the reason behind 90 percent of crimes, spiritual guru Ravi Shankar Tuesday said everyone in the country is living in fear.
New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) Continuing his tirade against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer equated him with Hitler and stated that his divisive policies will prove detrimental to India's composite culture .
Chennai, March 4 (IANS) Forty-one-year-old Mani of Cuddalore district Monday suffered serious burn injuries after he attempted self-immolation, demanding action against Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for war crimes, police said.
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) While keeping mum about who would be its prime ministerial candidate, the BJP Monday strongly defended Narendra Modi's Sunday speech slamming the Congress.
Lahore, Mar. 4 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has said he is willing to help Pakistan in reviving international cricket in the country, which was stalled four years ago following a dreaded terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers.
New Delhi, Mar. 3 (ANI): The Congress Party on Sunday condemned remarks made by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Bharatiya Janata Party's national conclave here.
Chennai, March 3 (IANS) Director-turned-producer N. Linguswamy says he won't demand compensation from Mani Ratnam for distributing Tamil romantic-drama "Kadal", which flopped at the box office.
Mumbai, Mar 2 (IANS) Singer Siddharth Basrur is honoured to open the show for late Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar's daughter Norah Jones' performance at the 'A Summer's Day' music festival, to be held in Mumbai Sunday.
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 1 (IANS) Kerala politics, in a constant state of churning, have got more embroiled with Kerala Congress-Mani chief K.M. Mani suggesting that there were no permanent allies in coalition politics.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28 (IANS) Kerala's ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) Thursday welcomed the union budget for 2013-14 as a balanced one bringing a bit to cheer to the state while the opposition CPI-M dismissed it as a "wet cracker" and mere tinkering.
New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Around 100 children from across the country suffering from rare genetic disorders Wednesday participated in a silent march to appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide them with financial aid and better treatment facilities.
Gurgaon, Feb 25 (IANS) A private security guard was arrested for raping his neighbour's eight-year-old daughter in Gurgaon, police said Monday.
Bangalore, Feb 25 (IANS) An apex body of obstetricians and gynecologists has joined hands with the US-based international non-profit organisation Programme for Appropriate Technology in Heath (Path) to reduce maternal deaths across Karnataka.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 22 (IANS) The team of director K. Madhu, writer S.N. Swamy and actor Mammootty is back again for the fifth "Sethurama Iyer CBI" film.
Lucknow, Feb 21 (IANS) Armed robbers Thursday fled with jewellery and cash worth Rs.10 crore (Rs.100 million) from a gold financing company's office in the Uttar Pradesh capital, police said.
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday said President Pranab Mukherjee's speech on the opening day of the budget session of parliament was a mere "glossary" of government programmes, failing to address crucial concerns.
