Virbhadra Singh is an Indian politician and senior congress leader who has served the state of Himachal Pradesh five............
Virbhadra Singh is an Indian politician and senior congress leader who has served the state of Himachal Pradesh five times and has also served Centre by holding different portfolios such as Steel Ministry and MSME Ministry (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry).
Virbhadra Singh was born Sarahan, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh on 23rd June 1934 in a princely state of Bushahr. He pursued a Post Graduation from Delhi University and later married to Princess Ratna Kumari on 02 June 1954 and the couple has one son and five daughters in which one daughter died. On 28 November 1985, Virbhadra Singh got married to Pratibha Singh, and the couple has one son and one daughter.
Singh entered in the Indian politics in 1961 when he joined the Congress party. He fought the next Lok Sabha election from Mahasu seat and won there smoothly. At that time, he was the youngest Member of Parliament in the 3rd Lok Sabha. However, he also took interest in state politics and won seven time assembly election and he became the Chief Minister of state five times.
In Centre, Virbhadra won the parliamentary election five times and held Deputy Minister, Tourism and Civil Aviation in 1976-77 and Union Steel Minister from 31 May 2009 to 18 Jan 2011. At present he is the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises since 19 Jan 2011 to till date.
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Detailing economic growth during the UPA regime, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday the slowdown last year was "temporary" and a longer term view would show that India has notched up an average "8 percent growth" in the past nine years.
New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Listing the achievements of the UPA-II government, Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh said that in the coming year they will report directly to the people to seek a renewed mandate.
New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Listing the achievements of the UPA-II government, Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh said that next year they will report directly to the people to seek a renewed mandate.
Shimla, May 22 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Transport Minister G.S. Bali submitted his resignation to senior Congress leaders as he was allegedly unhappy with his portfolio, party sources said. The minister himself refused to comment on the issue.
Mumbai, May 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone, says sports was pure and clean during her father's time. She rues how malpractices such as spot-fixing can give any sport a bad name.
Bangkok, May 22 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay an official visit to Thailand from May 30 to 31, the Thai foreign ministry announced here Wednesday.
Stockholm, May 22 (IANS) More than 40 Indian families in densely populated Stockholm suburbs are worried over explosive protests in the past week, which one Indian immigrant described as "unusually fearome".
New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will present the report card of UPA-II today in which he is expected to list the schemes such as Direct Benefit Transfer and FDI in retail.
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) India and China held very "specific" discussions without "shying away from anything", External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here Tuesday.
New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will undertake a two-day visit of Saudi Arabia on May 25 and 26, at the invitation of Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
Shimla, May 20 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Monday inaugurated a bridge near the Auckland tunnel here, which was constructed at a cost of Rs.2.52 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Shimla, May 20 (IANS) Nagaland Governor and former CBI director Ashwani Kumar will be awarded an honorary doctorate at a convocation of Himachal Pradesh University here to be presided over by President Pranab Mukherjee May 24, a statement said here Monday.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) India and China scripted a new chapter in their ties Monday as Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh candidly discussed their recent border row and decided to take steps for an early resolution of a dispute that triggered a war in 1962.
New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): India and China on Monday signed eight pacts, including sharing of information on water flow in the River Brahmaputra.
New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that the basis for continued growth and expansion of ties between India and China is peace and tranquility on borders separating the two countries.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Stating that he looked forward to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit later this year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang turned poet of sorts Monday to say that seeds sowed in spring sould be harvested in autumn.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) India and China were "strategic partners and good friends" that could speak to each other with candour, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday while stressing on discussions between the two on the border issue and river waters.
Shimla, May 19 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government would launch an integrated crop diversification programme to bring additional 3,000 hectares under cultivation of vegetables, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Sunday.
Shimla, May 19 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Sunday inaugurated a hilltop temple in upper Shimla, reconstructed and restored at a cost of Rs.1.25 crore.
Beijing, May 19 (IANS) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang departed here Sunday for official visits to four nations, with India being the first stop.
New Delhi, May 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to pay official visit to Japan from May 27 to 29 and to the Kingdom of Thailand on May 30 and 31.
Tabo (Himachal Pradesh), May 18 (IANS) Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Saturday said more micro and mini hydropower projects would be set up in Spiti Valley to usher an era of prosperity and provide employment opportunities to the youth of the area.
Shimla, May 18 (IANS) The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has effected a staggering 15,000 transferes in the little over four months it has been in office but the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says the number is more than double that. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has now stepped in and put a stop to at least five transfers and cancelled one.
Kolkata, May 17 (IANS) Footwear major Woodland, owned by the Aero Group, is looking to re-position its sub-brand 'Woods' in the luxury footwear segment, focusing primarily on women's footwear, a top company official said Friday.
Udaipur (Himachal Pradesh), May 17 (IANS) A 3.5-km stretch of the 8.8-km-long tunnel below the 3,978-metre Rohtang Pass has been completed so far, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here Friday.
New Delhi, May 16 (ANI): Sports Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to pave the way to lift ban on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Indian sportspersons will soon able to join the Olympics.
Lausanne, May 15 (IANS) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Wednesday asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to hold free and fair fresh elections if it wants its suspension to be revoked.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Japan May 27-29 for the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during which nuclear energy cooperation will be high on the agenda. He will then go to Thailand at the invitation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Shimla, May 14 (IANS) Political activity in Himachal Pradesh has picked up ahead of the announcement of the by-election to the Mandi parliamentary seat.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The image of the CBI has touched "rock bottom" and the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has contributed to the process, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said Tuesday.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said it viewed the friendly approach of Pakistan's prime minister probable Nawaz Sharif with a "cautious optimism".
Islamabad, May 14 (ANI): Pakistan's incoming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said he wanted to end the mistrust which had long dogged relations with India.
Amritsar, May 13 (ANI): In a major initiative, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) which has registered a landslide victory in Pakistan elections, today nominated first Sikh member Ramesh Singh Arora to the provincial assembly.
Shimla, May 13 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has turned down an offer from the Himachal Pradesh University here for conferring an honorary doctorate degree on him.
Islamabad, May 13 (IANS) Nawaz Sharif, who is poised to become Pakistan's prime minister for the third time, Monday said he would invite Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to his oath-taking ceremony and reaffirmed that he would forge friendly ties with India.
Lahore, May 13 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, who emerged victorious in Saturday's general elections, has said he would invite Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his oath-taking ceremony to Islamabad.
Shimla, May 13 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Monday expanded his team by administering the oath of office and secrecy to six chief parliamentary secretaries at a function in Shimla.
Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar is really looking forward to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" that features his son, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar in the lead role.
Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Chitrangada Singh woke up on Saturday morning to headlines and television reports claiming she had obtained a divorce by "mutual consent" with her golfer husband Jyoti Randhawa. But the actress denies the report completely.
New Delhi, May 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday applauded Nawaz Sharif and his party Pakistan Muslim League- (Nawaz) (PML-N) for their convincing victory in the recently concluded elections and conveyed India's desire to work with him to chart "a new course" in India-Pakistan relations.
Shimla, May 12 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will Monday expand his team with the induction of five chief parliamentary secretaries and one parliamentary secretary, officials said here.
New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday congratulated Karnataka's incoming Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah who will head a new Congress government in the state.
Shimla, May 11 (IANS) Less than a fortnight after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh directed the investigating agencies to speed up their probe on charges of corruption against the previous BJP regime, a verbal spat is on between him and arch rival and predecessor, Prem Kumar Dhumal.
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar were not the first from in the United Progressive Alliance-II to have resigned on corruption charges. The others who stepped down on corruption charges are:
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Law Minister Ashwani Kumar Friday tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for allegedly interfering in a CBI probe in coal blocks allocation.
Mohali, May 10 (IANS) Known so far for the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium, Mohali is all set to get seven new sports stadia next month.
Shimla, May 10 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Friday said the construction of a Rs.2,300-crore four-lane super expressway from Kiratpur in Punjab to the picturesque tourist resort Manali on the existing NH-21 in the state would start soon.
Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) "Bittoo Boss" fame Pulkit Samrat says director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba has incoporated his real life experience in "Fukrey".
Shimla, May 9 (IANS) To decongest Shimla and Dharamsala, the Himachal Pradesh government is planning to set up personal rapid transit (PRT) as a green alternative transport mode, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here Thursday.
New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Acting president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vijay Kumar Malhotra Thursday decided not to attend the May 15 meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) convened in Lausanne, saying that the world body has now decided to deal with the democratically elected IOA.
New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Commuters travelling in Delhi Metro will no longer have to stand in queues to recharge travel smart cards. They can recharge these online and get an update in add value machines (AVM) installed at Metro stations, an official said Thursday.
Shimla, May 8 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government Wednesday issued show cause notice to four cement makers for delaying commissioning of five plants but gave permission to Reliance to set up a new unit, an official said here.
Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), May 8 (IANS) Thirty-two people were killed and 13 others injured Wednesday when an overcrowded bus skidded off a road and plunged into the Beas river, officials said.
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rout in Karnataka "is a clear result against (its) ideology", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) With the Congress looking set to take charge of Karnataka, the number states and union territories under its rule will rise to 14, even as the BJP tally will drop by one to four.
New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court was Tuesday moved seeking direction to the central government to repatriate critically injured Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay in the interest of "universal justice and equity".
Shimla, May 7 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has requested the central government to provide 5,000 direct-to-home (DTH) TV sets to the state, a statement said here Tuesday.
New Delhi, May 7 (ANI): The bite marks found on the body of the December 16 gangrape victim were caused by Ram Singh and probably by Akshay Singh according to a witness.
New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was Tuesday adjourned till noon as the BJP continued with its demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks and other issues.
New Delhi, May 6 (ANI): Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said that the defence services have established Cyber Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) to prevent and react to cyber attacks.
New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) Reliance Communications Monday raised mobile call rates by 20-30 percent across India, a company statement said.
Shimla, May 5 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh would soon have three new industrial estates to promote industrialisation, an official said here Sunday
Varanasi, May 5 (ANI): People in Varanasi and areas around in northern India are reeling under heat wave as temperatures are still soaring.
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley Saturday said it was up to the government to decide whether parliament will function or not, and his party was firm on its demands for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the 2G and coal blocks scams.
Agra, May 4 (IANS) A maha panchayat in Agra district has called for the boycott of a family of a man who allegedly raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl.
Aizawl, May 4 (IANS) The Planning Commission has asked the Mizoram government to create an investor-friendly environment to promote handloom, handicrafts, food and bamboo based industries in the northeastern state using locally available resources, an official said here Saturday.
New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday urged Asian economies to step up efforts to address common challenges by investing resources to help empower all sections of societies in the region.
Shimla, May 4 (IANS) While 'khap panchayats' (caste councils) in Haryana continue to frown on inter-caste and sub-caste marriages and punish those who do so, marrying outside one's caste is ever so profitable in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh - it'll get couples all of Rs.75,000.
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Pakistan team has not been given clearance yet and is unlikely to participate in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships beginning at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Sunday.
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) An inquiry was on in the attack on a Pakistani prisoner in a jail in Jammu, union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said here Friday.
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The Congress Friday questioned what the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government did to ensure the release of Sarabjit Singh when it was in power, adding that the focus should now be on other Indians in Pakistani jails.
Shimla, May 2 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Thursday said the state would adopt zero tolerance towards corruption.
New Delhi, May 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Thursday lashed out at the Congress-led UPA Government for failing to take concrete step to secure the release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who died in Pakistan.
Chandigarh, May 2 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday declared a three-day state mourning in Punjab following the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Dalbir Kaur, sister of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh who died in Lahore Thursday following a brutal assault in a jail, accused Pakistan of backstabbing India and called for all political parties to come together and strengthen the government's hands.
Shimla, May 2 (IANS) Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal Thursday attributed the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan to "a planned conspiracy hatched in the jail".
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) There were 215 fishermen and 55 other Indian nationals in Pakistan jails as of Jan 1 this year, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) announced here Thursday.
New Delhi, May 2 (ANI): In view of the anguish felt by the entire nation on the tragic and painful death of Sarabjit Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has decided to cancel the dinner scheduled to be held today for the national film award winners as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
Panaji, May 2 (IANS) The Goa legislative assembly condoled the death of Sarabjit Singh, death row prisoner in a Pakistani jail, who died Thursday of wounds sustained in a brutal attack in a Lahore jail.
Kolkata, May 2 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Thursday attributed the death of Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh to "bad handling of the case".
New Delhi, May 2 (ANI): Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said that a special plane will be sent to Pakistan to bring Sarabjit Singh's body home.
New Delhi, May 2 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari on Thursday strongly criticised Pakistan over the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, saying the latter had been murdered in cold blood in the custody of the Pakistan state, and added that Islamabad must be held accountable for the tragic incident.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) What happened to Sarabjit Singh was inhuman, barbaric and not the way in which a civilised state treats its prisoners, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said Thursday, labelling the Indian's death as Pakistan's "abject failure".
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said it was "particularly regrettable" that Pakistan "did not heed the pleas...to take a humanitarian view" of the case of Sarabjit Singh who died after being attacked in a Lahore jail.
Shimla, May 1 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has said the state government would seek early release of Rs.277 crore for afforestation, an official statement Wednesday said.
Shimla, May 1 (IANS) Seven women and three children, all from Rajasthan, were killed in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district when their overcrowded jeep skidded off the road and fell into a 500-metre-deep gorge, police said Wednesday.
New Delhi, Apr. 30 (Xinhua-ANI): India has issued a fresh appeal to Pakistan to release on "humanitarian grounds" convicted Indian spy Sarabjit Singh who is currently in a coma at a hospital in Pakistan following a deadly attack on him by his fellow inmates in a jail last week.
Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium here Monday.
Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI PUnjab at the Wankhede Stadium here Monday.
Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) Sarabjit Singh will continue to receive treatment in Pakistan, said a medical panel formed to decide whether the Indian death row prisoner, who was grievously injured in an attack in Kot Lakhpat jail, needs to be taken abroad.
Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) The attack on Sarabjit Singh could have serious implications for Pakistan-India ties, said a Pakistani daily, adding that the fate of the Indian death row prisoner was caught in the problematic relationship between the two countries.
New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The Chinese intrusion in Ladakh is a "matter of perception" and the stand-off would be resolved through diplomacy, Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh said here Sunday.
New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said the unauthorised collection of deposits for chit funds should be curbed in the wake of the Saradha Group defrauding thousands of depositors.
Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Gracy Singh will play a classical singer in "Blue Mountains", touted to be her comeback film. She says she even learnt a bit of singing for the movie.
Lahore/New Delhi, Apr 27 (ANI): Amid building diplomatic uneasiness, counsel of Sarabjit Singh, who was attacked by inmates in a Pakistan jail on April 26, said on Saturday that the Indian prisoner's health was critical.
Amritsar, April 27 (IANS) With Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in coma at a Lahore hospital after being fatally assaulted by fellow prisoners, his family members in Punjab said Saturday that they wanted to leave for Pakistan immediately to take care of him.
Chandigarh, April 27 (ANI): Worried family members of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner on death row in Lahore's KotLakhpat Jail, have said that Friday afternoon's attack on him was a conspiracy to eliminate and kill him.
Lahore/New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh was admitted to the ICU of Lahore's Jinnah Hospital following a murderous attack on him by fellow prisoners in the city's Kot Lakhpat jail Friday afternoon, his family in Indian Punjab said.
Tarn Taran/Lahore, April 26 (IANS) Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Lahore's Jinnah Hospital following a murderous attack on him by fellow prisons in the city's Kot Lakhpat jail Friday afternoon, his family in Indian Punjab said.
Shimla, April 26 (IANS) The central government Friday agreed to sanction Rs.17 crore for strengthening infrastructure in four nursing institutes in Himachal Pradesh, a statement said here.
