<ul><li>The former president was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and was operated upon for removal of a clot in the brain. He also tested positive for COVID-19. </li><li>The former president's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee tweeted, "Rumours about my father are false. Request, especially to the media, not to call me as I need to keep my phone free for any updates from the hospital." </li></ul> The condition of former President <keyword id="6359124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pranab-mukherjee">Pranab Mukherjee</keyword> remains unchanged and he is deeply comatose, the Army's Research and Referral hospital said on Thursday. Doctors attending on him said Mukherjee has stable vital parameters and he continues to be on ventilator support. The former president was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and was operated upon for removal of a clot in the brain. He also tested positive for COVID-19. "The condition of Shri Pranab Mukherjee remains unchanged this morning, He is deeply comatose with stable vital parameters and he continues to be on ventilatory support," a statement from the hospital said. With rumours doing the rounds, his son and former MP Abhijit Mukherjee said, "My father Shri Pranab Mukherjee is still alive and haemodynamically stable." "Speculations and fake news being circulated by reputed Journalists on social media clearly reflects that media in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has become a factory of fake news," he said on Twitter. The former president's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee tweeted, "Rumours about my father are false. Request, especially to the media, not to call me as I need to keep my phone free for any updates from the hospital." Pranab Mukherjee was the President of India from 2012 to 2017. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/trump-was-rushed-from-the-briefing-room-by-secret-service-after-a-shooting-outside-of-the-white-house/articleshow/77474005.cms">Trump was rushed from the briefing room by Secret Service after a shooting outside the White House</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/mckinsey-facebook-amazon-nokia-and-some-other-companies-looking-for-a-product-manager-right-now/slidelist/77464438.cms">McKinsey, Facebook, Amazon, Nokia — and some other companies looking for a product manager right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/how-karan-bajaj-sold-his-less-than-18-month-old-startup-white-hat-jr-to-byjus/articleshow/77415329.cms">A WhatsApp message, six weeks of talks and a $300 million deal – how Karan Bajaj sold his less than 18-month old startup White Hat Jr to Byju’s</a>

Pranab Mukherjee's condition remains unchanged, says Army Hospital after false death news surface on the internet

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50729170.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s military prowess and the country's diverse cultural heritage were on display at the 67th <keyword id="6416557" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Republic-day">Republic Day</keyword> parade on the magnificent Rajpath boulevard here on Tuesday at which visiting French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest. 
 
For the first time, a contingent from the French 35th Infantry Regiment was given the honour of leading the marching contingents and it performed with panache, preceded by a pipes and drums band and saluting in a rather unusual style with the hand held straight across the chest. 
 The celebrations began with Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> driving to the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial to the Unknown Soldier at India Gate and laying a wreath in honour of the countless Indian soldiers who have died in battles since World War I. 
 Modi then drove up to the saluting base to receive President <keyword id="6359124" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pranab-Mukherjee">Pranab Mukherjee</keyword> and President Francois Hollande. 
 
The President's Bodyguard presented the national salute, the tricolour was unfurled and the national anthem was played to set the tone for a rather poignant moment - the posthumous presentation of the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest gallantry award in peacetime. It was presented this year to the widow of Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of the Parachute Regiment, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists in the Kashmir Valley last September. 
 
The emotion on Mukherjee's face was visible as he presented the medal and the citation to Goswami's widow. 
 
The French apart, there was much that was different this time around. The marching contingents were fewer, as were the massed bands. 
 
Then, instead of a marching continent of ex-servicemen, there was a tableau dedicated to them in the first part of the parade, an army dog squad with handlers made an appearance after 26 years, and the camel-mounted troopers of the Border Security Force made up the rear element of the parade's military element. 
 
In another break with tradition, the young recipients of the National Awards for Bravery came up towards the end, followed by the children's pageant, a daredevil motorcycle display by the Corps of Signals, and a grand flypast by fighters, heavy-lift transports and helicopters of the Indian Air Force. 
 Vice President <keyword id="6491214" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Hamid-Ansari">Hamid Ansari</keyword>, the three service chiefs, Congress president <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword>, cabinet ministers, a host of dignitaries and a group of women achievers seated in a special enclosure were on hand to witness the hour-and-half long parade. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

India displays cultural heritage, military prowess on Republic Day

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50137888.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />An “invaluable asset for India” as Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> rightly called him on his 80th birthday, President <keyword id="6359124" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pranab-Mukherjee">Pranab Mukherjee</keyword>’s intellectual and political prowess as well as remarkable knowledge of international relations, financial affairs and parliamentary process makes this man a powerhouse in himself. 
 
In his unparalleled experience in governance is the rare distinction of having served at different times as Foreign, Defence, Commerce and Finance Minister. 
 
Born in a small village of Mirati in Birbhum District of West Bengal on December 11, 1935 to freedom fighters Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi, his father was a Congress leader who endured great hardship including being sent to jail several times for his role in India’s struggle for independence. 
 
In his teens, Pranab Mukherjee acquired a Master’s degree in History and Political Science as well as a degree in Law from the University of Kolkata, before embarking on his professional life as a college teacher and journalist. However, it didn’t take him long before he finally followed into his father’s footsteps by plunging into full time public life following his election to the Upper House of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) in 1969. There was no looking back for him hereon! 
 
Beside him throughout his life of political ups and downs was the lady he was married to - Suvra Mukherjee - who died in August this year. She was an accomplished singer of Rabindra Sangeet and an artist. Pranab Mukherjee is succeeded by two sons and a daughter. 
 
PRANAB DA’S POLITICAL ERA 
 Under the careful mentoring of late Prime Minister <keyword id="6354478" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi">Indira Gandhi</keyword>, his rise in his political career was rapid. It started with him as the Deputy Minister, Industry; Shipping and Transport, Steel and Industry and Minister of State for Finance in the period 1973-74. 
 In no time, his dedication, intelligence and charisma landed him with the post of the Finance Minister of India for the first time in 1982 in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He went on to become the Leader of the House in the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from 1980 to 1985. Later, his political career was a smooth ride through various departments, where he stood out every time: Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 1991 to 1996, Minister for Commerce from 1993 to 1995, Minister of External Affairs from 1995 to 1996, Minister of Defence from 2004 to 2006 and once again the Minister of External Affairs from 2006 to 2009. He was the Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2012 and Leader of the Lower House of Parliament from 2004 to 2012 till he resigned to contest election to the office of the President. Rated one of the best five Finance Ministers of the world in 1984 (according to a survey conducted by "Euro Money” Journal published from New York) and ‘Finance Minister of the year’ for Asia in 2010 (by "Emerging Markets”, the journal of record for the <keyword id="6354424" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-Bank">World Bank</keyword> and the IMF) is testimony to his dedication in delivering in the crucial and responsible role. 
 The man also has extensive diplomatic experience. He served on the Board of Governors of the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank. He has led the Indian delegations to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Conferences in 1982, 1983 and 1984; the <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> General Assembly in 1994, 1995, 2005 and 2006, the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government at Auckland in 1995, the Non-Aligned Foreign Minister’s Conference at Cartagena in 1995 and the Conference to mark the 40th anniversary of the Afro –Asian Conference in Bandung in 1995. 
 
AWARDS AND HONOURS: 
 A prolific reader, Pranab Mukherjee has authored several books on the <keyword id="6356076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-economy">Indian Economy</keyword> and on Nation Building. The many awards and honours conferred on him include India’s second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhusan in 2008, the Best Parliamentarian Award in 1997 and Best Administrator in India Award in 2011. 
 
He is recipient of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa conferred by the University of Dhaka in 2013; and Honoris Causa conferred by the University of Calcutta in 2014; Honorary Doctorate conferred by the Russian Diplomatic Academy in 2015; and Professor Honoris Causa conferred by the Belarus State University in 2015.Honorary Doctorate conferred by the University of Jordan in 2015; Honorary Doctorate conferred by Al-Quds University, Palestine in 2015; and Honorary Doctorate conferred by Hebrew University, Israel in 2015. 
 
(image credit: Indiatimes)

Born to a freedom fighter, Pranab Da's rise from a college teacher to becoming India’s 13th President is simply aweinspiring

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48248917.cms" />Mortal remains of late former Indian President <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=APJ+Abdul+Kalam">APJ Abdul Kalam</a> arrived at Palam Airport in New Delhi from Guwahati on Tuesday. 
 Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, along with Three Service Chiefs paid homage to Kalam. 
 
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were also present. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48249119.cms" /> 
 
Public can pay homage to the late President from 3pm onwards at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48249129.cms" /> 
 
The last rites will take place at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. 
 
People from all walks of life took to social media and paid homage to the apolitical President. Kalam led the scientific team that developed missiles able to carry India's nuclear warheads. 
 
He became a national hero after helping oversee nuclear tests in 1998 that solidified India's status as a nuclear weapons state. India's first atomic test was in 1974. 
 
Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smriti+irani">Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani</a> announced Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to be renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan. 
 
Telangana Government has announced holiday, whereas the Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to work one hour extra to pay tribute to the late President. 
 
Kalam died on Monday (July 27) from a cardiac arrest at the age of 83. 
 
Kalam, popularly known as 'Missile Man', was delivering a lecture in Shillong when he collapsed and was rushed to Bethany Hospital. 
 
Kalam’s last tweet was: 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Going to Shillong.. to take course on Livable Planet earth at iim. With <a href="https://twitter.com/srijanpalsingh">@srijanpalsingh</a> and Sharma.
	— In memoryof Dr.Kalam (@APJAbdulKalam) <a href="https://twitter.com/APJAbdulKalam/status/625546195205648384">July 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
We at Business Insider have created this unique platform for anyone who wants to pay homage to this the beloved Former President, APJ Abdul Kalam- the great leader, teacher, scientist and amongst many other things a visionary par excellence, even as he embarks upon his last journey. Just click on the link to pay your respects: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/social/48249034.cms">http://www.businessinsider.in/social/48249034.cms</a> 
 
(Images: ANI Twitter)

President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Modi pay homage to Dr Kalam at Delhi airport

New Delhi, Sep 23 () Minister of State for Railways and Karnataka <keyword id="14666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> MP Suresh Angadi passed away on Wednesday, days after he tested positive for COVID-19. The 65-year-old passed away at around 8 pm at the AIIMS trauma centre which has been converted into a dedicated COVID-19 facility, sources at the hospital said. A fourth-term MP from Belagavi, Angadi is the first Union minister to have died of coronavirus. At least six MLAs and three MPs have earlier succumbed to it. Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who died on August 31, was also diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. Angadi had on September 11 himself announced on microblogging site Twitter that he had contracted the disease. The MP from Belagavi had requested all those who came in close contact with him over the last few days to monitor their health and get tested in case of any symptoms. India's COVID-19 count now stands at 45,62,415, including 9,43,480 active cases, 35,42,664 recoveries and 76,271 deaths. "Shri Suresh Angadi was an exceptional Karyakarta, who worked hard to make the Party strong in Karnataka. He was a dedicated MP and effective Minister, admired across the spectrum. His demise is saddening. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this sad hour. Om Shanti," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. "Extremely saddened by the passing away of Central Minister Shri Suresh Angadi Ji. He was a remarkable leader who dedicated all his life for organisation and went on to serve society with utmost diligence and compassion. My thoughts and Prayers are with his family and followers," BJP president J P Nadda tweeted. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on the micro-blogging website, "Deeply anguished at the unfortunate demise of Suresh Angadi ji. He was like my brother. Words fall short to describe his commitment &amp; dedication towards the people. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this hour of need. Om Shanti". Former Prime Minister and JDS chief HD Deve Gowda expressed his sadness over the demise and tweeted that Angadi was like a "younger brother". "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the demise of Union Minister of State for Railways and four-term MP from Belagavi Shri. Suresh Angadi. He was like a younger brother to me. I feel terrible losing him. This is an unbearable loss to our nation. "May his soul rest in peace. May God give his family and well-wishers the strength to bear this pain," he tweeted. <keyword id="48510" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajya-Sabha">Rajya Sabha</keyword> MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar also termed the death as a "tragic, terrible, and sad news". "<keyword id="9989226" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="shocked-saddened">Shocked &amp; Saddened</keyword> by news of my MoS colleague, Shri Suresh Angadi ji's passing away. It is an unfathomable loss to the Government, people of <keyword id="9989225" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="karnataka-the-party">Karnataka &amp; the Party</keyword>. His selfless service during COVID19 is still vivid before our eyes. My condolences to his family," tweeted MoS, Home G Kishan Reddy.

Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi dies of coronavirus

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55834935.cms" />Hundreds of thousands people gathered at Rajaji Hall to catch a last glimpse of Jayalalithaa, who died of cardiac arrest in Apollo Hospital in Chennai on December 05. 
 
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior leaders, people across Tamil Nadu paid rich tributes to Jayalalithaa, who is considered as an iconic figure and dubbed as ‘iron lady’ of politics in India. 
 
Jayalalithaa, fondly known as ‘amma’, was a visionary leader who was also known for her discipline, boldness and courage. 
 
She was the leader of the common man who launched a gamut of initiatives for the people. She was known as the people’s chief minister, who never minced words and kept her state before anything else. 
 
People who look for daily motivation on leadership should read about Jayalalithaa’s dynamic personality and leadership skills as her life lessons can teach a lot. 
 
Here are some leadership lessons that you should learn from Jayalalithaa 
 
 
(Images: Indiatimes)

Top 6 leadership lessons from Jayalalithaa

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55836806.cms" />Jayalalithaa was laid to rest with full state honours, next to MGR memorial at Marina beach in Chennai. Jayalalithaa died of cardiac arrest on December 05 at Apollo Hospital.Hundreds of thousands of people thronged the final journey Jayalalithaa from Rajaji Hall to Marina beach. 
 
Tears welled up the eyes of supports as people bid adieu to the ‘iron lady’ of Indian politics. 
 
Earlier in the day, President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior leaders, came down to Chennai and paid floral tributes to Jayalalithaa. 
 
Lakhs of people poured outside Rajaji Hall, where Jayalalithaa's body lay draped in the Indian flag. 
 
Seven -day mourning has been declared in the state. Schools were shut and thousands of police deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. 
People wailed and displayed dramatic emotions, beating their chests and heads. There were loud cries of "Amma, Amma". 
 
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also condoled her death, saying Jayalalithaa had a "towering presence in Indian politics". 
"At this time of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tamil Nadu," he added. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Thesewere-the-7-major-initiatives-taken-by-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55814780.cms">These were the 7 major initiatives taken by Jayalalithaa</a> 
 
Jayalalithaa’s life has been under constant limelight. Before entering politics, Jayalalithaa was a renowned actress and holds the record for having been the Tamil actress with maximum silver jubilee hits in her career. 
 
She had also made her debut in Bollywood with the movie ‘Izzat’. After entering politics, she proved to a stalwart leader and announced a string of initiatives for the people of Tamil Nadu. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/From-holding-a-world-record-to-accepting-Re-1-assalary-here-are-10-unknown-facts-about-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55829259.cms">From holding a world record to accepting Re 1 as salary, here are 10 unknown facts about Jayalalithaa</a> 
 
When she became the chief minister, she was given a cheque as her first salary but she denied it. She accepted a salary of Re1. 
 
Very few people know she held Guinness Book of World Records. 
 
Jayalalithaa was a visionary leader who was also known for her discipline, boldness and courage. 
 
She was the leader of the common man who launched a gamut of initiatives for the people. She was known as the people’s chief minister, who never minced words and kept her state before anything else. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Top-6-leadership-lessons-from-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55834755.cms">Top 6 leadership lessons from Jayalalithaa</a>

Breaking News: Jayalalithaa laid to rest

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54c6006edd089567578b457b-1200-924/obama-8.jpg" border="0" alt="Obama">REUTERS/Jim Bourg U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a toast as he attends an Official State Dinner with India's President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace in New Delhi January 25, 2015. </img></div></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know for Monday.
1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/greece-votes-in-crucial-election-2015-1">Radical leftist party Syriza won the Greek election</a> Sunday night by a landslide.
2. After Syriza's victory, the party will be <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/what-happens-next-syriza-victory-greece-election-2015-1">looking for coalition partners this morning </a>to form a new government. 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-and-america-come-meet-mum-2015-1">3. </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-and-america-come-meet-mum-2015-1">US President Barack Obama attended India's annual Republic Day parade in Delhi</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-and-america-come-meet-mum-2015-1">, the first American president to do so, as part of a three-day visit to the country.</a>
4. The official <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-malaysia-airlines-website-hacked-by-group-cyber-caliphate-2015-1">Malaysia Airlines website was hacked Monday</a> by a group calling itself the "Official Cyber Caliphate."<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/yemens-government-just-resigned-en-masse-2015-1"></a>
5. The journalist who first reported the death of Argentine state prosecutor Alberto Nisman <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-journalist-who-broke-news-of-prosecutors-death-flees-argentina-2015-1">has fled Argentina fearing for his life</a>.
6. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/world/asia/widespread-blackout-in-pakistan-deals-another-blow-to-government.html">80% of Pakistan was in darkness Sunday</a> after a reported militant attack on the the national electricity grid.
7. <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c894939cf8984c84a5e07a4b5fec6037/prosecutor-captain-reason-why-32-died-aboard-concordia">T</a><a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c894939cf8984c84a5e07a4b5fec6037/prosecutor-captain-reason-why-32-died-aboard-concordia">he 32 victims of the Costa Concordia shipwreck died because of chaos and errors</a> and not because the cruise ship crashed into a reef, a prosecutor said in the closing arguments of the captain's trial.<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/world/asia/widespread-blackout-in-pakistan-deals-another-blow-to-government.html"> </a>
8. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30974547">Church of England will consecrate its first female bishop</a>, 48-year-old Libby Lane. 
9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-japan-trade-deficit-expands-to-a-record-109-bn-in-2014-2015-1">Japan's trade deficit expanded to a record $109 billion</a> (£725 billion) in 2014. 
10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/mayor-de-blasio-coming-blizzard-could-be-the-biggest-storm-in-nyc-history-2015-1">New York is preparing for a record-breaking blizzard, which could drop as much as 3 feet of snow. </a>
And finally...
<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/esa-images-from-rosetta-spacecraft-comet-2015-1">The European Space Agency has published stunning new up-close images of Rosetta's comet</a>.

The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now

<div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5232e573eab8ea2927c8a356-1200-924/india-rape-1.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="india rape" width="480" />REUTERS/Adnan AbidiDemonstrators with their heads covered by black cloth take part in a protest outside a court in New Delhi September 10, 2013. </div></div>
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - All four men convicted of raping and murdering a 23-year-old woman in Delhi were sentenced to death on Friday, nine months after a crime whose savagery triggered furious protests across Indiaand rare national debate about violence against women.
"Everybody got the death penalty," defense lawyer A.P. Singh told reporters outside the Delhi courtroom, where dozens of police had formed a barricade to keep crowds back.
One of the four men sentenced to death by hanging, gym instructor Vinay Sharma, was dragged out of the court crying.
The victim, who was raped for an hour and tortured with an iron rod on a moving bus, became a symbol of the dangers women face in a country where a <keyword id="39493" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rape">rape</keyword> is reported on average every 21 minutes and acid attacks and cases of molestation are common.
"This has shocked the collective conscience of society," Judge Yogesh Khanna told the court, referring to the attack.
The four men were sentenced to death despite their lawyers' pleas to ignore popular and political pressure for a penalty handed down in only the "rarest of rare" cases.
Lawyer A.P. Singh, who represented two of the convicts in the trial, said hours before the sentencing that it would be "based on the emotions of the people".
"This sentencing is under political pressure," he said.
The sentencing capped a seven-month trial, often held behind closed doors, that was punctuated dramatically by a fifth defendant hanging himself in his jail cell. A sixth, who was under 18 at the time of the attack, was earlier sentenced to three years detention, the maximum allowed under juvenile law.
It was one of the biggest tests in years of <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s paradoxical attitude towards the death penalty.
The country's judges hand down, on average, 130 death sentences every year but India has executed just three people in the past 17 years. Despite its apparent reluctance to carry out the sentences, last year India voted against a U.N. draft resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions.
In November, India ended what many human rights groups had interpreted as an undeclared moratorium on capital punishment when it executed a man convicted for the 2008 militant attack on the city of Mumbai. Three months later, it hanged a Kashmiri separatist for a 2001 militant attack on parliament.
"In the past year, India has made a full-scale retreat from its previous principled rejection of the death penalty," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
The hanging of the two militants came after a seven-year gap in executions, the last being a man who was convicted of raping and killing a schoolgirl in the city of Kolkata.
Prosecutors had called for the "harshest punishment" to be given to Sharma, bus cleaner Akshay Kumar Singh, fruit-seller Pawan Gupta, and unemployed Mukesh Singh for last December's murder to signal that such attacks cannot be tolerated.
The four men were found guilty of luring the woman onto a bus, raping and torturing her with a metal bar and then throwing her naked and bleeding onto the road. She died two weeks later.
Violent protests exploded in several cities after the crime, a reaction commentators and sociologists said reflected a deep well of frustration that many urban Indians feel over what they see as weak governance and poor leadership on social issues.
The government, seen as out of touch with the aspirations of the burgeoning urban middle class, was caught off guard by the protests.
DIVIDED ON DEATH
The Delhi case led to the introduction of tougher rape laws in March, and for the first time open conversation about gender crime in television debates, social media and even Bollywood.
Still, sex crimes remain commonplace in India, and social commentators say patriarchal attitudes towards women have not been diluted by more than a decade of rapid economic growth.
Comments on social media websites and elsewhere ahead of the sentencing suggested that popular opinion was in favor of executing the men, although a survey by CNN-IBN-The Hindu newspaper in July showed Indians were divided on the merits of capital punishment.
The victim's parents have said their daughter's dying wish was for her attackers to be "burned alive".
A potentially years-long appeals process lies ahead for the four men. The case will go to the High Court and then Supreme Court. If they confirm the sentences, the final decision will lie with the president, who has the power to grant clemency.
Although the Supreme Court ruled in the 1980s that the death penalty should be imposed only in the "rarest ofrare" cases, opponents say the reality is quite different.
Indian courts sentenced 1,455 prisoners to death between 2001 and 2011, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
There are 477 people on death row. Many have been there for years. Human rights groups have been alarmed, however, by the vigor with which President Pranab Mukherjee, who was sworn into office in July 2012, has acted in clearing the backlog of clemency pleas. He has rejected 11, confirming the death penalty for 17 people.
Retired Delhi High Court judge R.S. Sodhi attributes the country's low execution rate to former presidents being "too soft", wary of any backlash from what he described as a divided public.
Sodhi, who said he sentenced five people to death during his time on the bench, now opposes the death penalty.
"A life sentence is the biggest sentence you can give. Imagine rotting for the rest of your life in jail," he said.
It is a view echoed by some women's rights groups and legal experts who had opposed executing the physiotherapist's attackers. Others have invoked the Gandhian principle that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind".
But top politicians, including the interior minister, had said the death penalty was assured in the case. Such comments were seen by some as adding to pressure on the court to make a populist ruling to satisfy the public outrage over the attack.
"Public opinion and particularly media channels are adding fuel to the fire. It is putting the judiciary on the back foot," said Colin Gonsalves, a lawyer who has appeared in the Supreme Court and is founder director of the Human Rights Law Network.
(Additional reporting by Shyamantha Asokan; Writing by Ross Colvin and John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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