DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:19:16 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/national/nepal-floods-eam-jaishankar-discusses-relief-and-rescue-efforts-with-mea-officials-indian-missions-in-kathmandu-and-beijing-699518.html New Delhi Aug 28 IANS External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held a meeting with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs MEA and the Embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing to discuss the relief and rescue efforts for Nepal in the wake of the deadly floodsDuring the meeting MEA officials informed about the relief supplies that will be sent to Nepal Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal and other officials were present during the meetingFollowing the meeting EAM Jaishankar said Discussed the relief and rescue efforts underway in Nepal today Our Embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing provided an updated picture in respect of the status and wellbeing of Indian nationals The concerned MEA Divisions apprised us of the further relief supplies to be sent to Nepal We give highest priority to this issueThe meeting comes as catastrophic flash floods in Nepals Bhote Koshi River have led to the death of 469 people while 977 people remain out of contactAddressing a press briefing on the Nepal disaster here on Thursday MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said that India will send Bailey bridges to assist Nepal in the rescue and relief efforts after the flash floods He said that India has sent 475 tonnes of relief material to Nepal through two aircraftTwo aircraft with humanitarian assistance have been sent to Kathmandu A C130J aircraft took off yesterday Wednesday at around 830 pm carrying 10 tonnes of relief material including temporary shelters blankets hygiene kits solar lamps medicines etc And then this morning a C17 aircraft departed with 375 tonnes of supplies comprising 285 tonnes of relief items such as tents blankets hygiene kits solar lamps dewatering pumps kitchen sets gensets etc eight tonnes of medicines and one tonne of food items he saidIn total across the two departures by air India has sent 475 tonnes of emergency supplies aimed at supporting Nepals ongoing rescue and relief operations Let me say that further assistance is also being considered We are also mobilising Bailey bridges to assist in rescue and relief efforts he addedThe floods believed to have been triggered by an avalanche on a transboundary river between Nepal and China upstream of the Bhote Koshi River have left a trail of destruction along the riverbanks downstream sweeping away several human settlements roads hydropower projects and transmission infrastructure among other facilitiesAccording to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority NDRRMA 469 bodies have been recovered from various districts with the highest number 178 bodies recovered in Chitwan district followed by 110 in Nawalparasi East Likewise 44 bodies were recovered in Gorkha 37 in Nuwakot 28 in Tanahun 27 in Nawalparasi West 23 in Dhading and 12 in Rasuwa the authority saidOf the 977 people out of contact 517 are foreign nationals The MEA said on Thursday night that as many as 290 Indians remain out of contact in the aftermath of the deadly floods in the Bhote Koshi River The United States said that approximately 90 Americans may have been affected by the floods in Nepal while China said that nearly 100 Chinese nationals remain missing on the Nepali sideAmong those out of contact 127 Nepalis residing abroad are also missing according to the authority The latest update also said that those out of contact include 28 Nepal Police personnel 45 Nepal Army personnel 13 Armed Police Force personnel 15 Customs Office staff and four Immigration Office staffAt least 73 people have been injured in the disaster including 43 in Rasuwa three in Dhading and 27 in Nuwakot the authority saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nepal-floods-eam-jaishankar-discusses-relief-and-rescue-efforts-with-mea-officials-indian-missions-in-kathmandu-and-beijing-699518.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-billboard-row-mamata-banerjee-led-faction-approaches-calcutta-hc-699520.html Kolkata Aug 28 IANS The faction in the Trinamool Congress led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday approached a special singlejudge bench of the Calcutta High Court in connection with the row over the removal of an illegal billboard from the roof of the partys MP Abhishek Banerjees office on Camac Street in Central KolkatanbspTrinamool Congress counsel Kishore Dutta the former advocate general of West Bengal drew the courts attention to the matter The special singlejudge bench of Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury gave permission to file a case in the matterHowever a decision on Trinamools plea for a hearing on an urgent basis on Friday is pendingThe petitioners counsel informed Justice Basu Chowdhurys bench that on Thursday at 445 pm Kolkata Municipal Corporation KMC staff went to the said Camac Street office and started dismantling the billboardDutta also informed the court that the office of the Calcutta High Courts Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakrabarty was informed about the matter on Thursday and the latter asked the petitioner to draw the attention of Justice Basu Chowdhurys singlejudge benchAfter that Trinamool Congress counsel requested the bench to hear the case as soon as possible on an urgent basisHowever Justice Chowdhury asked the Trinamool Congress counsel to first register the case and approach his bench with the case number The judge also observed that he would not be able to hear the matter until the case number was availableJustice Chowdhury also said that a hearing in the matter will be conducted on Friday but only after the case number was available He also asked the petitioner to inform other parties in the case namely KMC and Kolkata Police about the matterOn Thursday tension broke out on Camac Street after KMC officials accompanied by Kolkata Police personnel reached the office of Abhishek Banerjee the partys Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member and also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee to remove an illegal billboardThe billboard was removed ultimately after two rounds of scuffles between the cops and Trinamool Congress activists On Thursday Abhishek informed that he would approach the Calcutta High Court in the matterIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-billboard-row-mamata-banerjee-led-faction-approaches-calcutta-hc-699520.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ex-mill-sugar-prices-fall-20-per-cent-retail-prices-too-start-declining-govt-699521.html New Delhi Aug 28 IANS Exmill sugar prices in India have declined by around 20 per cent while retail sugar prices have also started coming down and given the normal transmission of changes through the supply chain retail prices are expected to follow the downward movement in prices shortly the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food Public Distribution said on FridaynbspThe government has been closely monitoring sugar prices stocks and movement across the country and has taken a series of proactive measures to ensure that the benefit of adequate availability reaches consumers The downward trend in exmill and retail prices reflects that the sharp spike in prices witnessed recently was primarily on account of hoarding and speculation although the country carries adequate stocks of sugar the ministry statement saidA nationwide drive for physical verification of sugar stocks at mills has reaffirmed the comfortable availability position In several cases sugar mills were found to be holding stocks higher than those declared in their monthly returns submitted to the government The verification exercise has established that there is no shortage of sugar in the country and there is no justification for panic buying or excessive stocking it saidIn some cases sugar mills were also found to be resorting to short selling which means selling less sugar than the quantity allocated to them under the monthly quota Such practices tend to unnecessarily constrain market supplies despite adequate physical stocks the statement saidThe government has also observed that in certain cases sugar sold by mills at the beginning of the month was being dispatched or lifted by buyers only towards the end of the month This practice contributed to artificial scarcity in the market To address such issues and ensure that sugar reaches the market in a timely manner the government has decided to introduce a fortnightly sugar allocation system from September replacing the existing monthly quota system Under the fortnightly quota mills will be required to sell at least 40 per cent of the allocation in the first week and the remaining quantity in the succeeding weekSugar mills have already been directed to ensure that sugar sold is dispatched from the mill within seven days of sale The combination of fortnightly quota allocation and mandatory dispatch within seven days will significantly improve the movement of sugar through the supply chain It will ensure that sugar moves quickly from mills to dealers and ultimately to consumers while discouraging unnecessary accumulation and speculative holding of stocks Bulk consumers of sugar have also been advised not to accumulate stocks in excess of their operational requirementsSugarcane crushing for the new season will also commence from October 15 and it is expected that more than 10 LMT of sugar will be produced during the month The government has also permitted sugar mills to sell sugar produced during October without restriction ensuring that newseason production becomes available in the domestic market at the earliest Sugar production is expected to be around 45 LMT in November providing substantial additional supplies for domestic consumption the statement addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ex-mill-sugar-prices-fall-20-per-cent-retail-prices-too-start-declining-govt-699521.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/reminds-us-of-the-importance-of-family-values-andhra-governor-cm-greet-people-on-raksha-bandhan-699532.html Amaravati Aug 28 Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu have greeted people on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Friday Governor Abdul Nazeer conveyed his heartiest greetings and good wishes to the people He said the festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the sacred bond of love affection and mutual respect between brothers and sisters âIt reminds us of the importance of family values care protection and lifelong companionshipâ he said and wished this auspicious occasion would strengthen the bonds of love and unity among families and bring happiness peace and prosperity to allChief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also greeted people on Raksha Bandhan âMay this Raksha Bandhan festival a symbol of the bond between brothers and sisters fill your life with joy health and happiness On this Rakhi Pournami I sincerely wish that it spreads light in your lives fills them with bonds of loveâ he said in a post on XDeputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also conveyed his wishes to women âOn the occasion of Raksha Bandhan Rakhi Pournami which stands as a symbol of the affection and bond between brothers and sisters I extend my heartfelt wishes to all sistersâ he saidâRakhi Pournami is an emotionally charged symbol of the ties relationships and responsibilities intertwined with the Indian family system It is a festival that fosters a sense of brotherhood honors women and provides reassuranceâ the Deputy CM saidâOn this Rakhi Pournami we reiterate the coalition governments commitment to advancing womens safety and empowerment in the state The coalition government is already successfully implementing initiatives such as Deepam2 which provides three free gas cylinders per year Talli Ki Vandanam and Stree Shakti schemesâ he addedThe Jana Sena leader said the state was steadily progressing towards realising the dream of developing tribal villages Already 426 tribal hamlets have been connected by roads Through Adavitalli Baata Phase2 the government has initiated measures to further expand these roads âTo protect tribal women from the genetic disease Sickle Cell Anaemia we are establishing a special blood bank in Araku On this Rakhi Pournami we affirm our resolve to move forward toward the upliftment and empowerment of girls and womenâ Pawan Kalyan addedFormer Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy greeted women âYour love and affection are my greatest strength and give me immense courage I will always remain grateful for the warmth and affection you shower upon me as your brotherâ he saidThe YSR Congress Party chief wished that their lives are filled with happiness love strong bonds and good health IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/reminds-us-of-the-importance-of-family-values-andhra-governor-cm-greet-people-on-raksha-bandhan-699532.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/amid-row-over-daughters-remarks-telangana-minister-ties-rakhi-to-cm-699533.html Hyderabad Aug 28 Telanganaâs Minister for Forest Environment and Endowment Konda Surekha who faces disciplinary action over her daughterâs outbursts against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy tied him Rakhi on Friday on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan Apart from Surekha Minister for Panchayat Raj Rural Development Women amp Child Welfare Danasari Seethakka also tied Rakhi to the Chief Minister Amid the buzz that Surekha may be dropped from the Cabinet she called on the Chief Minister at the latterâs Jubilee Hills residence and tied him a RakhiSurekhaâs daughter Sushmitha has recently made certain remarks against the Chief Minister at a programme at Parkal in Warangal district She had accused the Chief Ministerâs family of corruptionIn response to the notice by the Disciplinary Committee of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee TPCC the minister had stated that she canât be held accountable for the views expressed by her daughter She asked the panel to take back the noticeTaking strong view of the ministerâs reply the Disciplinary Committee has reportedly recommended strong action against her for the indisciplineMeanwhile Minister for Panchayat Raj Rural Development Women amp Child Welfare Danasari Seethakka also tied Rakhi to the Chief MinisterRevanth Reddy treats Seethakka as her own sister and has publicly declared on several occasions their bond is stronger than blood relationState Womens Commission Chairperson Gadwal Vijayalakshmi members chairpersons of various corporations representatives of the Brahma Kumaris Mahila Congress leaders and students from the Government High School for Visually Impaired Girls in Malakpet also tied Rakhis to Chief Minister Revanth ReddyEarlier the Chief Minister extended heartfelt greetings to all sisters of the Telangana State on the occasion of the Rakhi PurnimaThe Chief Minister wished that everyone would celebrate the Rakhi festival which symbolises a strong bond between brothers and sisters with joy and happiness The CM hoped that every household would be blessed with happiness prosperity and good healthCM Revanth Reddy stated that the Peoples Governmentâ is striving to achieve the goal of economically empowering women and transforming them into millionaires A slew of welfare schemes and development programmes were already launched as part of the governments ambitious resolve to promote one crore women as crorepatis he saidGovernor Shiv Pratap Shukla also extended his warm greetings to the people on the joyous occasion of Raksha BandhanThe Governor said that Raksha Bandhan celebrates the sacred bond of love affection trust and togetherness between brothers and sisters as the Rakhi symbolises not only protection but also mutual respect care and unwavering supportHe wished that the festival would bring happiness peace prosperity and harmony to every family and strengthen the spirit of love and togetherness in society IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/amid-row-over-daughters-remarks-telangana-minister-ties-rakhi-to-cm-699533.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/indian-sim-cards-sent-to-pakistan-via-dubai-to-access-whatsapp-groups-delhi-police-bust-spy-module-699535.html New Delhi Aug 28 The Delhi Police Special Cell has busted a Pakistanbased espionage network that used Indian SIM cards procured through local contacts to access WhatsApp groups and allegedly gather sensitive information officials said on Friday The Special Cellâs Northern Range arrested a Delhibased couple Mohammad Sahil and his wife Sameera for working with Pakistani intelligence operatives since 2024 Police said the couple was also tasked with recruiting people for reconnaissance of cantonment areas at different locations in IndiaAccording to investigators the network procured Indian SIM cards through local contacts and sent them to Pakistan via Dubai The SIM cards were used there to activate WhatsApp accounts which Pakistani intelligence operatives subsequently used to gain access to Indian WhatsApp groups and approach Indian users for sensitive informationPolice said eight Indian SIM cards were sent to Pakistan through Dubai during 2024 and 2025 The couple was reportedly paid around Rs 30000 by Pakistani handlers for the cardsThe case came to light after the Special Cell received information about an ISIbacked Pakistani intelligence operative network active in DelhiNCR A team led by Inspectors Anuj Nautiyal and Chandan Kumar under the supervision of ACP Rahul Kumar Singh developed the intelligence and identified the alleged local linksSahil was arrested from Sarai Kale Khan During the forensic examination of his mobile phone police found incriminating conversations with Pakistani agentsDuring interrogation Sahil allegedly told investigators that he came in contact with a Pakistani agent on Instagram in 2024 through Sameera whom he later married The agent subsequently introduced the couple to a Pakistani intelligence operative who allegedly recruited them into the network after promising financial benefitsPolice said Sahil and Sameera provided logistical support to the network and were asked to recruit additional individuals for espionagerelated activities and field operationsSahil was assigned to recruit people for reconnaissance of cantonment areas and gather details about Army personnel whose courtmartial proceedings were pending before tribunalsFollowing Sahilâs interrogation police arrested Sameera who said that she played a key role in arranging and supplying Indian SIM cards to the Pakistani handlersTwo mobile phones used in the activities were recovered Their forensic examination reportedly revealed WhatsApp chats and other conversations between the couple and Pakistani handlersPolice said interrogation of the accused provided insights into the alleged modus operandi of the Pakistanbased operatives and their coordination with local contacts through digital communication platformsThe Special Cell said the operation helped disrupt the alleged espionage activities of the Pakistanbased network and uncover its local support structure in DelhiNCR IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/indian-sim-cards-sent-to-pakistan-via-dubai-to-access-whatsapp-groups-delhi-police-bust-spy-module-699535.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-leaders-celebrate-raksha-bandhan-extend-greetings-to-people-699538.html Patna Aug 28 On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary celebrated the festival with his sisters who tied Rakhis on his wrist  Sharing photographs and a message on the social media platform X Choudhary said his sisters tied Rakhi with love and blessingsThe Chief Minister extended his greetings to the people of Bihar and prayed for happiness peace prosperity and wellbeing in the lives of all sisters and families He said the festival of brothersister love affection and trust should further strengthen family values and relationshipsEarlier on the occasion of Sawan Purnima CM Choudhary offered prayers to Lord Satyanarayan Bhagwan He prayed for the happiness peace and prosperity of the people of Bihar and expressed hope that the state would continue on the path of developmentCM Choudhary also shared the traditional mantra Jai Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan Victory to Dharma destruction to AdharmaBihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary celebrated Raksha Bandhan at his Patna residence Sisters from the Brahma Kumaris organisation tied Rakhis to him He expressed gratitude for their affection and blessings and extended his greetings to the people of the stateLeader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav also conveyed his Raksha Bandhan wishes to the people of Bihar He described the festival as a symbol of unbreakable love affection trust and emotional bonds between brothers and sistersHe urged people to pledge on the occasion to respect and protect sisters daughters and women regarded as mother figuresJan Suraaj Party founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor also celebrated Raksha Bandhan at the party office where women tied Rakhis to him Kishor expressed his gratitude to the women who participated and extended his good wishes to them on the occasionThe festival of Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated across Bihar and the country with joy warmth and affection On this special occasion brothers and sisters are coming together to celebrate their bond of love and protection with sisters tying rakhi on their brothersâ wrists and exchanging heartfelt wishes IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-leaders-celebrate-raksha-bandhan-extend-greetings-to-people-699538.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/seven-missing-andhra-fishermen-return-home-after-25-days-699544.html Amaravati Aug 28 Seven fishermen from Andhra Pradesh who went missing at sea early this month safely returned home on Friday officials said The fishermen from Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district who had ventured into the sea for fishing on August 3 and subsequently went missing reached KakinadaThe fishermen who were found safe near Shankarpur fishing harbour off the West Bengal coast on Wednesday had a happy reunion with their families after 25 daysOfficials brought the fishermen back from West Bengal MLA V Kondababu MLC Rajashekhar and district officials received the fishermenThe fishermen set sail on a mechanised boat from Odalrevu fish landing point on August 3 but lost contact with their families four days later after they went deepsea fishing off the Andhra coast in search of tuna The fishermen were scheduled to return on August 12 and as they did not come back families became anxious and approached the authorities A massive search operation was launched in the Bay of Bengal for the missing fishermenOn Tuesday the search operation was intensified with the deployment of 15 Coast Guard vessels and four helicopters An extensive search operation was conducted in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard ICG the Navy and other relevant departments with support from the Central government On Wednesday afternoon local fishermen near the Shankarpur fishing harbour off the West Bengal coast found the boat with the missing fishermen on board They gave a cellphone to the missing fishermen who spoke to their family members in Andhra Pradesh confirming that they were safe The fishermen said that they were stranded at sea after the boat engine developed a technical snagThe fishermen on board the missing boat were identified as Kopanathi Ramakrishna Kollati Yesudasu Palepu Santa Rao Kollati Srinubabu Karri Rambabu Sangani Tatarao and Kataadi Satish KumarThe fishermen said they survived without food for more than three days in the sea before reaching the West Bengal coast IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/seven-missing-andhra-fishermen-return-home-after-25-days-699544.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/i-know-where-ias-officer-gyanendra-is-priyank-kharge-hits-back-at-kumaraswamy-699549.html Bengaluru Aug 28 Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday hit back at Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy over his allegations concerning IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar asserting that he knows the officerâs whereabouts and there is no need for him to disclose them to the BJP or JDS Home Minister Kharge was responding to Union Minister Kumaraswamyâs criticism over the alleged disappearance of Gyanendra Kumar who was reportedly associated with the recruitment examination process by the Karnataka State Public Service KPSC Reportedly his whereabouts are unknownKumaraswamy had questioned Khargeâs earlier statements about the officer and alleged that the government was protecting himAddressing reporters in Bengaluru Kharge asked âHas the IAS officer run away or is he with us What does Kumaraswamy know about itâKharge added that he knows where the officer is and has no obligation to disclose the information to Kumaraswamy or the BJPKharge said the officer had submitted a written request seeking leave and questioned whether the government should disbelieve an official who had formally sought permission He said the documents relating to the leave were available and added that the government would ascertain the facts when Gyanendra Kumar returnedâIf an officer asks for leave in writing should we not believe him How do we know whether he is lying When he comes back we will enquire whether he was lyingâ Kharge saidKharge also launched a sharp attack on Kumaraswamy and the JDS questioning whether the party needed to target him to remain politically relevantâAll these days I was needed by the BJP Now I am wanted by the JDS If they want to stay relevant by making allegations against me let them do itâ Kharge saidHe also referred to Kumaraswamyâs earlier criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS asking whether the JDS and BJP had forgotten his description of the RSS as a âpoisonous snakeââWhat should I comment about those who throw away principles and ethics for powerâ Kharge asked referring to the BJPJDS allianceKharge further alleged that attacking him had become a way for BJP and JDS leaders to gain political mileageâIf they scold Priyank Kharge they will get marks from Keshava Kripaâ he said referring to the RSS office in Bengaluru and alleged that leaders were making statements in the hope of getting political promotionsThe Home Minister also questioned Kumaraswamy over the Centreâs contribution to Karnataka and asked what the Union Minister had brought to the stateâIf you want to talk about the KPSC scam the BJP and JDS can talk about it But who made suspended KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar a member of the KPSC Who appointed him as chairmanâ Kharge askedHe also raised allegations circulating about Sahukarâs political connections and appointment including an unverified claim that he had paid Rs 200 crore to become KPSC president He also questioned Kumaraswamy about the presence of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and State BJP President BY Vijayendras photographs at the residence of Shivashankarappa SahukarâIs it true These are allegations being made about by your own friendsâ Kharge said IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/i-know-where-ias-officer-gyanendra-is-priyank-kharge-hits-back-at-kumaraswamy-699549.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/driver-killed-as-bus-rams-into-truck-on-delhi-mumbai-expressway-in-rajasthans-dausa-699554.html Jaipur Aug 28 A horrific road accident occurred on the DelhiMumbai Expressway in Rajasthanâs Dausa district on Friday leaving a bus driver dead and 21 passengers injured The accident took place on Raksha Bandhan turning the journey of families travelling home for the festival into a scene of panic and mourning The accident occurred in the morning near Gudhaliya village under the jurisdiction of Kolwa police stationAccording to preliminary information a sleeper bus operated by a private travel company was travelling from Ahmedabad to Delhi when it rammed into a truck moving ahead The collision was so severe that the front portion of the bus was completely mangledThe bus driver died on the spot while 21 passengers sustained injuriesThe loud impact alerted nearby villagers who rushed to the accident site and began helping passengers trapped inside the busPolice teams from Kolwa and Sadar police stations also reached the spot after receiving information about the crashAmbulances were arranged to transport the injured to Dausa District Hospital where they are undergoing treatmentDausa Superintendent of Police Piyush Dixit visited the accident site and took stock of the situationPolice officials and local residents worked together to rescue passengers and clear the affected areaThe accident caused traffic congestion on the DelhiMumbai Expressway for some timePolice deployed cranes to remove the damaged bus and truck from the road and subsequently restored the movement of trafficPolice have begun investigating the circumstances that led to the collision Further details regarding the cause of the accident and the condition of the injured passengers are awaitedRecently in another horrifying accident three women were run over by a speeding car on the JaipurBandikui Expressway near Booj village in Jaipurâs Jamwaramgarh area on August 23 The women were clearing weeds along the expressway Two women died on the spot while the third succumbed to her injuries during treatment IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/driver-killed-as-bus-rams-into-truck-on-delhi-mumbai-expressway-in-rajasthans-dausa-699554.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pakistani-drug-cartels-seek-to-tap-punjabs-unemployed-youth-for-courier-network-police-launch-crackdown-699560.html New Delhi Aug 28 The narcotic cartels that are operating from Pakistan are increasingly scouting for unemployed youth in Punjab to pick up and deliver drugs Tarn Taran in Punjab a purported hub of cross border smuggling has been the primary focus of the narcotic cartels Most of the drugs are dropped off here and 99 per cent of the deliveries are reportedly undertaken by dronesAn Intelligence Bureau official said that these cartels have been luring youth in very large numbers to be their couriers What has been luring the youth into doing work for these cartels is the huge sum of money that they get paid The payments for each pick and delivery ranges between Rs 20000 to Rs 40000This is huge money and the unemployed youth are easily lured by these cartels the official explained Moreover the youth easily agree because the job is easier when compared to the earlier style of operations the official addedBefore the drones were used these couriers had to wait near the border areas evade security and then collect the drugs from the person coming from the Pakistani side Thanks to these highly sophisticated drones the narcotic cartels are able to dodge security agencies most of the timesFurther the drones drop off the narcotics deep into Indian territory thus making it easier and less risky for the couriers to pick upAn official while explaining the scale of operations undertaken by the narcotics mafia says that every day there are nearly 20 attempts made to drop off the drugs Even if 15 attempts go through it is a huge success for the cartels Moreover for the unemployed youth the more the merrier as they get to earn much more the official saidAnother official said that the cartels have a pool over nearly 100 to 150 youth across the border areas who pick up and deliver drugs Each of these youth are allowed just two to three pickup and deliveries per month The youth are rotated regularly so that they do not come under the radar of the agencies the official saidThe youth who get to pick up and deliver drugs thrice a month too are happy as they get to earn in the range of Rs 60000 to Rs 120000 each month depending on the quantity they deal with officials sayAnother headache is the use of juveniles for such operations There are youth in the age group of 14 to 16 who have been employed for this jobJuveniles are not tried like adults under the Indian Penal Code or Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS Moreover the punishment for juveniles is reformative in nature and they are sent to detention and reform facilities and not to prison Further the levels of suspicion when it comes to 14 or 16 yearold is very less and this helps them evade security much easily officials sayThe Punjab police have upped the ante and have been cracking down on the supply chains However the challenge remains in tackling the deliveries that are made by using drones The Pakistan based cartels have superior drones and their technology is advancedThe newer drones are in fact linked to satellites and this helps in getting real time information about the security set up at the border areas This technology also helps in immediately recalling the drone if information suggests that there is a chance of it being shot down by the Indian security agenciesThe recruitment of the youth remains a major challenge It is the money that they are offered which has led to the employment of such a large number of youth The kind of money they earn if they do three pickups and deliveries is far more than what they would earn if they did a regular job an official explained IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pakistani-drug-cartels-seek-to-tap-punjabs-unemployed-youth-for-courier-network-police-launch-crackdown-699560.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rajasthan-neighbour-emerges-as-mastermind-behind-elderly-couples-murder-bodies-hidden-in-box-bed-699562.html Jaipur Aug 28 The Rajasthan Police have solved the murder mystery surrounding the death of an elderly couple in Punavali village under the Saira police station area According to police the crime was committed with the intention of robbing the couple The alleged mastermind was their neighbour Kushal alias Khushi PaliwalFive accused have been arrested while a sixth suspect has been detained Police have also recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the crimeAccording to District Superintendent of Police Amrita Duhan the deceased Lahrilal Paliwal and his wife Radhabai lived in PunavaliOn the night of August 11 their son Manohar Lal who lives in Gujarat spoke to Radhabai over the phone When the couple could not be found at home the following day relatives and others began searching for them On August 14 their bodies were found inside a storage chest or bedding box kept in the housePolice investigation revealed that Kushal had allegedly been planning the crime for around a year and a half Police said he had taken loans from individuals and banks and was struggling to repay them Facing financial difficulties he allegedly decided to target the couple knowing that they often lived alone and kept jewellery and cash at home On August 9 Kushal allegedly arrived in Punavali with his associates Chandan Yadav Vikas Kharwad and Dilip ChaudharyThe group reportedly conducted a recce of the coupleâs house and the surrounding area Afterwards they travelled via Gogunda towards Panariyo Madri On their return they stayed at a hotel near the Gogunda toll plaza where police said they finalised their planKushal allegedly later involved his cousins Kishan Paliwal and Jeevan Paliwal in the scheme On August 10 Kushal and Chandan reportedly visited Lahrilalâs house againAs a neighbour Kushal was allowed inside and Radhabai served the two men a meal During the visit police said Kushal concealed a hammer that he found inside the house under his clothes However after noticing movement around the premises the two men left On the morning of August 11 Kushal and Chandan returned to the coupleâs house but left when they found the door locked Later that night Kishan and Jeevan allegedly arrived at the house on the pretext of showing a horoscope Lahrilal was upstairs at the timeAccording to police the two men distracted Radhabai allowing Kushal to enter the house and hide in the bathroom Kushal later messaged Kishan and Jeevan instructing them to leave Late that night Kushal allegedly opened the door and allowed Chandan Dilip and Vikas to enterPolice said the accused then went upstairs and killed Lahrilal by striking him on the head with a hammer Radhabai was allegedly strangled while she was sleeping in a downstairs roomThe accused then reportedly placed both bodies in plastic bags and hid them inside the storage compartment of a bed covering them with beddingUsing Radhabaiâs keys they allegedly opened the wardrobe and stole jewellery and cash Police said the accused also took the coupleâs mobile phones and later discarded them on a highway while the devices were still switched onInvestigators believe the suspects attempted to stage the scene to make it appear that the couple had left the house voluntarily During the investigation police analysed call records and location data from the deceased coupleâs mobile phones and questioned local residentsTechnical analysis and other investigative leads eventually directed investigators towards a suspicious car Police said the vehicle had been seen in the area on the nights of August 911 and again at around 5 am on August 12 Its presence was also recorded at the Kherwara toll plazaActing on information about the vehicle police expanded their investigation and allegedly established the involvement of Kushal Paliwal and his associatesThe arrested accused were identified as Kushal alias Khushi Paliwal 26 of Punavali currently residing in Surat Chandan Yadav 27 of Samastipur Bihar currently residing in Surat Dilip Chaudhary 30 of Surat Kishan Paliwal 21 of Punavali and Jeevan Paliwal 21 of Punavali Police have recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the crime while a sixth accused has been detained IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rajasthan-neighbour-emerges-as-mastermind-behind-elderly-couples-murder-bodies-hidden-in-box-bed-699562.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/smuggling-modules-busted-in-punjab-six-held-with-29-kg-heroin-eight-pistols-699565.html Chandigarh Aug 28 Punjab Policeâs Special Operation Cell and Counter Intelligence in two separate operations busted weapons and narcotics smuggling modules with the arrest of six people recovering 29 kg heroin and eight highend pistols along with six cartridges from their possession said Director General of Police DGP Gaurav Yadav here on Friday Those arrested have been identified as Inderpal Singh Sikandarjit Singh Happy Singh alias Veerpal Singh Sunil Masih Rajan Masih and Pardeep SinghDGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were involved in crossborder smuggling and were receiving consignments through drones for further distribution among criminals in the stateFurther investigation is underway to identify all people associated with the crossborder networkSharing details of the first operation Assistant Inspector General AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann said that Counter Intelligence Amritsar teams had received an input that suspects Sunil and Rajan had received a huge consignment of illegal pistols and were expected to deliver them to their associate Pardeep SinghThe police intercepted the trio and recovered seven pistols from their possessionIn the second operation AIG Mann said Special Operation Cell teams apprehended Inderpal Sikanderjit and Happy Singh after recovering 29 kg heroin and one pistol from their possessionThe AIG said comprehensive investigations are currently underway to unearth the full scale of the networkMore arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days he saidIn this regard two first information reports FIRs under Sections 25 and 25 8 of the Arms Act and Sections 61 2 and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS Act Sections 21 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act Section 25 of the Arms Act and Sections 25 26 27 28 and 29 of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam have been registered at the Special Operation Cell police station in Amritsar IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/smuggling-modules-busted-in-punjab-six-held-with-29-kg-heroin-eight-pistols-699565.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/centre-invites-applications-for-rs-5-000-crore-prip-scheme-to-boost-pharma-medtech-innovation-699566.html New Delhi Aug 28 The Centres Department of Pharmaceuticals has announced the second call for applications under the Rs 5000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma amp MedTech PRIP Scheme launched to strengthen Indias pharma and medtech research and development ecosystem across startups MSMEs and large companies according to an official statement issued on Friday Applications are invited across two tracks that cover early and latestage projectsFor the earlystage category projects of startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL Technology Readiness Level 1 2 or 3 in any priority area to higher TRLs not beyond TRL 5 will be eligible These projects will follow a twostage process beginning with a concise concept note followed by a detailed application for shortlisted applicants Concept notes can be submitted directly by eligible MSMEs and startups or by ecosystem enablers on behalf of promising projects within their networks Financial assistance to the extent of Rs 5 crore per project will be provided under the schemeIn the case of the laterstage category projects of industry startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL 4 5 or 6 in any priority area to higher TRLs will be eligible Latestage projects can apply directly through the detailed application form Financial assistance to the extent of Rs 100 crore per project will be provided under the scheme subject to the condition that such assistance will be restricted to a maximum of 35 per cent of the approved total project cost and the remainder of the approved total project cost will be cofunded by the applicantApplication forms and supporting guidance are available on the PRIP portal httpsprippharmadeptgovinThe submission window on the PRIP portal will open by midSeptember Applicants who had submitted projects under PRIP Round 1 have been asked not to resubmit the same project For any queries interested applicants can write to supportprippharmadeptgovinThe PRIP scheme was launched in 2023 with a view to promote research and development in the pharmaceutical sector including in the areas of artificial intelligence AI and machine learning It seeks to build worldclass research infrastructure and deepen the talent pool of qualified trained students With a view to enhancing the prospects of commercialisation of viable outputs industry and startups can also take advantage of mentorship support that will be provided under the scheme Initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra and the online platform under the scheme will facilitate collaboration and partnership among various stakeholdersThe priority areas identified under the scheme include new chemical medicinessubstances including new chemical entity NCE new biological entity NBE and phytopharmaceuticals while complex generics and biosimilars are also covered under the schemeBesides novel medical devices Targeted Innovative Therapeutics constitute another area This refers to medical devices that have not been previously approved by the CDSCO It covers all novel medical devices including the following i AIML based medical devices with software development Software as Medical Device SaMD and Software in Medical Device SiMD ii Medical diagnostics and screening devices with genetic technology iii Robotic medical devices for surgical procedures iv Medical devices with telemedicine facilities and v Any novel in vitro diagnostic medical device including biomarkers that enables precision medicine the statement added IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/centre-invites-applications-for-rs-5-000-crore-prip-scheme-to-boost-pharma-medtech-innovation-699566.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fugitive-kurup-is-in-brunei-claim-falls-apart-as-relatives-identify-man-in-photo-crime-branch-probe-shifts-focus-699568.html Thrissur Aug 28 Barely hours after Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Friday ordered a Crime Branch probe into reports that fugitive Sukumara Kurup had been traced to Brunei the sensational claim has suffered a major setback with relatives identifying the man in the circulated photograph as Thrissur native Damodara Menon Karunakaran brother of Damodara Menon of Karumathra in Thrissur confirmed to the media at their family home that the photograph and passport details being circulated as those of Kurup belonged to his brotherLocal residents also identified the man in the photograph as DamodaraThe development came after Chennithala directed the Crime Branch to verify the reports and assigned the investigation to Crime Branch chief H VenkateshThe agency was preparing to seek information from Brunei with Interpol assistance when the identity of the man in the photograph was established in KeralaSpecial Branch officials subsequently visited the family home and collected details from relatives and local residentsDamodara who is nearly 80 has been living in Brunei for more than four decadesHe left Kerala after completing his education in Pune and later went to London for higher studies and employment before moving to MalaysiaHe subsequently settled in Brunei and married a woman from Palakkad The couple have two childrenHe is currently undergoing treatment in Brunei following an accidentHis brother said Damodara remains in regular contact with his family in Kerala and had spoken to them as recently as a month agoHe last visited his native place about 26 years agoThe photograph being circulated as that of Kurup had reportedly been seen by the family in WhatsApp groups nearly three months agoRelatives alleged that photographs and private documents of Damodara an elderly man recovering from an accident had been misused to build the claim that Kurup was living in BruneiThe episode has now shifted the focus of the Crime Branch enquiry from tracing Kurup in Brunei to establishing the origin and authenticity of the photograph and documents that triggered the reportsThe Special Branch is expected to submit its findings to the Crime Branch and Home DepartmentThe latest development has also raised questions over reports linking the photograph to Interpol and the Crime Branch without verificationDamodaraâs family has demanded a detailed investigation into how his private information and passport photograph reached the public domain and has indicated that it will pursue legal actionKurup wanted in the 1984 Chacko murder case has remained one of Keralaâs most elusive fugitives for more than four decadesThe latest Brunei claim had revived intense speculation over his whereabouts before the identity of the man in the photograph was challenged from his own hometown IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fugitive-kurup-is-in-brunei-claim-falls-apart-as-relatives-identify-man-in-photo-crime-branch-probe-shifts-focus-699568.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ncb-reviews-multi-agency-strategy-to-fight-drug-trafficking-in-bihar-himachal-699571.html New Delhi Aug 28 Multiple enforcement agencies refined strategies for tackling emerging narcotics threats during quarterly StateLevel Joint Coordination Committee JCC meetings convened by the NCB in Bihar Tripura Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram an official said on Friday The meetings held during the week were steered by the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB the nodal coordination authority for drug law enforcement in the countryThe JCC meetings in the four states offered a platform for detailed deliberations on strengthening intelligence sharing and financial investigations among the states the official said in a statement on XDiscussions also included key NDPS cases PITNDPS pharma diversion use of FINex portal along with NIDAAN and NATGRID portals and sharing details of fugitives for necessary action it saidThe meetings witnessed active participation from representatives of the NIA ED DRI Customs Income Tax BSF RPF CISF State ANTFs State Drug Controllers SIBs and other Drug Law Enforcement Agencies DLEAs the statement saidThe JCC offered an opportunity to the NCB to share information on drug trafficking trends and emerging challenges the need for focused action against kingpins to dismantle drug trafficking networks effective implementation of the Vision Document on Narcotics Control and Red Flag Indicators to identify clandestine labs among other issues the statement saidEarlier this month NCBâs Second Quarter Statelevel Joint Coordination Committee JCC Meeting of 2026 for Gujarat was held to discuss strengthening intelligence sharing financial investigation and coordinated enforcementManish Kumar NCB Deputy Director General Western Region chaired and Rajiv Ahir Intelligence Bureau Additional Director cochaired the meeting held on Wednesday an official statement saidDuring the discussions officials from multiple agencies discussed issues related to followup on interstate and interagency linkages with participating agencies reaffirming their commitment to collaborative efforts against drug trafficking and organised narcotics networks in Gujarat the statement saidThe NCB presented two significant NDPS cases discussing the modus operandi interstate linkages investigation undertaken and areas requiring coordinated action while the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence DRI presented an important NDPS case followed by a discussion on the investigation trafficking pattern and interagency linkages IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ncb-reviews-multi-agency-strategy-to-fight-drug-trafficking-in-bihar-himachal-699571.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/khan-sir-celebrates-raksha-bandhan-with-girl-students-in-patna-announces-orphanage-plan-699574.html Patna Aug 28 Renowned educator Khan Sir celebrated Raksha Bandhan with girl students at Shri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna on Friday where several students tied rakhis to him as part of the festivities Speaking to IANS Khan Sir extended his greetings to women and girls on the occasion and said he wanted Raksha Bandhan to be celebrated as a global festivalâMy best wishes to all the sisters May they succeed in life live their lives and always remain happy This is why Raksha Bandhan should be celebrated across the world We are trying to make it a global celebration Happy Raksha Bandhan We celebrated it last year too and this year we are also celebrating it on a grand level I want to congratulate all the sistersâ he saidEducator Khan Sir further said Last Raksha Bandhan we announced that we would build a cancer hospital We were disrupted for twofour months in between due to which the cancer hospital has been delayed by only two months It will be completed in the next twothree months This Raksha Bandhan we have promised to open an orphanage so that children can study thereRaksha Bandhan also known as Rakhi is a Hindu festival celebrating the bond of love affection and protection between brothers and sisters It is observed by Indian communities across the world and falls on the full moon day or Purnima of the Hindu month of ShravanaThe festival derives its name from two Sanskritrooted words âRakshaâ refers to protection while âBandhanâ means a bond or tie Together the term represents a relationship based on care affection and a traditional promise of protectionThe central ritual involves a sister tying a rakhi traditionally a sacred thread or decorative bracelet around her brotherâs wrist She offers prayers for his wellbeing health and long life while the brother traditionally promises to support and protect herRaksha Bandhan is also marked by the exchange of sweets and gifts among family members Over the years the festival has evolved beyond biological siblings with rakhis also being exchanged among cousins and other close relationshipsSeveral legends are associated with the festival One popular tradition links Raksha Bandhan to Lord Krishna and Draupadi According to the legend Krishna injured his finger while flying a kite Draupadi distressed on seeing him bleed tore a piece of cloth from her sari and tied it around his finger to stop the bleedingMoved by her gesture Krishna is believed to have promised to protect her whenever she needed him The story is later connected with the episode in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi was humiliated in the Kaurava court According to the legend Krishna protected her honour by providing an endless length of cloth when Dushasana attempted to disrobe her IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/khan-sir-celebrates-raksha-bandhan-with-girl-students-in-patna-announces-orphanage-plan-699574.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/more-than-300-indians-missing-in-flash-floods-nepal-foreign-minister-shishir-khanal--699395.html Kathmandu Aug 27 PTI Nearly 300 Indian tourists are among thousands who are reportedly missing after a flash flood swept through parts of the NepalTibet border Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on ThursdayThe flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc across three districts in NepalNepal Foreign Minister Khanal on Thursday said that nearly 300 Indians are among thousands reported missing in the floodsKhanal also confirmed that 160 people have died and thousands remain untraced after the tragedy in the Rasuwa regionThousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster Khanal saidNepal Police on Thursday said that the death toll rose to 162 in the flash flood on the Bhotekoshi River that wreaked havoc across three districts on WednesdayThe flash floods were caused after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi and first hit Timure near Nepals border with China at Rasuwagadhi On Wednesday it was reported that at least 133 Indians and 37 NRIs are among the nearly 500 persons missing At least 50 of the Indians were pilgrims for the Kailash Manasarovar YatraOn Wednesday the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued emergency numbers for assistance and information related to Indian nationals affected by the flash floods In a post on X it said people can contact 977 985 131 6807 or 977 970 910 7500The Embassy of India has remained engaged with the relevant authorities of the Government of Nepal for early rescue and relief for Indian nationals affected by the flash floods that took place in Nepal it said in another post on X adding that rescue and relief efforts continue to be strengthened in coordination with the Nepal governmentThe Nepal Tourism Board also issued similar numbers including the tollfree emergency number 1234 the hotline 1144 and the Tourist Police number 9851289445 for helpIn Beijing the Embassy of India also issued a helpline number 0086 185 1428 4905 which can be contacted via WhatsAppAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/more-than-300-indians-missing-in-flash-floods-nepal-foreign-minister-shishir-khanal--699395.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/mayawati-calls-up-govts-plan-to-provide-one-lakh-jobs-belated-but-correct-step-699396.html New Delhi Aug 27 IANS Bahujan Samaj Party BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday welcomed the Uttar Pradesh governments announcement to provide government jobs to one lakh youths over the next six months describing it as a belated but correct step However she said the move appeared to be more of an electoral manoeuvre ahead of the upcoming Assembly electionsTaking to social media platform X Mayawati said the governments announcement to provide employment to one lakh youths within the next six months coinciding with the period leading up to the Assembly elections raised questions about its timing and intentThe announcement by the Uttar Pradesh government to provide government jobs to one lakh youth in the next six months ie until the Assembly general elections was although taken belatedly a correct step yet it seems more like an electoral maneuver nevertheless if these appointments are completed on time free from the curses of paper leaks corruption and the like it will be right so that this does not turn out to be mere electoral deception she saidMayawati further said that people were eagerly awaiting an announcement regarding the recruitment process to fill the backlog of reserved posts for Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward ClassesReferring to the recruitment of 69000 teachers in Uttar Pradesh the BSP chief said that around 6800 candidates from reserved categories had been protesting over issues related to reservation rules and their appointmentsNot only this but here in the recruitment of 69000 teachers 6800 candidates from these categories have been continuously protesting hungry and thirsty for their appointments over issues related to reservation rules she said in the postShe urged the government to consider their concerns with empathy stating that only the government could provide them real reliefMayawati also highlighted the condition of school education in Uttar Pradesh and across the country She said the BSP had consistently demanded meaningful reforms to improve the education systemAlong with this the BSP including in UP and across the entire country continuously demands proper improvement in the dismal state of school education but perhaps under the pressure of Gen Z and Gen Alpha whatever little reluctant stir is visible at the government level is minor yet if it stems from the right intent to reform school education it would be appropriate and in this sequence if the government immediately arranges to reactivate in a proper manner the approximately 30000 government schools that have been closed here that too would be in the public interest she addedThe former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also stressed the need for governments to go beyond welfare measures such as free bus travel for elderly womenMoreover beyond arrangements like free travel for elderly women in buses there is a greater need for governments to work with the right intent and policy to protect women from exploitation atrocities harassment and the like in every field while also addressing womens safety dignity and selfreliance she saidMeanwhile on Tuesday Mayawati announced that the BSP would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh Punjab and Uttarakhand independently ruling out any electoral alliance with other partiesThe decision was announced after Mayawati reviewed the BSPs organisational position and support base in Punjab during a meeting She directed party workers and officebearers to intensify preparations for the upcoming elections and work towards securing a stronger electoral performanceIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/mayawati-calls-up-govts-plan-to-provide-one-lakh-jobs-belated-but-correct-step-699396.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-recalls-major-dhyan-chands-role-in-100-years-of-india-new-zealand-sporting-ties-699410.html New Delhi Aug 27 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday recalled Major Dhyan Chands role in Indias hockey tour of New Zealand a century ago saying the historic visit laid the foundation for 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries and that India continues to work towards strengthening the relationshipnbspAddressing the youth virtually during the Khelo India Dialogue PM Modi linked the legacy of the legendary hockey player with the enduring sporting relationship between India and New Zealand while noting that he had remembered Dhyan Chand during his recent visit to the countryNational Sports Day is also an occasion to remember Major Dhyan Chand A hundred years ago Indias hockey team toured New Zealand and Dhyan Chand ji was part of that tour That tour became the foundation for completing 100 years of sports relations between India and New Zealand A few days ago when I visited New Zealand I remembered him there as well Major Dhyan Chand ji laid the foundation for these ties and today India continues to work towards strengthening and enriching those relations PM Modi saidThe Prime Minister said the significance of sport extended well beyond medal counts placing it in the broader context of Indias development and the role of its young populationWhen I talk about sports it is not restricted to winning medals It is an endeavour to bring together Indias sporting power and its youth power in the making of a Viksit Bharat I have always said Those who play will flourish and flourishing through sport does not simply mean winning on the field It means the flourishing of ones personality the flourishing of ones family and bringing greater pride to the nation he addedPM Modi further emphasised how sporting success can elevate the standing of an athletes family and the institutions and places associated with them eventually giving entire regions greater visibilityWhen a sportsperson succeeds that success is not theirs alone Their success builds the identity and enhances the prestige of their family It also raises the reputation of the school or college they studied at and strengthens the identity of their district and state The world begins to recognise a city or state by the name of that sportsperson And when a region shines on the global map through many such successes the worlds perception of that region also changes Every district has the potential to shine on the worlds sports map the Prime Minister saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-recalls-major-dhyan-chands-role-in-100-years-of-india-new-zealand-sporting-ties-699410.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-to-hear-on-aug-31-plea-on-cash-donations-received-by-political-parties--699411.html New Delhi Aug 27 PTI The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on August 31 a plea which has challenged the validity of a provision of the Income Tax Act that allows political parties to receive cash donations below Rs 2000 According to the apex courts cause list of August 31 the plea would come up for hearing before a bench comprising justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep MehtaOn November 24 last year the top court had agreed to hear the petition and sought responses from the Centre and others on itThe plea claimed that lack of transparency undermines the purity of the election process as it deprives voters of the crucial knowledge about the source of political funding including the donors and their motives preventing them from making a rational intelligent and fully informed decision while casting their voteThe petition filed by Khem Singh Bhati also sought a direction to the poll panel to prescribe as a condition for registration of a political party and allotment of the election symbol that no amount can be received in cash by any political partyThe plea sought the striking down of Clause d of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act 1961 as unconstitutional and also referred to the apex courts 2024 judgement which scrapped the electoral bonds scheme Section 13A of the Act deals with the special provision relating to the incomes of political partiesThe petitioner is seeking direction that the political parties must disclose the name and all other particulars of the person paying any amount of money to it and no amount can be received in cash so as to maintain transparency in the political funding the plea saidIt said Section 13A was introduced in the Act and income of a political party received by way of interest on securities income from house property or income from other sources and any income by way of voluntary contributions are exempted from the computation of total incomeThe plea has also sought a direction to the poll panel to scrutinise Form 24A contribution reports of all recognised political parties and to require them to deposit the amount received by way of contributions for which address andor PAN have not been furnishedIt said the poll panel should be directed to issue notices to the defaulting political parties under the Election Symbol Order 1968 as to why the reserved symbol shall not be suspended or withdrawn for the failure to submit Form 24A contribution reports with full particulars within a prescribed periodIt has sought a direction to the Central Board of Direct Taxes CBDT to scrutinise the income tax returns and audit reports filed by political parties under the provisions of the Act for the last five years The plea said the CBDT should be directed to initiate appropriate proceedings for levy of tax penalty and prosecution for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act read with Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act 1951Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act deals with the declaration of donations received by political partiesThe injury to the public is the violation of the fundamental right to information of the voter as guaranteed under Article 191a of the Constitution This violation is primarily caused by Section 13Ad of the Income Tax Act 1961 which allows political parties to receive anonymous cash donations below Rs 2000 the plea saidThe plea also referred to the apex courts 2024 judgement which had struck down the electoral bonds schemeThe scheme which was notified by the government on January 2 2018 was pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring in transparency in political fundingAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-to-hear-on-aug-31-plea-on-cash-donations-received-by-political-parties--699411.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/first-look-at-crime-graph-in-your-stint-haryana-cm-tells-oppn-699432.html Chandigarh Aug 27 IANS Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said those questioning the law and order situation in Haryana should first look at the crime figures and incidents recorded during their tenurenbspnbspTaking a dig at the Opposition on the first day of the legislative Assembly Chief Minister Saini claimed its problem is that even before wiping a victims tears it starts looking for a political opportunity They are less concerned about the pain caused by crime and more eager to malign the governmentHe was replying to a calling attention motion on the law and order situation in Haryana moved by Indian National Lok Dal INLD members Aditya Devi Lal and Arjun ChautalaCM Saini said a sensitive issue such as law and order must certainly be debated but the discussion should be based on facts not political convenience or misleading propagandaThe Opposition has every right to ask questions but the people of Haryana also have the right to know the deep scars of crime corruption caste violence recruitment scams and administrative failures that the state endured when the reins of power were in their hands CM Saini saidThe Chief Minister said in a democracy everyone has the right to express their views and sentiments Opposition members have come to the House dressed in black today but the people of Haryana are not looking at their black clothes rather they are watching their dark deeds he claimedReferring to the 1984 riots CM Saini targeted the Congress and said even recalling that period sends shivers down ones spinePeople had tyres placed around their necks and were burnt alive people were set ablaze at public squares and such atrocities were committed that many were forced to cut their hair to save their lives Thousands of people were targeted he saidHe said the Congress has never apologised for the 1984 riots and today a person associated with that period is being described as a role modelThis is unfortunate and amounts to rubbing salt into the old wounds of the victimsThe Chief Minister said Rahul Gandhi and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda should put up a large photograph of the person whom the Congress describes as its role model both inside and outside their homesHe said extending protection to such people reflects the Congress partys nature and mindset The Chief Minister said that during Congress rule there was no democracy but a ruletantra under which people were forced to flee leaving behind their homes belongings and lifelong savingsThe manner in which the system collapsed during Congress rule left every section of society distressed CM Saini allegedReferring to the allegations of administrative failure being levelled against the BJP government in Haryana by the Congress he said it was a case of the pot calling the kettle blackTaking a jibe at the Congress CM Saini said it is looking at everything through dark glasses Its leaders only know how to level allegations and then walk out of the HouseCM Saini said they cannot listen to the governments reply because they do not have the courage to hear it Their only course therefore is to level allegations and walk awayAddressing the younger generation he said those young people who had not witnessed the harsh period of Congress rule should learn about and search for informationHe claimed attempts were being made to mislead the younger generation through falsehoods being spread by the CongressYoung people should therefore find out for themselves what the Congress tenure was like and what the condition of the states administrative system was during that period CM Saini addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/first-look-at-crime-graph-in-your-stint-haryana-cm-tells-oppn-699432.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-lays-foundation-stone-for-t-72-t-90-tank-overhaul-facility-in-jabalpur-699433.html Jabalpur Aug 27 IANS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the new T72 and T90 tank overhaul facility at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur will significantly cut the time and logistical costs involved in transporting battle tanks for maintenance while helping the Army restore them to operational readiness fasterSingh made the remarks after laying the foundation stone for the Rs 472crore project at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur VFJ which is expected to expand Indias capacity to overhaul and upgrade its armoured fleetMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav along with other ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leaders joined the ceremony The plant at Jabalpur being closer to Army field formations will significantly reduce transportation time and logistical requirements for tank overhaul and maintenance thereby enhancing operational efficiency and readiness Singh saidThe facility will undertake comprehensive overhaul repair maintenance and technical upgradation of T72 and T90 tanks and will include a modern plant and testing track for their inspection and operational testingThe project is expected to augment the countrys existing tank overhaul capacity with the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi in Tamil Nadu currently handling the primary responsibility for overhauling T72 tanksIn its first phase VFJ will undertake complete overhaul and upgradation of 12 T72 tanks annually according to officialsThe project follows a pilot initiative under which VFJ successfully overhauled two T72 tanks and handed them over to the Army after inspection repair and replacement of components in accordance with prescribed technical specifications and quality standardsSingh described the project as an important step towards strengthening Indias defence preparedness and advancing selfreliance in defence production This project marks an important step towards strengthening our defence preparedness and advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence production he saidThe project is also expected to strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem by creating opportunities for micro small and medium enterprises MSMEs in manufacturing ancillary services and component supply The project will also strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem by creating new opportunities for MSMEs in manufacturing ancillary services and component supply This will help develop a robust and resilient defence supply chain and generate new avenues for local industrial growth and employment Singh saidThe Defence Minister also highlighted growth in Indias defence production saying it increased from around Rs 46000 crore in 2014 to nearly Rs 180 lakh crore Defence exports he said had risen from about Rs 1000 crore to nearly Rs 39000 crore during the periodThe government has set a target of taking defence exports beyond Rs 50000 crore by 202829Jabalpur is already home to several major defence production establishments Four major defence units in the city recorded a combined production value of Rs 4622 crore in 202526 while VFJ alone registered production of around Rs 1056 croreThe new facility is expected to further consolidate Jabalpurs position as a key defence manufacturing and maintenance hub and strengthen the Armys ability to keep its armoured fleet operationalIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-lays-foundation-stone-for-t-72-t-90-tank-overhaul-facility-in-jabalpur-699433.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bengal-kmc-moves-to-remove-abhishek-banerjees-office-billboard-tension-erupts-at-camac-street--699438.html Kolkata Aug 27 IANS Tension broke out at Camac Street in central Kolkata on Thursday afternoon after officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation KMC accompanied by Kolkata Police reached the spot to remove the billboard of the party office of Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek BanerjeeOn getting the news Abhishek also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot accompanied by Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek OBrien and other associatesA heated exchange followed between the Diamond Harbour MP and KMC officials While the officials claimed the billboard was installed illegally Abhishek argued that the order copy brought by KMC was invalidHe said that if the order had been valid the billboards picture would have been included in the document A section of KMC officials later returned to the corporation to get a revised copy of the orderSpeaking to the media Abhishek launched a scathing attack against the state government KMC and Chief Minister Suvendu AdhikariThere is an attempt to end the Trinamool Congress forcibly Why is the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP so scared First the administration did not allow the Trinamool Congress to hold meetings and processions in a democratic way The ruling party and the administration are attacking leaders destroying party offices and breaking billboards What are they afraid of I want to tell Suvendu Adhikari that the Trinamool Congress symbol is a grass flower The more the grass is cut the more it will grow he saidAbhishek alleged that the administration was specifically targeting the billboard at his party office on Camac Street while many other billboards for offices and shops in the area remained untouchedWe will move the Calcutta High Court against this move Nobody is above the Indian Constitution he saidKMC officials and police accused the Diamond Harbour MP and his associates of preventing government officials from performing their dutiesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bengal-kmc-moves-to-remove-abhishek-banerjees-office-billboard-tension-erupts-at-camac-street--699438.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-extends-onam-eid-greetings-calls-for-happiness-togetherness-699325.html New Delhi Aug 26 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended his greetings to people across the country and around the world on the occasions of Onam and Eid MiladunNabi wishing for happiness togetherness and prosperitynbspTaking to social media platform X the Prime Minister conveyed his wishes on Onam and said Wishing everyone a beautiful Onam This is a vibrant festival celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the world May this festival further empower the spirit of happiness togetherness and prosperity Have a wonderful Onam This is a vibrant festival that is being marked all over the world with immense fervour May it further the spirit of happiness togetherness and prosperityHe also extended greetings on Eid MiladunNabi and said Eid Mubarak Greetings on MiladunNabi I hope this occasion furthers togetherness and joy all around us May the spirit of kindness and giving back to society always guide usOnam is Keralas biggest and one of its most colourful harvest festivals Celebrated over 10 days during the Malayalam month of Chingam the festival generally falls in August or September It is a celebration of harvest abundance cultural traditions and social harmony bringing together people from different communities and walks of life According to Drik Panchang Thiruvonam the most significant day of the festival falls on WednesdayAccording to Hindu mythology Onam commemorates the annual homecoming of King Mahabali remembered as a wise generous and beloved ruler whose reign was believed to have been an era of peace and prosperityLegend has it that Lord Vishnu took the form of Vamana a dwarf and approached Mahabali seeking land measuring three paces After the king agreed Vamana assumed a gigantic form and covered the Earth and the heavens in two steps With no place left for the third step Mahabali offered his head Moved by his devotion and generosity Lord Vishnu granted him the boon of returning to visit his people once every year The festival of Onam marks this symbolic return of the kingMeanwhile Eid MiladunNabi also known as EideMilad is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad The day falls on the 12th day of Rabi ulawwal the third month of the Islamic calendar This year it is being observed in India on August 26 with festivities starting from August 25 The day is also known as Mawlid which means to give birth or bear a child in colloquial ArabicProphet Muhammads birthday is considered an auspicious day among Muslims He was born in Rabi ulawwal in the year 570 AD He is the founder of Islam and his teachings as reflected in the Hadith have influenced many across the world as he urged his followers to practice selflessness and forgiveness He died on his 63rd birthday In Islam Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet and final messenger of GodThe history of Milad unNabi dates back to the early centuries of Islam The day was initially celebrated through gatherings where poems and verses were recited to praise the Prophet According to multiple reports the day gained prominence during the Fatimid Caliphate in EgyptOver centuries these traditions spread throughout West Asia and South Asia becoming an integral part of Islamic cultural heritage The day is also widely observed in many countries including Sri Lanka the United Kingdom Pakistan Bangladesh Russia and GermanyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-extends-onam-eid-greetings-calls-for-happiness-togetherness-699325.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-recruitment-scam-kingpin-abhay-tiwari-confesses-to-cid-general-category-cdpo-seats-sold-for-rs-10-12-lakh-699326.html Ranchi Aug 26 IANS The confession of prime accused Abhay Kumar Tiwari before the CID which is investigating irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand has brought to light several startling claimsTiwari told investigators that almost all general category seats in the Child Development Project Officer CDPO examination held in 2026 were rigged to secure appointments for candidates from other states in exchange for moneyAccording to the accuseds statement the outsourcing agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited TDPL which conducted the examination had fixed a rate of at least Rs 10 lakh per candidate Tiwari had worked as a marketing manager at TDPL Following his confession the CID has expanded the scope of its investigationThe investigating agency is now trying to determine how many candidates paid bribes for CDPO recruitment through which intermediaries the transactions were carried out and at what stage of the examination and interview process the manipulation took placeAccording to CID sources Tiwari has also revealed the involvement of former JPSC Chairman L Khiangte and thenmember Ajita BhattacharyaThe accused claimed that a setting was made in the interview boards to favour certain candidates Referring to a candidate identified as Rajak in his statement Tiwari claimed that the candidates interview board was headed by the thenChairman L Khiangte He further said that the arrangement was made through a person named Ramveer Singh for Rs 15 lakhSimilarly in the case of another successful candidate Kajal Bharti Tiwari claimed that her interview board was headed by Ajita Bhattacharya and that Rs 10 lakh was paid to her personal assistant His statement also mentioned the names of candidates Pramod Kumar Pathak and Kumari Dolly JaiswalAccording to Tiwari an ITI project manager identified as Krishna acted as a middleman in both casesIt is noteworthy that former JPSC Chairman L Khiangte has already been arrested in connection with the case and is currently in jail The CID has also questioned former JPSC member Ajita Bhattacharya Investigators are now verifying Tiwaris statements with independent evidenceThe CID is examining alleged financial transactions call detail records digital evidence bank account movements and original records related to the examinations and interviews to establish the claims on the basis of legally admissible evidenceIf the allegations made by Tiwari are corroborated during the investigation the scope of the Jharkhand recruitment scam could widen further and potentially implicate more officials and intermediariesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-recruitment-scam-kingpin-abhay-tiwari-confesses-to-cid-general-category-cdpo-seats-sold-for-rs-10-12-lakh-699326.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/2500-women-get-approval-letters-under-delhi-lakshmi-yojna-aid-to-be-disbursed-from-sep-1--699335.html nbspNew Delhi Aug 26 PTI Around 2500 women in Delhi on Wednesday received approval letters under the Lakshmi Yojna to get Rs 2500 monthly assistance from SeptemberThe approval letters were given at the Talkatora Stadium by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha GuptanbspAddressing the event Gupta said women are focus of all schemes and programmes of the Delhi government Women are like Goddess Lakshmi who strengthen the family and society she saidDelhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra and Delhi cabinet ministers were present at the eventnbspAbout 913495 beneficiaries have been registered under the scheme of whom 652223 have submitted completed applicationsnbspFrom September 1 Rs 2500 will be transferred every month directly into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries The government said the financial assistance is aimed at supporting womens everyday needs and providing them greater financial securitynbspThe government has also finalised the manner in which the assistance can be disbursed Beneficiaries can choose to receive Rs 1000 through a central bank digital currency and invest Rs 1500 in a fixed or recurring deposit or put the entire Rs 2500 into the depositThe government will also provide applicants an opportunity to correct or complete missing information A correction facility will soon be made available on the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana portal according to the CMOnbspThe scheme provides monthly assistance to eligible women aged between 21 and 60 years Women from households with more than three children and those with annual household electricity consumption exceeding 2400 units are among those excludednbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/2500-women-get-approval-letters-under-delhi-lakshmi-yojna-aid-to-be-disbursed-from-sep-1--699335.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-led-bihar-govt-weaponising-police-to-evade-accountability-to-students-rahul-gandhi--699336.html New Delhi Aug 26 PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday lashed out at the BJPled Bihar government over the student protests there accusing it of turning the police into a weapon to evade accountability Gandhis remarks came over the viral video of a sixyearold slumdwelling boy in which he is heard making bold and sharp comments at a students protest in Patna before being taken away by police to be handed over to his parentsSocial media was abuzz with rumours that the boy Aditya a resident of Punaichak locality in Patna had been arrested for taking part in the protestsPolice have dismissed the claim stating that the boy was kept at the police station for his own safety but was later handed over to his mother a house help In an X post in Hindi Gandhi the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the students in Bihar have a very straightforward question Why are there irregularities in recruitment exams Why no action on allegations of paper leaks And how long will this tampering with the future of the youth continue he askedThe controversy over BPSC exams is not of today Students have been on the streets for a long time over the recruitment process exam pattern delays and transparency But instead of answering what is the government doing Its wielding batons and water cannons Its taking students into custody Gandhi saidIn Siwan there was even firing on protesters with an AK47 he saidThis is not just a question of police action this is a question of the mindset of the BJP government which has no answers That is why it is turning the police into a weapon to evade accountability Gandhi allegedHe said the BJP government should understand that questions dont stop with batons You cant snatch away someones future by instilling fear The students of Bihar will keep asking questions And now its not just answers they want they demand accountability Gandhi saidThousands of students fought a pitched battle with Bihar Police in Patna on Tuesday hurling stones and braving water cannons and lathicharge upon being prevented from marching to the chief ministers residence to air their grievancesThe protesters most of them aspirants for the Teachers Recruitment Exams to be conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission BPSC next month had announced a Mukhyamantri Awas Gherao to press their demand to hold the written tests in a single stage instead of prelims followed by mainsA section of the protesters also demanded the cancellation of Combined Competitive Exams held by the BPSC earlier this year alleging that the tests were marred by irregularitiesSeveral Leftwing activists owing allegiance to organisations like SFI and DYFI joined the protesters in their procession which began at the historic Gandhi Maidan that has witnessed many upheavals recentlyAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-led-bihar-govt-weaponising-police-to-evade-accountability-to-students-rahul-gandhi--699336.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-on-alert-over-possible-rise-in-gandak-rivers-water-level-after-nepal-flash-floods--699338.html Patna Aug 26 PTI Bihar has been put on alert over the possibility of a sudden rise in the Gandak rivers water discharge following flash floods in several districts of neighbouring Nepal on Wednesday According to a statement issued by the state governments Disaster Management Department a flash flood wave of up to around three metres could enter the Gandak river prompting heightened vigilance in districts along its courseA sudden massive flood swept through two central Nepal districts bordering Tibet killing four people causing extensive devastation at settlements along the river and damaging at least a dozen hydropower projects early WednesdayA highlevel review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit was held on Wednesday with district magistrates and senior police officials of the bordering districts the statement saidDistrict authorities have been directed to complete all rescue and relief preparations and closely monitor the situation it saidSpecial vigilance has been ordered in West Champaran East Champaran Gopalganj Saran Muzaffarpur and Vaishali besides other vulnerable districts such as Sitamarhi and SheoharOfficials have been asked to monitor water levels of Gandak and other rivers embankments lowlying areas bridges and other vulnerable locations and alert local communities in time A National Disaster Response Forcenbsp NDRF team will be sent to Gopalganj while another will be kept on standby in Muzaffarpur said the statementArrangements are also being made for deployment of an NDRF team in Bettiah The Sashastra Seema Bal SSB has assured additional QRT support if required it saidDistrict administrations have been directed to keep evacuation plans boats shelters and community kitchens readyThe Water Resources Department has also been asked to closely monitor the Gandak barrage canals embankments and other waterrelated infrastructureAuthorities urged people not to panic but remain alert follow official advisories and avoid rumours District administrations have also been directed to conduct daily media briefings and monitor social media to prevent the spread of misinformationThe government said additional NDRFSDRF teams boats and other resources would be deployed as requirednbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-on-alert-over-possible-rise-in-gandak-rivers-water-level-after-nepal-flash-floods--699338.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-reaffirms-indias-commitment-to-create-conducive-environment-for-global-investors-699238.html Tokyo Aug 25 IANS Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday reaffirmed Indias commitment to creating a conducive environment for global investors and building enduring partnerships for shared growthnbspOn the second day of his official Japan visit the minister began with an engaging breakfast roundtable with representatives of leading Foreign Institutional Investors FIIsThe minister discussed Indias evolving investment landscape the progress made in ease of doing business and the wideranging opportunities emerging across sectorsGoyal met Ryo Ohira Managing Director and Head of East Asia and his delegation from the investment management firm Neuberger BermanWe discussed opportunities to deepen investment linkages between India and Japan and ways to strengthen financial and wealth management partnerships Indias growing economy continues to offer expanding opportunities for global financial institutions the minister posted on XEarlier he joined Ambassador Nagma Mallick at India House for an engaging evening yesterday with friends of IndiaThank Minister Mr Minoru Kiuchi Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr Masanao Ozaki State Minister Mr Toshiro Ino JBIC Chairman Mr Tadashi Maeda and JETRO Chairman and CEO Mr Norihiko Ishiguro for their positive outlook towards India and the IndiaJapan partnership Goyal postedWe agreed to take forward the understandings reached by our Prime Ministers at the Annual Summit in July and work together to make the IndiaJapan partnership Next Generationready he addedIn his fireside chat with Nikkei Asia on the IndiaJapan Next Generation Economic Partnership the minister discussed Indias growth trajectory as the fastestgrowing major economy and the priority areas for economic cooperation between both sidesI shared the story on the consistent work being done in the semiconductor clean energy digital IT infrastructure and other areas Japan which has been a strong partner in our growth story now has the opportunity to further solidify its presence benefit from the massive manufacturing base in India and build at scale said GoyalThe partnership between the two nations continues to be rooted in trust technology and shared prosperity based on resilient supply chains and deep coinnovation he saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-reaffirms-indias-commitment-to-create-conducive-environment-for-global-investors-699238.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/gurmeet-ram-rahim-granted-21-day-parole-again-set-for-17th-jail-release--699239.html Chandigarh Aug 25 IANS Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim who is lodged in Sunaria Jail in Haryanas Rohtak serving a sentence for raping two female followers has again been granted a 21day parolenbspnbspThis marks his 17th release from prison since his conviction of 20 years in 2017According to officials Ram Rahim is permitted to leave prison and travel to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa where he is expected to reach shortly after his release from prisonEarlier on May 26 the selfstyled godman was granted a 30day parole He remained at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters during this periodHe was granted a 40day parole each in January this year and in August 2025 followed by a 21day furlough in April 2025 and a 30day parole in January 2025 ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections and several other paroles and furloughsThe Dera Sacha Sauda has a sizeable following across Haryana Punjab Rajasthan and several other states In Haryana the organisation enjoys considerable influence in districts such as Sirsa Fatehabad Kurukshetra Kaithal and HisarnbspThe Punjab and Haryana High Court in March acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati in 2002 His acquittal came seven years after a special CBI court had convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonmentThe verdict was delivered by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal while hearing appeals challenging the 2019 conviction in the case However the Bench dismissed the appeals filed by two other accused The selfstyled godmans acquittal came after the Bench scrutinised the evidence following controversy over the bullets allegedly used in the crimeA special CBI court in Haryanas Panchkula town in 2019 convicted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the murder of Sirsabased journalist Chhatrapati Three others Krishan Lal Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh who were close aides of the sect chief were also convicted by the courtChhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 and died later The CBI had registered the case on November 10 2003 on the orders of the High Court and took over the investigation of the case which was earlier registered at the police station in SirsaIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/gurmeet-ram-rahim-granted-21-day-parole-again-set-for-17th-jail-release--699239.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/every-indian-must-be-proud-pm-modi-on-10-years-of-upi-699240.html New Delhi Aug 25 IANS Marking 10 years of Unified Payments Interface UPI on Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the scale and reach of Indias digital payment revolution are something every Indian must be proud ofnbspHe said that the introduction of the UPI system marked a major turning point in Indias digital payments journeyTaking to X PM Modi said A decade ago UPI was rolled out marking a major turning point in Indias digital payments journey The sheer scale and reach of UPI are something every Indian must be proud ofHe also asked the countrymen to share their UPI experience and how its introduction impacted their livesThe UPI developed by the National Payments Corporation of India NPCI has emerged as a cornerstone of Indias digital payments revolution UPI is currently accepted in 11 countries with Greece and the Maldives being the latest to adopt Indias realtime payment platformThe statement highlighted UPIs growing global footprint saying the system is operational in Bhutan Nepal Singapore the United Arab Emirates France Sri Lanka Mauritius and Qatar enabling seamless crossborder digital paymentsUPI has seen unprecedented growth in both transaction volume and value over the past decade with annual volumes rising nearly 12000fold from 2 crore transactions in FY 201617 to over 24162 crore in FY 202526 an official factsheet said on MondayAnnual transaction value grew from Rs 007 lakh crore to nearly Rs 314 lakh crore recording more than a 4000fold increaseThe factsheet noted that the UPI network comprised 741 live banks processed 23658 crore transactions and recorded a total transaction value of Rs 2987 lakh crore in July 2026UPI accounted for nearly 49 per cent of global realtime payment transaction volume in 2024 and the achievement was highlighted by the International Monetary Fund IMF in its Growing Retail Digital Payments The Value of Interoperability reportOndevice authentication for UPI was introduced in 2025 enabling payments through smartphone fingerprint or face unlock Aadhaarbased Face Authentication simplified UPI PIN onboarding especially for firsttime users senior citizens and those without easy access to cardsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/every-indian-must-be-proud-pm-modi-on-10-years-of-upi-699240.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/check-tribal-hostels-in-congress-ruled-states-first-bjp-to-rahul-gandhi-699241.html Mumbai Aug 25 PTI The BJP has hit out at Rahul Gandhi after he wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about concerns over tribal students in Maharashtra saying he should first examine tribal welfare departments and hostels in Congressruled Telangana and KarnatakaThe ruling party accused Gandhi of following a pattern of doing wrong first then creating noise when action is taken and said the Maharashtra government was capable of protecting tribal communities and students It also claimed that some tribal schools in Maharashtra against which students have been protesting are run by Congress leaders and accused Gandhi of shielding themGandhi on Monday urged CM Fadnavis to look into the problems of tribal students in Maharashtra who have been on a hunger strike for the last 10 days against an age limit and alleged humiliating rules in staterun hostels The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha in a letter to Fadnavis asked him to meet the protesting tribal students personally and resolve their problems at the earliest including relaxing harsh conditions like enforcing the age limit of 30 years for staying in government hostels Hitting back the Maharashtra BJP in a post on X late Monday night said Gandhi should first look at the functioning of tribal welfare departments and hostels in Telangana and Karnataka where his party is in power and accused him of trying to protect Congress leaders associated with tribal schools in MaharashtranbspRahul Gandhi we dont expect fair or wellresearched views from you but here are some facts the public should know it saidThe tribal schools in Maharashtra against which students are protesting are run by Congress leaders the â BJP allegednbspA few days ago three young girls died at a school whose director Marotrao Kowase is a former Congress MP His son Vishwajeet Kowase is the Gadchiroli District Congress Committee president and the schools secretary it claimedThe party also referred to an inspection at an ashram school residential school in Yavatmal where girls bathrooms allegedly had no doors The school is run by Vasant Purke a former minister and Congress leader the BJP claimedWhen Congress was in power it wrongly took control of these schools and misused them the BJP alleged accusing the Opposition party leaders of exploiting tribal communitiesAttempts to prevent action against these leaders would not work the ruling party assertedEarlier Gandhi in a post on X said During the Chhatron ki Goonj event in Pune female students shared that hostels enforce an unnecessary age limit of 30 years humiliating rules unsafe facilities and inhuman provisions such as pregnancy checks for womennbsp These students coming from remote villages and towns are not asking for charity they are demanding their rightful entitlements It is expected that you Fadnavis will meet them personally and immediately resolve their issues Gandhi said while sharing a memorandum from students as well as his letter in his postnbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/check-tribal-hostels-in-congress-ruled-states-first-bjp-to-rahul-gandhi-699241.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-irregularities-over-100-candidates-questioned-as-cid-sit-expands-probe-699242.html Ranchi Aug 25 IANS The investigation into alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC is widening with the CIDSpecial Investigation Team SIT having questioned more than 100 candidates so far officials saidThe questioning has reportedly been carried out on the basis of information obtained during the interrogation of the alleged key accused Abhay Tiwari The investigation agency is examining the possible involvement of candidates intermediaries and individuals linked to examination centres using electronic evidence and information gathered from the accusedOn Tuesday around 20 more candidates were issued notices to appear for questioning as part of the ongoing investigationTiwari had earlier served as a Block Supply Officer in Poreyahat in Godda district Before entering government service he had worked as a marketing manager with TDPL an outsourcing agency associated with the conduct of examinations Investigators are examining his alleged role in several competitive examinations in previous years as well as his network of contactsAccording to information that allegedly emerged during his interrogation Tiwari has provided details about the alleged deals through which candidates were promised selection in competitive examinations His statements reportedly indicated that around Rs 5 lakh was allegedly charged for helping a candidate clear the preliminary stage of the civil services examination while the amount allegedly rose to Rs 10 lakh for the main examination and Rs 40 lakh to Rs 60 lakh for final selectionSimilarly the alleged amount for selection as a Forest Range Officer was between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh while candidates seeking selection as an Assistant Conservator of Forests were allegedly charged between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 35 lakh according to the information provided during the investigationThe probe has also reportedly uncovered allegations of assistance through software and remote access during the Post Graduate Trained PGT teacher recruitment examination The agency is investigating the alleged technical network the methods used and the people who may have been involvedTiwaris brother Akshay Tiwari and wife Sushma Kumari have also been arrested in connection with the case Investigators are questioning them to gather information about alleged financial transactions and contacts linked to the examination irregularitiesThe CIDSIT is also examining the role of former JPSC chairman L Khiyangte and other officials and employees associated with the commission Former JPSC members and JSSC Secretary Sudhir Kumar Gupta have also been questioned as part of the investigationDuring interrogation Tiwari allegedly claimed that Rs 2 crore was paid to the then JPSC chairman in connection with securing the contract for TDPL The allegation is part of the ongoing investigation and has not been independently establishedOpposition parties and student organisations have repeatedly demanded that the investigation into the alleged examination irregularities be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBIThe CIDSIT is continuing to analyse electronic evidence financial transactions and statements of candidates and other persons as it seeks to establish the extent of the alleged examination network and identify those responsibleIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-irregularities-over-100-candidates-questioned-as-cid-sit-expands-probe-699242.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-grants-protection-to-tmc-mp-abhishek-banerjee-from-arrest-in-3-cases--699245.html Kolkata Aug 25 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the police not to take any coercive steps against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in three criminal cases against him till November 30 holding that custodial interrogation is not necessary The court directed the Diamond Harbour MP not to travel abroad without permission of the high courtJustice Saugata Bhattacharyya clarified that the permission granted to Banerjee by the Supreme Court for going abroad for three weeks for medical reasons would not be curtailed by this orderHolding that custodial interrogation of the TMC leader in connection with the three cases is not necessary the court directed the police not to take any coercive steps against him till November 30Justice Bhattacharyya directed the police to file a progress report on the investigation in the three cases when the matter will be taken up for hearing again on November 23Banerjee was directed to cooperate with the investigation and comply with notices issued in connection with the three cases Justice Bhattacharyya directed that at least 48 hours prior notice be given to Banerjee for appearance before the investigators in the casesHe directed that the police authorities concerned may move this court for variation or vacation of the order if Banerjee does not cooperate with the investigationsThe court also directed that Banerjee will not go abroad without permission from this courtBanerjees lawyer mentioned that the Supreme Court has on August 10 granted him permission to travel abroad for medical reasonsThe states lawyer submitted that the apex court order granting permission to Banerjee to travel abroad applies only to the petition that was before itBanerjees lawyer stated before the court that the MP has not gone abroad yet as he requires a doctors appointment and also that his personal bank account and debit and credit cards were frozen by a private bankThe order passed today shall not in any way curtail the right of the petitioner to go abroad for treatment in terms of the order passed by the Honble Supreme Court on August 10 2026 for treatment subject to compliance of conditions mentioned in the said order Justice Bhattacharyya clarifiedA prayer for stay of operation of this order by the additional advocate general was declined by the courtThe high court had on June 30 granted interim protection to Banerjee from coercive steps by the police in connection with three FIRs lodged against him at Bhowanipore Bishnupur and Kalitala police stationsnbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-grants-protection-to-tmc-mp-abhishek-banerjee-from-arrest-in-3-cases--699245.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/former-sbi-branch-manager-awarded-4-year-jail-term-fined-rs-90-000-in-bribery-case-699263.html New Delhi Aug 25 IANS A CBI Court in Lucknow has convicted and sentenced Ajay Kumar Gaur the then Branch Manager of the State Bank of India SBIs Shahupuri Branch in Uttar Pradeshs Chandauli district to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 90000 in a bribery caseThe Central Bureau of Investigation CBI registered the case on February 26 2018 against Gaur on the basis of a complaint alleging that he had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 50000 for sanctioning and disbursing a personal loan of Rs 10 lakh to the complainantThe accused had sought a bribe equivalent to five per cent of the loan amount The CBI subsequently laid a trap and caught Gaur redhanded while he was demanding and accepting Rs 40000 as illegal gratification from the complainantFollowing the completion of the investigation the CBI filed a chargesheet against Gaur on April 27 2018 Charges were subsequently framed against him on January 9 2019After the completion of the trial the Lucknow CBI Court convicted Gaur and sentenced him to four years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 90000Earlier on August 21 the CBI arrested proclaimed offender Roop Singh who had allegedly been absconding for nearly 23 years in connection with a case involving the criminal misappropriation of goods worth Rs 9 lakh from trucks transporting them to customersAccording to a CBI statement Roop Singh was arrested after sustained efforts by the investigating agency Earlier coaccused Arjun Singh was arrested on November 7 2025 after remaining absconding for nearly 22 yearsThe case originated from Case No 1781998 registered at Amalner Police Station in Maharashtra on October 4 1998 concerning the alleged theft and misappropriation of goods including ghee and moong loaded in two trucksIt was alleged that on September 27 1998 two truck drivers Babu Khan and Aslam Khan stole and misappropriated the goodsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/former-sbi-branch-manager-awarded-4-year-jail-term-fined-rs-90-000-in-bribery-case-699263.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/secc-2011-caste-data-unreliable-several-entries-had-numbers-symbols-centre-told-sc-699265.html New Delhi Aug 25 IANS The Centre had told the Supreme Court that the raw caste data collected during the Socio Economic and Caste Census SECC 2011 is riddled with inaccuracies including instances where enumerators recorded numbers or symbols instead of caste names making the data unreliable for determining reservation or other official purposesnbspIn a reply affidavit filed in September 2021 in a writ petition by the Maharashtra government seeking disclosure of the SECC2011 raw caste data of Other Backward Classes OBCs the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said there was no registry of castes prepared before the 2011 exercise which contributed to inconsistencies in the dataThe Centre had said that in several hundred cases the caste column mentions about number or symbol against caste names adding that there was no registry of caste prepared prior to the conduct of the 2011 CensusIt would have been ideal for the Registry of Castes that there should have been given a drop down menu for selection of the castes which could have made some consistent data available which can be relied upon the affidavit saidThe Centre had submitted that the caste data collected under the SECC2011 was never made official because of technical flaws noticed in the raw caste and tribe data which rendered it unusable for official populationrelated purposesAccording to the affidavit the data contained nearly 130 crore records and was initially stored in thousands of separate MS Excel sheets The government said the data had to be transferred into a relational database management system to enable statewise districtwise and castewise analysisThe Centre had said the analysis of the SECC data for Maharashtra showed that out of a total population of around 103 crore 117 crore people or 1112 per cent were recorded as having No caste while as many as 428677 castes were enumeratedIn contrast the affidavit highlighted that the existing published lists of Scheduled Tribes Scheduled Castes and OBCs in Maharashtra together contain only 494 entries 47 STs 59 SCs and 388 OBCsThe Centre had said this wide disparity demonstrated the problems with the raw caste dataConsidering the aforesaid it is apparent that the caste enumeration in SECC 2011 was fraught with mistakes and inaccuracies the affidavit saidIt further stated that more than 99 per cent of the castes enumerated in Maharashtra had a population of less than 100 peopleThe Centre cited several reasons for the discrepancies including different spellings of the same caste by enumerators It gave the example of Mappilas in the Malabar region of Kerala saying the caste had been spelt in 40 different ways by different enumerators resulting in the recording of 40 separate castesSimilarly the affidavit said names such as Pawar and Powar could require grouping based on phonetic similarity while only Powar was listed as an OBCThe government had also pointed out that in several cases households had either refused to disclose their caste or the enumerator was unable to determine it resulting in entries such as X in the caste columnIt said that the absence of a preexisting registry of castes made the exercise particularly vulnerable to such inconsistenciesThere was no registry of caste prepared prior to the conduct of 2011 Census the Centre said stressing that a standardised registry or a dropdown mechanism could have helped produce more consistent dataThe affidavit further said that caste names were sometimes replaced by numbers or symbols while people also used clan gotra subcaste caste names titles and synonyms interchangeablyThe Centre consequently maintained that the available caste data could not form the basis for reservation in admissions employment or elections to local authoritiesFor the above referred various reasons either due to the mistakes committed by the enumerators inherent flaws in the manner of conducting census and several such other factors there is no reliable or dependable castesbased census data available which can be the basis of any constitutional or statutory exercise like reservations in admission promotion or local body elections it saidThe Maharashtra government had approached the Supreme Court seeking among other reliefs disclosure of the SECC2011 raw caste data concerning OBCs or permission to collect empirical data regarding OBCs within the stateHowever the Centre also disputed Maharashtras reliance on the Supreme Courts 2021 judgment in Vikas Kishanrao Gawali vs State of Maharashtra saying the judgment did not specifically direct disclosure of the raw SECC2011 caste dataIt said the Gawali case concerned reservations exceeding 50 per cent in certain Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis and that the SECC2011 data was neither the subject matter of that petition nor had the Supreme Court adjudicated upon the infirmities in the data or directed its disclosureThe Centre also referred to an earlier Supreme Court judgment concerning a plea for castewise enumeration asserting that courts cannot direct the executive to conduct a census in a particular mannerIt relied on the top courts 2014 judgment setting aside a Madras High Court direction for conducting a castewise census which had observed that it is not within the domain of the Court to legislate and that courts should exercise restraint in matters of policyThe Centre also maintained that collecting OBC data through the Census posed significant administrative and operational challenges because of the existence of separate Central and State OBC lists and the large number of caste subcaste clan and gotra namesIt said that the SECC2011 exercise had itself produced more than 46 lakh different caste names nationally which had not been classified or categorised into the appropriate caste or backwardclass categoriesThe affidavit concluded that the enumeration of OBCsBCCs has historically been administratively extremely complex and that the infirmities in the SECC2011 data made it unusable for official purposesThe Centre had urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Maharashtras writ petition contending that the reliefs sought would amount to interference with a policy decision of the Union government The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the petition filed by the Maharashtra governmentIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/secc-2011-caste-data-unreliable-several-entries-had-numbers-symbols-centre-told-sc-699265.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/scrap-existing-questionnaire-formulate-new-one-after-consulting-political-parties-experts-kharge-rahul-to-pm-on-caste-census-699266.html New Delhi Aug 25 PTI Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the caste census issue demanding that the government scrap the existing questionnaire for it and formulate a new one after consulting political parties experts and the general publicKharge and Gandhi said they do not accept the caste census being conducted in the current manner and urged the government to take cue from the caste surveys done in Telangana and BiharBriefing reporters on the letter written in Hindi by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gandhi on August 20 Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the governments current efforts towards a caste census are just a whitewashRamesh noted that this is the third letter written by the Congress leadership to Modi over the issue but have not received any replyIn their letter Kharge and Gandhi said social justice policies in India cannot be effectively implemented without accurate data and a precise assessment of the numerical strength and socioeconomic status of various castes is possible only if the caste enumeration is conducted correctly Your government has opted for an openended question format to record caste details in the census which is misleading Under this method whatever name an individual provides for their caste will be recorded as it is the leaders said in their letter to ModiIn India the same caste is known by different names subcastes and linguistic variations across different regions Congress president Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi pointed outConsequently if members of the same caste are recorded under different names during the census a single caste could end up being fragmented into thousands of distinct names they arguedThis would result in a list of hundreds of thousands of caste names rendering the entire dataset obtained from the caste census useless Kharge and Gandhi arguedIf the actual population of a community is not accurately recorded any assessment of its status will also be flawed This will disadvantage backward extremely backward and other marginalised communities and will impact decisions related to education employment welfare schemes and social justice Kharge and Gandhi saidnbspMost importantly this approach will fail to reveal the size of the OBC population in India as the term Backward Class is not even included in this census they said An easy solution for this already exists a dropdown list of castes should be created This is the method adopted for the enumeration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Such a list can be easily compiled based on existing government lists such as those for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and the list from the Anthropological Survey of India the two leaders said in their letter to ModiThis same method was employed in the caste surveys conducted in Telangana and Bihar they pointed outWe do not accept the caste census being conducted in the current manner The government should scrap the existing questionnaire and formulate a new one after consulting political parties experts and the general public this would ensure that the true numbers of every caste and community are revealed making the caste census accurate meaningful and beneficial Kharge and Gandhi said nbspThey enclosed copies of the caste list from the Telangana Caste Survey 2024 and of the caste list from the Bihar Caste Survey 2022 with the letternbspnbspRamesh said Notification on caste census informed 40 questions to be asked and 10th question will be linked to caste it is a form of self sabotage will not ensure social justice This is the third letter from the Congress party to the prime minister on the caste census The first letter was written by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to the prime minister on April 16 2023 regarding the caste census After that the Congress president wrote a second lengthy twopage letter on May 5 2025 also regarding the caste census and offered some suggestions including constructive ones he saidnbspThat letter was sent to the Prime Minister Unfortunately neither of these two letters received any response from the prime minister the Prime Ministers Office the Home Minister or any official This is the third letter and this time both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have signed it The subject remains the same that the Congress party has been raising for the past three years he saidAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/scrap-existing-questionnaire-formulate-new-one-after-consulting-political-parties-experts-kharge-rahul-to-pm-on-caste-census-699266.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rakshabandhan-festival-of-commitment-to-honour-safety-of-sisters-and-daughters-up-cm-yogi-699161.html Lucknow Aug 24 IANS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while extending his greetings to the people of the state for the upcoming occasion of Rakshabandhan said in a letter that the event is not just a sacred thread tied on a brothers wrist but a festival that reminds people of their responsibility to protect the honour safety and selfrespect of sisters and daughtersIn his letter CM Yogi said This festival celebrated this year on August 28 on the auspicious occasion of Shravan Purnima symbolises this strong tradition of our Sanatan Sanskaars The stories associated with this festival also embody this same spirit of love and protection Folk tradition holds that Draupadi seeing Lord Krishnas finger bleeding tore the edge of her saree and tied it Shri Krishna reciprocated Draupadis affection by protecting her in times of crisisSimilarly he said that by tying a sacred thread around King Bali Goddess Lakshmi made him her brother and brought Lord Vishnu with her These incidents demonstrate that affection not only builds relationships it also fosters a sense of responsibility and protection he addednbspToday as the new generation progresses with technological advancements it is more important than ever to incorporate these values into our conduct and prioritise prudence harmony and social unity These values strengthen our families keep society united and empower the nation by strengthening the values of equality fraternity and social harmony enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution the Chief Minister saidThe Chief Minister said that this same sense of protection is also reflected in the resolve of a sensitive government Over the past nine and a half years he said that the BJP government has prioritised the safety respect and selfreliance of our sisters and daughtersnbspMission Shakti and the Chief Ministers Kanya Sumangala Yojana have accelerated the safety education and progress of daughters The Chief Ministers Mass Marriage and Destitute Womens Pension Schemes have provided social security The Women Entrepreneur Credit Card is an important step towards economic independence he saidHe said that free bus travel for women started in 2017 on Rakshabandhan will continue this year from August 27 to August 29 to ensure smooth and safe travelWhile wishing everyone in the state a happy Rakshabandhan CM Yogi urged them to make the Rakhi pledge part of their conduct Take a pledge to respect and protect every sister and daughter Express affection and gratitude to security forces police personnel and disaster relief workers by tying Rakhi to them he addedHe urged them to prioritise locally produced Rakhis and giftsnbspThis effort will encourage local labour skills and enterprise and further strengthen the resolve for a selfreliant and developed Uttar Pradesh he addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rakshabandhan-festival-of-commitment-to-honour-safety-of-sisters-and-daughters-up-cm-yogi-699161.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/goyal-says-india-negotiating-ftas-with-8-9-more-blocs-aims-to-cover-75-pc-of-global-trade--699162.html nbspTokyo Aug 24 PTI India is in negotiations with at least 89 more groups of countries and individual nations that together account for another USD 15 trillion of GDP Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Mondaynbsp He added that the countrys free trade agreements would eventually cover about 75 per cent of global trade and help position India as a trusted partner in global value chainsnbspIndia has a large domestic market and it opens its doors to the world with nine free trade agreements signed in the last four years he said here while addressing business representatives from India and Japan These nine agreements cover economies with a combined GDP of USD 60 trillion and 38 developed countriesnbspnbspnbspThe earlier trade pactsnbsp with countries including Japan and Korea and the Asean region have opened another USD 10 trillion of GDP So today India opens up the doors to preferential market access to USD 70 trillion of economy We are in negotiations with at least 8 or 9 other groups of countries or countries which will add another USD 15 trillionnbspBasically 75 per cent of global trade will be covered through our free trade agreements opening India to become a part of the global value chain as a trusted partner he said herenbspGoyal is leading a large business delegation of over 200 representatives here to boost trade and investment ties between the two countriesnbspHe said that large opportunities for investments in India are there in areas like data centersnbsp manufacturing and artificial intelligencenbspThe minister added that the increasing economic ties should lead towards balanced trade between India and JapannbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/goyal-says-india-negotiating-ftas-with-8-9-more-blocs-aims-to-cover-75-pc-of-global-trade--699162.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ed-raids-9-locations-in-up-haryana-in-rs-1028-crore-bogus-income-tax-credit-case-699164.html Lucknow Aug 24 IANS The Directorate of Enforcement ED Lucknow Zonal Office on Monday conducted searches at nine premises spread across Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar and Ghaziabad and Haryanas Faridabad in connection with an alleged money laundering case involving the fraudulent availment and passing of bogus Input Tax Credit ITC officials saidThe searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA 2002 as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged network involved in generating and passing fraudulent ITC through fabricated invoices and Eway bills without any actual movement of goodsAccording to officials the case pertains to Ms Jambudwip Exports ampamp Imports Ltd an entity allegedly involved in the creation and circulation of bogus ITC using fake documentationnbspInvestigators suspect that the company and entities associated with it generated and passed on fraudulent tax credit despite there being no genuine movement of goods corresponding to the invoices and Eway billsInvestigation revealed extensive circular transactions rapid layering of funds and cash withdrawals through multiple bogusnonexistent entities they saidnbspOfficials said the investigation also found that funds were allegedly withdrawn in cash through multiple bogus or nonexistent entities further indicating the suspected use of shell entities for routing and layering the proceeds generated through the fraudulent ITC transactionsGST authorities have established fraudulent availment of Rs 963 crore ITC and passing on of Rs 1028 crore ITC resulting in wrongful loss to the Government exchequer which constitutes proceeds of crime under PMLA the officials saidThe EDs searches are aimed at tracing the alleged proceeds of crime generated through the fraudulent ITC transactions and identifying individuals and entities that may have benefited from the suspected networkThe agency is also looking for documentary and digital evidence that could help investigators establish the complete structure of the alleged fraudulent ITC network and determine the role of various entities and beneficiaries involved in the transactionsFurther details in connection with the searches and the investigation are awaitedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ed-raids-9-locations-in-up-haryana-in-rs-1028-crore-bogus-income-tax-credit-case-699164.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/tn-cm-vijay-announces-more-free-buses-for-women-3-free-cooking-gas-cylinders--699165.html Chennai Aug 24 PTI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced expansion of the farefree bus travel scheme for women and made services such as deluxe and express free for beneficiaries Making several announcements in the Assembly Vijay fulfilling TVKs key electoral assurances announced three free cooking gas cylinders and also declared that the Parandur greenfield airport project will be shelved The project had been strongly opposed by farmers who did not wish to part with their farm lands There will be no riders like income ceiling or number of trips for women to avail farefree bus travel Vettri Payanam Vijay said making a statement under Rule 110 Women can also travel free of charge on Express LSS and Deluxe government buses operating in metropolitan and urban areas and also on regular fare buses in suburban Mofussil and hilly areas This scheme will be rolled out on October 2 coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi he said and added the move will entail the state government an additional expenditure of Rs 6000 crore per annumOn the Annapoorani Super Six scheme a major welfare promise made by Vijay in the run up to the April Assembly election assuring to provide six free LPG cylinders to every eligible family in Tamil Nadu every year to reduce their household living expenditure the Chief Minister said initially 3free cooking gas cylinders will be provided and the amount will be credited directly into the bank account of the beneficiariesThis will reduce the burden of the people who have been spending extra amount to obtain the cylinders The government has decided to provide the cost of the cooking gas cylinders Three free LPG cylinders will be given in the first phase and the price for cylinders will be directly credited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries Vijay said amidst loud thumping of tables by the TreasuryThe move will benefit 13016104 families with an annual income of nearly Rs 25 lakh economically backward small and medium farmers families differently abled and poor familiesThe preparatory work has commenced and the scheme will be launched this Pongal midJanuary 2027 festival Vijay said and added the state government will allocate Rs 4000 crore per annum for this initiativenbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/tn-cm-vijay-announces-more-free-buses-for-women-3-free-cooking-gas-cylinders--699165.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/modi-govt-strangulating-emasculating-isro-congress-699166.html nbspNew Delhi Aug 24 PTI The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government ofnbsp strangulating and emasculating ISRO and slammed it for pursuing an aggressive privatisation agenda for the space programme Congress general secretary incharge communications Jairam Ramesh said there have been news reports in the past couple of days on ISROs future role in our countrys space programmeThis has raised legitimate concerns given its capacities capabilities and competencies built up so methodically and painstakingly over the past six decades thanks to the vision dedication and leadership of Vikram Sarabhai Satish Dhawan Brahm Prakash UR Rao APJ Abdul Kalam and so many other distinguished scientists and technologists Ramesh said on X Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO was founded in 1969 with Sarabhai instrumental in its conception as its first chairman The Congress leader claimed that the Modi government has an aggressive privatisation agenda for the space programme just as it had for nuclear energynbspThe motivation is clearly coming from the PM Narendra Modi and his PMO itself ISROs presence in rocket development and manufacture is to be severely limited and much of its satelliterelated assets are to be transferred lock stock and barrel to private companies Ramesh saidnbspThe Modi government will also be handing over to a private company the second spaceport coming up in Tamil Nadu for which it is investing something like Rs 1000 crore the Congress general secretary saidnbspGiven the winds of change the future of the historic Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh is itself anybodys guess he saidnbspRamesh said that ISRO has made India enormously proud and the prime minister himself has basked in its glory on multiple occasionsnbspSpace startups certainly deserve encouragement and support But why should ISRO which has for long had productive partnerships with the private sector now be strangulated and emasculated Already in the past few months 100120 key ISRO professionals have quit perhaps seeing the writing on the wall Ramesh claimednbspIn an apparent reference to G Madhavan Nair he said that an exISRO chairman who had joined the BJP in October 2018 after being inspired by the prime minister has also expressed serious doubts on the new privatisation drivenbspWhy dont the five other living eminent Chairmen also speak out on this vital issue Ramesh saidnbspThe Congress leader shared a video of his speech in the Rajya Sabha in September 2023 on Indias space journey In his speech in the Upper House three years ago Ramesh had accused the government of attempting to airbrush the milestones achieved in the space sector since the 1960s and said the Indian space programme should be seen as an instrument of development and not an instrument of muscular nationalism Lauding the Chandrayaan3 mission he said there is a need to remind the House of the people who have contributed so far to it rather than becoming victim to the new impression that this entire accomplishment is the result of one individualnbspRamesh made the comments during a discussion on Indias Glorious Space Journey Marked By Successful Soft Landing of Chandrayaan3nbspnbspnbspHe said that the success of the moon mission is based on the competencies capabilities and capacities created over 60 yearsnbspWe need to give our scientific and technological institutions full freedom We need to give our scientific and technological institutions full independence and professionalism and we need to free our scientific and technological institutions of any political patronage and political interference and intervention the Congress leader then saidnbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/modi-govt-strangulating-emasculating-isro-congress-699166.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/consider-it-your-birthright-to-denounce-indias-heritage-adityanath-slams-rahul-over-manusmriti-remarks--699174.html Raebareli UP Aug 24 PTI Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday targeted Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Manusmriti saying he considers it his birthright to denounces Indias traditions and heritage nbspHe also asked the Leader of the Opposition as to why he wanted to ruin the future of Indias present generation through Urban Naxals Addressing a programme here to mark the 222nd birth anniversary of 1857 revolt leader Rana Beni Madhav Baksh Singh Adityanath said Rahul ji the country does not have any expectations from you as an individual But as the Leader of Opposition in Indias Parliament the countrys highest panchayat you are accountable to the countrys democracynbsp nbspYou have taken an oath on the Constitution and after taking that oath you consider it your birthright to denounce Indias traditions and heritage When you go outside Uttar Pradesh you defame and insult Uttar Pradesh and when you go outside India you insult India he saidRaebareli is the Lok Sabha constituency of Gandhi Further targeting the Congress leader the chief minister said Whenever the Indian Army fights enemies on the borders you demand proof from the soldiers In the countrys fight against terrorism you directly or indirectly encourage antinational elements In Ayodhya your party raises questions over the existence of Lord Ram And what is your commitment to democracy The country saw that during the Emergency in 1975 Referring to Gandhis Manusmriti remarks he said You comment on Manu Ram or Indias heritage If you want to know about Manu read the Atharvaveda Shatapatha Brahmana and Matsya Purana religious texts You will get all the information Gandhi during an interaction with girl students in Maharashtra on Saturday had criticised the Manusmriti mindset urged students to smash patriarchy and said women belonged to themselves not to their fathers husbands or sonsnbspAdityanath said as a responsible Leader of Opposition the country expected Rahul Gandhi to play a positive role but you have ruined and ended even that role You have completely distanced yourself from your responsibilitiesnbspWhy do you want to ruin the future of Indias present generation at the hands of urban Naxals Why do you want to destroy Indias heritage Why do you want to play with Indias future he askedAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/consider-it-your-birthright-to-denounce-indias-heritage-adityanath-slams-rahul-over-manusmriti-remarks--699174.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-cbi-on-plea-for-cbi-probe-into-jpsc-exam-irregularities-699175.html nbspNew Delhi Aug 24 PTI The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the state government on a plea seeking an independent timebound probe by the CBI into alleged malpractices in the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examinationnbsp A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana sought a response from the Union of India the Jharkhand government the Jharkhand Public Service Commission CBI and othersnbspnbspnbspSenior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra appearing for the petitioner submitted that the plea seeks a CBI inquiry or an inquiry by a former judge of this courtnbspnbspnbspThe top court was hearing a petition filed by activist Harisharan Devgan through advocate Satyam Singh RajputnbspnbspThe present writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is being preferred in public interest seeking urgent intervention of this court in relation to serious and substantial concerns regarding the integrity fairness transparency and credibility of the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Competitive Examination 2025 conducted by respondent no 2 Jharkhand Public Service Commission pursuant to Advertisement No 012026 on April 19 2026 it saidnbspnbspnbspThe plea has also sought transfer of the investigation from the state CID to the CBI to ensure an impartial probe into public officials and examination agencies The petitioner submitted that the controversy cannot appropriately be examined merely as a dispute concerning individual candidates or isolated instances of alleged malpracticenbspThe allegations require examination of the entire examination chain including preparation and printing of question papers coding storage transportation distribution conduct of the examination collection and custody of OMR sheets scanning coding and decoding evaluation storage and access to electronic examination data generation of the result and publication thereof it saidnbspnbspnbspIt has also sought direction to immediately secure all physical and digital evidence including original and candidateheld OMR carbon copies CCTV footage and server audit logs to prevent tamperingnbspnbspnbspThe petitioner is conscious that the mere existence of allegations or public protests cannot by itself justify cancellation of an examination The petitioner therefore does not seek cancellation merely on the basis of media reports or allegations The principal relief sought is for an independent impartial comprehensive and timebound investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation so that the nature extent mechanism and impact of the alleged irregularities may be objectively determined it saidnbspThe petition said the consequential question Whether the preliminary examination can safely be relied upon must be determined based on objective and scientifically verifiable evidencenbspThe petitioner said he raises a constitutional question concerning whether a public recruitment examination conducted by a constitutional authority has retained the minimum degree of fairness transparency reliability and institutional integrity necessary for its result to constitute the lawful basis for public appointmentsnbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-cbi-on-plea-for-cbi-probe-into-jpsc-exam-irregularities-699175.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/silent-fire-alarms-failed-water-sprinklers-grieving-kin-recount-horror-of-amravati-nicu-fire--699190.html Amravati Maharashtra Aug 24 PTI As flames swept through the neonatal care unit of the government hospital in Maharashtras Amravati the fire alarms remained eerily silent and water sprinklers dry turning the ward housing critically ill newborns into a death trapAccording to eyewitnesses parents sleeping outside and security guards made a desperate dash for the smokefilled neonatal intensive care unit NICU to pull out sootcovered babies to safety in the darkA huge fire ripped through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU of the District Womens Hospital around 315 am leaving some newborns covered in soot as panic spread through the wards eyewitnesses told PTI Videos The hospital staff managed to rescue 36 infants from the facility while three newborns lost their lives in the incidentPraful Chopde who lost his fivedayold son to the inferno was among grieving parents and relatives who alleged that the fire alarms did not sound and that the sprinkler system failed to function when the blaze broke out Speaking to the media Chopde claimed that the fire alarm didnt go off at the time of the incident and he had lost his child due to the hospital administrations negligenceThe distraught father said he was blessed with a baby boy five days ago and had admitted the infant and the mother to the hospital on August 19 Chopdes wife had not seen the infant in the last five days his relatives said questioning why only the infants and no hospital staff were harmed in the incidentThey also alleged that the hospital authorities had not acted immediately and had waited for the fire tenders to douse the flames Swapnil Barge a resident of Pulgaon village who lost his dayold son in the fire said Around 330 am I was standing at the hospital gate with a friend when I heard a woman shouting but we were not told anything Then there was an uproar and the fire brigade came I kept looking for my baby and wife searched a lot but couldnt find him Hours later Barge was informed of his newborns deathRelatives of some children admitted to the hospital claimed that the wards watersprinkler system which should have been activated immediately when the blaze broke out failed to function Yogesh Savarkar a resident of Achalpur in Amravati said his wife and eightâdayâold child were admitted to the hospital and he was sleeping outside the building when the fire broke outSavarkar said his child was on the first floor of the hospital As flames spread through one of the wards he rushed upstairs rescued his baby and carried him down to safetyThe situation was extremely difficult with fire spreading above the children admitted in the ward he and relatives of some other children recalledMy child was on the first floor and I personally went and brought him down However I could see black ashes on the other children in the hospital Savarkar saidSecurity guards were the first to reach the spot and began rescuing the children he claimed adding that he also saw a nurse helping save livesRelatives of the children squarely blamed the administration for the tragedy The families said they did not know the exact cause of the blaze but described seeing a huge fire raging through the ward as panic spread among parents and staffAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/silent-fire-alarms-failed-water-sprinklers-grieving-kin-recount-horror-of-amravati-nicu-fire--699190.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ideals-of-sant-ravidas-pm-modis-vision-guiding-march-towards-viksit-bharat-bjp-chief-nitin-nabin-699191.html New Delhi Aug 24 IANS Bharatiya Janata Party BJP national president Nitin Nabin said on Monday that the party is committed to realising the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 guided by the ideals of Sant Ravidas and Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision for the nationSpeaking at the sacred Mati Kalash Vandan and Distribution Programme organised at Talkatora Stadium under the Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan Nabin said that the purpose of the campaign is to spread to every person the ideas of Sant Ravidas on social harmony equality and selfless actionThe event was organised to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Sant RavidasNabin said that under the leadership of PM Modi development schemes are being delivered to the poor and the last person in the queue and 25 crore people have been brought out of povertyHe said the knowledge and resolve that saints and great men have given to Indian culture and society is reflected today in PM Modi carrying forward the basic mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas and Sabka PrayasThe BJP chief stated that the manner in which PM Modi has led the country for such a long period with a spirit of selfless service reflects a commitment to advancing society without any personal desire or expectation of rewardNabin said on Monday that BJP is starting this Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan with the ideas of Sant RavidasWe believe that when foreign invasions happened and there was an attempt to take people towards mass conversions even at that time the thoughts and struggle of Sant Shiromani Ravidas worked to save Indian society and Sanatan traditions he said in a statementThe party would celebrate the entire birth anniversary year of Sant Shiromani Ravidas until February next year during which numerous programmes would be organised including honouring saints and taking a pledge to establish their ideals in society said the BJP presidentDelhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Delhi BJP president and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra National vice president and programme coordinator Lal Singh Arya SC Morcha national president Shivesh Kumar Ram and senior party leader Dushyant Gautam along with other leaders were present on the stage during the event the statement saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ideals-of-sant-ravidas-pm-modis-vision-guiding-march-towards-viksit-bharat-bjp-chief-nitin-nabin-699191.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fm-sitharaman-to-visit-canada-us-to-boost-bilateral-economic-and-financial-partnerships-699195.html New Delhi Aug 24 IANS With a focus on strengthening bilateral economic and financial partnerships Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on an official visit to Canada and the United States from August 25 to September 2 an official statement said on MondaynbspThe visit focuses on strengthening bilateral economic and financial partnerships deepening investment linkages and advancing cooperation on shared global economic prioritiesIn Toronto Sitharaman will participate in the inaugural Economic and Financial Dialogue with Canadas Minister of Finance and National Revenue FrancoisPhilippe ChampagneAccording to the official statement the event will provide an important platform for both sides to exchange views on macroeconomic developments financial sector cooperation bilateral investment opportunities and shared international priorities and to further strengthen the economic and financial pillar of the renewed IndiaCanada partnershipLater FM Sitharaman will participate in an Investment Roundtable with leading CEOs Presidents and senior representatives chiefly from the energy artificial intelligence and critical minerals sectorsThe interaction will seek to facilitate greater businesstobusiness linkages identify investment opportunities and promote longterm commercial partnerships between India and Canada including opportunities in GIFT CityIFSC said the Finance Ministry in a statementSitharaman will also hold onetoone meetings with CEOs and senior leadership of companies based in Canada with discussions expected to focus on investment opportunities Indias growth prospects and avenues for expanding the presence of Canadian businesses in IndiaDuring the US leg of the visit Sitharaman will travel to Chicago Asheville North Carolina and New York In Chicago she will participate in a Roundtable Conference with prominent investors and engage with leading CEOs Presidents and senior representatives of the private sectorAccording to an official statement the discussions will focus on Indias investment opportunities economic outlook and areas for strengthening business and investment partnerships between India and the US Moreover she will also visit the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of ChicagoIn Asheville Sitharaman will lead the Indian delegation at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors FMCBG Meeting under the United States Presidency of the G20In New York she will participate in an Investor Roundtable with CEOs and senior representatives of leading New Yorkbased companies NASDAQ will host Sitharaman in the bellringing ceremonyThe visit will provide an opportunity to gain insights into developments in technologydriven financial markets and the evolving interface between technology and capital markets said the Finance MinistryIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fm-sitharaman-to-visit-canada-us-to-boost-bilateral-economic-and-financial-partnerships-699195.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/student-leader-devendra-nath-mahto-launches-exam-reform-campaign-from-jkhands-ramgarh-699215.html Ramgarh Ranchi Aug 24 PTI Student leader Devendra Nath Mahtoled JPSCJSSC Abhyarthi Nyay Manch on Monday launched its statewide campaign for reforms in recruitment examinations from Jharkhands Ramgarh district amid a protest by localsMahto kicked off the campaign from Lukaiyatand in Nemra Chief Minister Hemant Sorens native village after paying tributes to JMM founder and former chief minister Shibu SorenNemra residents staged a road blockade around 3 km away from the campaign venue to protest the Manchs alleged plans to burn effigies of Hemant Soren Mahto along with Manch members paid tributes to Shibu Sorens statue by washing his feet and offering akshat sacred rice and garlands as part of a traditional tribal ritualThey also raised slogans of Shibu Soren Amar RaheTaking blessings of Dishom Guru Shibu Soren we are launching the JPSCJSSC CorruptionFree Recruitment campaign from today It aims to demand fair transparent and corruptionfree recruitment systems The campaign will cover all 24 districts of the state strengthening our voice Mahto told reporters The campaign will raise demands to check recruitment scams take action against the corrupt crack down on the paperleak mafia and ensure justice for youths he said He said the campaign would be peaceful and democratic Students across the state are enthusiastic and hopeful about this campaign believing it will secure justice for them and bring transparency in the recruitment examination system Mahto claimedOn FIRs against protesting students Mahto said FIRs cannot silence our voice or suppress our agitation It will continue till our demands are metRegarding the Supreme Courts notice to the state government he said It is part of the legal process and the government will respond accordingly He said they want the government to take a stand for students concerns in court During our campaign a legal team will also accompany us to help students who want to become interveners in the ongoing case here he added Earlier armed with traditional weapons and sticks locals blocked the road leading to the Nemra village We staged a road blockade to prevent Mahto from entering Nemra villager Birju Soren saidHe said they received information that Mahto would burn effigies of the CM in the villageWhen told that Mahto was coming to launch his statewide campaign for reforms in recruitment examinations Birju Soren said Mahto may begin his campaign from the statue of Shibu Soren located outside the village but we will not allow him to enter A representative of Mahto said they did not enter the villageMahto was one of the prominent faces of the 26day student protest that began on July 25 in Ranchi against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinationsThe JMMled government cancelled 22 tests and ordered a probe into 23 others conducted by the state public service commission and an outsourced agency since 2014However the high court on August 21 stayed notifications cancelling the appointments of Child Development Project Officers CDPOs and those recruited through the JSSCCGL examinationOn August 20 the court stayed notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC examinations and also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officersAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/student-leader-devendra-nath-mahto-launches-exam-reform-campaign-from-jkhands-ramgarh-699215.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/in-a-national-first-dmrc-achieves-iso-550012024-certification-for-asset-management-on-mumbai-line-699136.html New Delhi Aug 23 The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC 2024 certification for its Asset Management System for Mumbai Metro Line3 becoming the first metro organisation in India to receive certification under the international standard for asset management an official said on Sunday The achievement marks a significant milestone in DMRCs journey from conventional maintenance practices towards strategic riskbased and lifecycleoriented asset management Anuj Dayal DMRCs Principal Executive Director of Corporate Communications saidIt reflects a shift from simply maintaining assets to managing their performance risk cost and longterm value in alignment with organisational objectivesISO 550012024 provides a globally recognised framework for managing assets across their entire lifecycleIts implementation enables organisations to take more informed decisions by balancing asset performance operational risk and lifecycle costs thereby enhancing reliability resource efficiency and longterm sustainability Dayal addedThe DMRC achieved this certification in record time through a comprehensive strengthening of its asset management framework This included enhancing the Strategic Asset Management Plan SAMP aligning asset management objectives with organisational priorities strengthening risk assessment and lifecycle controls and undertaking extensive training and capacity building of personnelThe system is continuously monitored through Key Performance Indicators KPIs audits and management reviewsThe DMRC is responsible for the Operations and Maintenance OampM of the 335km Mumbai Metro Line3 corridor connecting Colaba Bandra and Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone SEEPZIts responsibilities encompass the safe reliable and efficient management of a wide range of critical assets including rolling stock traction signalling telecommunications stations lifts escalators track and civil infrastructure the statement saidThe ISO 550012024 certification further strengthens DMRCs commitment to safety reliability efficiency and sustainability by integrating these objectives into a globally benchmarked asset management systemThis achievement establishes a new benchmark for structured scientific and lifecyclebased asset management in Indias urban rail sectorIt also demonstrates DMRCs capability to provide worldclass metro OampM and asset management expertise beyond DelhiNCR and contribute to the development of globally aligned practices across Indias rapidly expanding urban rail network the statement added IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/in-a-national-first-dmrc-achieves-iso-550012024-certification-for-asset-management-on-mumbai-line-699136.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-calls-for-atmanirbharta-in-defence-says-it-will-act-as-multiplier-in-indias-military-capabilities-699114.html Kolkata Aug 23 IANS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while calling for the industrial resurgence of West Bengal laid out the roadmap for Indias development into a global shipbuilding hubHe was speaking at the foundation stonelaying event for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers GRSE Ltd and Yantra India Ltd YIL in Kolkata on Sunday Singh also laid stress on Atmanirbharta citing the successful use of indigenous weapons and systems during Operation SindoorAtmanirbharta acts as a multiplier to battlefield capabilities Our Prime Minister spoke about Atmanirbharta in his Independence Day address He said that the country will have to be totally Atmanirbhar in defence by the time the country turns into Viksit Bharat the defence minister saidBoth GRSE and YIL are playing important roles in selfreliance in the defence sector he said The Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels NGOPV that GRSE is building will have nearly 80 indigenous content The Metal and Steel Factory of YIL is also manufacturing highquality components for weapons systems The steel and aluminium that is manufactured at this factory are worth their weight in gold Singh saidThe designtodelivery time in shipbuilding is long the minister pointed out For warships it can take 510 years while for large commercial vessels it can take 1520 years By the time a ship is finally ready for delivery technology may have developed to another level This factor has to be incorporated during the process to ensure that the ships are truly advanced when they are delivered A global vacuum in shipbuilding exists and India will have to take advantage of that We will have to design build and create Maintenance Repair and Overhaul MRO facilities he saidCalling MRO a lowhanging fruit Singh pointed to how it requires very little investment while ensuring good returns There are countries that are looking out for both naval and commercial vessels GRSE has already started exploring the opportunity As our Prime Minister said during his Independence Day address our shipbuilders will have to deliver quality products at competitive rates They will have to go in for aggressive bidding The profits may look thin at first but volumes will make up for that Singh saidRegarding the challenges faced by shipbuilders like GRSE in procuring quality spares and components the defence minister admitted that there has not been private participation to the extent required He appealed to the industry captains present to come forward and participate in this endeavour that would be profitableSingh assured the shipyards of all assistance from the government in this matter He also spoke on West Bengal and how the Rs 3420 crore investment will help in the creation of jobs and industrial growth GRSE would also be able to bid for the Next Generation Destroyers that the Navy aims to procure he saidWe want to witness an industrial renaissance in West Bengal Things are changing after the new government came to power in the state For years now the Border Security Force BSF had been asking for land from the state government for outposts and fencing Unfortunately there was no response Within just 45 days of coming to power this government allotted 1100 acres of land for this important work that will secure the countrys border The state has a dynamic chief minister now and things will change in West Bengal Singh saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-calls-for-atmanirbharta-in-defence-says-it-will-act-as-multiplier-in-indias-military-capabilities-699114.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/world-must-now-be-searching-for-indian-startups-pm-to-space-startup-ceos-699115.html New Delhi Aug 23 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth and praised the countrys rise in the private space sector while calling for greater collaboration to position India as a global hub for space technologynbspDuring the interaction he encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on how these can make peoples lives easierThe interaction held on Friday brought together leaders of startups working across a wide range of areas including rocket and reusable semicryogenic launch vehicle development avionics satellites advanced propulsion systems space and defence intelligence space debris removal and AIpowered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligenceThe startup founders highlighted the rapid progress made by Indias private space sector and shared their vision for its futureThey said their companies had invested significant time and effort in developing capabilities and technologies indigenously while expressing gratitude for the support extended by the Prime Minister and the governmentIn the video of the interaction released on Sunday Prime Minister Modi can be heard expressing gratitude to the startups for placing their trust in the Central governmentnbspThe biggest thing is that you placed your trust in the word of the government It has always been my view that whatever decision we take we must remain consistent in it so that even if someone wants to take a risk they do that without fear PM Modi saidInteracting with the CEOs the Prime Minister said The world must now be searching for Indian startups wondering Who are the players in this Because whenever a breakthrough occurs peoples attention turns to it immediatelyWe need to bring more people together People who had gone abroad are now returning I believe we should create such an aura that across the world people in this sector feel If you want to build a career go to India Connect with Indian startups Connect with Indian space agencies I firmly believe that because of you all we can pull the entire global talent pool like a magnet he mentionedPM Modi said that in terms of cost India is highly competitivenbspWhen it comes to talent there is no question at all And the risktaking capacity of our countrymen is naturally quite high Because of that we can establish our position very rapidly he saidThe founders recalled that the decision to open the space sector to private participation had generated significant enthusiasm and created new opportunities for Indian industry They also noted that several companies are now showing interest in adopting and leveraging technologies developed by the emerging private space industryThe industry leaders also underlined the strong ecosystem being created through government support and collaboration among companies They said their teams were highly motivated and working with determination to achieve ambitious goals in the space sectorPM Modi also encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on developing solutions that can make peoples lives easier The Prime Minister called for greater collaboration between space startups and companies operating in other sectorsThe Prime Minister suggested that companies working on space debris could collaborate with environmental organisations to expand the use of their technologies Similarly space technology companies working in agriculture could partner with agricultural universities and government departments to help farmers make betterinformed decisions and improve productivityIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/world-must-now-be-searching-for-indian-startups-pm-to-space-startup-ceos-699115.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/dialogue-with-youth-should-not-be-limited-to-political-discussions-devendra-nath-mahto-699116.html Ranchi Aug 23 IANS In a message to political parties Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto said on Sunday that holding dialogues with youth should not be limited to political discussionsnbspAfter leading the protest over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand Mahto said that a new protest demanding reforms in the states recruitment system will begin from tomorrowThough the previous agitation was called off after the Jharkhand Mukti Morchaled state government cancelled the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC examinations and the appointments made through them the High Court had subsequently stayed the state governments decisionSpeaking to IANS the student leader said The protest will begin from Nemra village in the states Ramgarh district which is also former Jharkhand Chief Minister late Shibu Sorens paternal village he saidOur only goal is justice we need some strong stepswe are now not going to stop at assurances and dialogue the student leader emphasisedWhen asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party forming a committee for its Gen Z outreach programme Mahto said Although the BJPs initiative is welcome there should be dialogue but todays youth do not want only dialogue and questions they want concrete solutions They want an answer through dialogue that their future should not be played withHe added that youth across the country need a solution to the problems of paper leaks and unemploymentDialogue is welcome but it should not remain limited to political discussions It should reach a decision and should not merely prove to be a slogan Youth wont agree if attempts are made to suppress this anger through dialogue he assertedReferring to protests in Delhi and Jharkhand the student leader said Todays youth are not with any political party or in favour of or against anyone Todays youth are struggling only for their future and to reform this rotten system That is why agitation took place at a BJPruled state as well as a nonBJP ruled stateTherefore nobody can say that todays youth are carrying out their agitation under pressure from the ruling party or Opposition or on someones direction he stressedReacting to the FIRs registered against 14 identified students and others Mahto termed it as dictatorial attitude of the state governmentHe however admitted that the protesters had accepted this fact even before leaving homes that fighting this system is not going to be easyUprooting this corrupt system from its roots is not going to be easy There will be many difficulties on this path FIRs jail term police action or lathi blows on our bodies allegations and counterallegationsthese are part of the path of struggle he saidPointing to the struggles of freedom fighters including Birsa Munda Bhagat Singh Subhas Chandra Bose Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar Devendra Nath Mahto said Let the government and administration do their work and act according to law and order We have faith in the Judiciary and the ConstitutionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/dialogue-with-youth-should-not-be-limited-to-political-discussions-devendra-nath-mahto-699116.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/more-rain-with-gusty-winds-in-south-bengal-says-weather-office-699118.html Kolkata Aug 23 A fresh lowpressure area has formed over the Bay of Bengal which will bring more rain in south West Bengal districts from Monday onwards The Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata said on Sunday that scattered rain will continue in Kolkata due to its influence According to the Meteorological Office the monsoon trough is active and as a result there will be no relief from the rain for nowAn official at the Met Office said There is a cyclonic circulation over the north Bay of Bengal adjacent to the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts It extends up to a height of 58 km above sea level Due to its influence a lowpressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday morning In addition the monsoon trough is active It extends from Punjab Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Jharkhand to Digha and reaches the Bay of Bengal Due to its influence heavy rain may occur in some areas of south Bengal on MondayScattered rain with thunderstorms is likely in Kolkata till Monday with gusty winds blowing at 30 to 40 kilometres per hour The same forecast has been issued for Howrah Hooghly North 24 Parganas East Burdwan West Burdwan Birbhum Murshidabad and Nadia districts However heavy rain may occur in some districts including South 24 Parganas East Midnapore West Midnapore and Jhargram There is a possibility of heavy rain in Purulia Bankura and Jhargram districts on Monday Scattered rain will continue in these districts till Tuesday However there is no such warning of storms in the remaining districts of South West Bengal including Kolkata from Tuesday onwardsMeanwhile gusty winds are blowing in the north Bay of Bengal along the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal at 35 to 45 kilometres per hour Fishermen have been asked not to go to the sea in this area till MondayOn the other hand thunderstorms will continue in North Bengal There is a heavy rain warning in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts from Monday to Wednesday Heavy rain is likely in Kalimpong district on Monday and Tuesday This warning has been issued in Cooch Behar district only on Monday Darjeeling district is likely to receive more rain on Tuesday The remaining three districts of the north namely North Dinajpur South Dinajpur and Malda will experience scattered rain till Tuesday However there is no possibility of heavy rainOn Sunday morning the minimum temperature in Kolkata was 276 degrees Celsius 12 degrees above normal On Saturday the maximum temperature in the city was 342 degrees Celsius 22 degrees above normal IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/more-rain-with-gusty-winds-in-south-bengal-says-weather-office-699118.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ahead-of-festivals-crackdown-on-adulteration-in-up-28-food-samples-collected-699122.html Lucknow Aug 23 The Food Safety and Drug Administration FSDA intensifying its searches against food adulteration ahead of the festive season seized a huge quantity of khoya solidified milk and collected at least 28 food samples from various parts of Uttar Pradesh including Kanpur Dehat on Sunday The FSDA team impounded food items and adulterants worth Rs 150 lakh during searches in Kanpur Dehat and Kanpur Nagar districts The agencyâs enforcement drive centred around khoya with its more than two dozen teams conducting inspections in more than 24 locations across Uttar PradeshDuring the campaign suspicious materials used for adulteration were seized a large quantity of khoya was destroyed and an FIR was lodged in a case in Kanpur DehatA total of 28 food samples were collected for testing while food items and adulterants worth approximately Rs 150 lakh were destroyedAction was taken against an individual for using adulterants while proceedings were initiated to suspend the food registrations of three food business operatorsDuring an inspection of a khoya manufacturing unit in Badshahpur village the team discovered a creamseparating machine khoya furnaces skimmed milk powder SMP and hydrogen peroxide About one quintal of prepared khoya was also found onsite The team collected samples of the SMP and hydrogen peroxide for testing and destroyed the prepared khoya on the spotDuring this operation 175 packets of SMP contained in seven sacks and about 15 litres of hydrogen peroxide intended for mixing into food products were seized from the premises Samples of the SMP and hydrogen peroxide were taken for analysis Approximately 100 kilograms of contaminated khoya were also destroyed during the operationTaking action regarding the use of adulterants in food products the police registered a case at the Rasulabad police station under Sections 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya SanhitaDuring an inspection of another khoya manufacturing unit in Badshahpur the team discovered Safolite â a chemical used in khoya production along with three large cooking pansfurnaces The team seized the adulterant and initiated proceedings to cancel the units food registrationNo objectionable material was found during the inspection of another unit however a sample of khoya was collected for testing from the stock of approximately 50 litres of milk and 50 litres of khoya available there an official statement saidAn inspection of the khoya furnace in Bhola Nagar Jhinjhak revealed 10 litres of refined soybean oil 10 packets of SMP and approximately 32 kilograms of prepared khoya The unit was found to be operating under extremely unhygienic and unsanitary conditions The operator admitted to producing khoya using refined oil vanaspati hydrogenated vegetable oil and SMPThe team destroyed the 32 kilograms of prepared khoya and 10 litres of refined oil on the spot and suspended the units food registrationDuring these operations approximately 430 quintals of khoya valued at an estimated Rs 107 lakh and stored in unhygienic and unsanitary conditions were destroyed on the spot IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ahead-of-festivals-crackdown-on-adulteration-in-up-28-food-samples-collected-699122.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fairpoint-new-political-game-of-likes-and-views-to-sway-gen-z-for-the-right-evm-click-699128.html New Delhi Aug 23 It is now clear that the opposition parties have started preparations for the 202729 election period which includes elections in about seven states and ultimately the Lok Sabha polls The stakes are very high and the fight is crucial for both the Opposition and the ruling coalition For the Opposition it is about survival and cutting the ruling dispensation to size For the coalition in power it is about maintaining continuity and demonstrating that its strategy has been right The fight has begun and this time the rules have changed It is no longer just about rallies corner meetings distributing pamphlets writing slogans on walls or erecting bannersThe election game has moved to a different level It is now more about building narratives and creating a wave on social media In fact the election fight has moved from street campaigning to something resembling a gaming levelWith social media reach widening by the day political parties are refocusing their electoral strategies India has over 50 crore active social media users while newer generations have grown up with mobile phones with an Internet connection Gen Zs reach through platforms such as Instagram Meta and X is hugeIt is this generation those born roughly between 1997 and 2012 that is now under the lens of political parties and their strategists The entire political spectrum the ruling side as well as the Opposition is focusing on Gen Z and Gen AlphaThe competition has begun not just between the Opposition and the ruling side it has also erupted within the Opposition camp For some time now the opposition parties even while trying to present a united face have been trying to outwit each other and emerge as the lead face to take on the BJPled government and Prime Minister Narendra ModiThe fight within has become interesting with Congress Aam Aadmi Party Samajwadi Party and others trying to race ahead with strategies to lure younger generations A big section of older generations has consistently voted for the Modiled Centre and the BJP in a majority of states With a large section of this generation presumed to be leaning towards one side the focus has shifted to Gen Z and Gen Alpha who have not directly experienced the UPAera governments or the AAP government in DelhiMost have only heard stories about the past regimes and have witnessed the BJP in power for the past 12 years Hence the centre of attention is the younger generation The Opposition is especially focused on Gen Z and Gen Alpha in the hope of creating a sphere of influence that might impress youngsters enough to press the EVM button in its favourIt is this EVM button press which has become the fulcrum of the entire exercise that political parties are going through now Each one has strong media teams and is hiring influencers to generate and spread a particular narrativeThe activism of Rahul Gandhi the sudden emergence of the AAPbacked CJP and the Congress SP BJP and others overhauling their social media departments are indicators of the extent to which parties are prepared to go to create the right image across various platforms The aim is to generate storms on social media and remain in the public viewThis is now fully visible across social media handles with parties trying everything under the sun to garner maximum views The recently held CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi is perhaps the finest example of this strategy Termed a sidekick of Arvind Kejriwalâs AAP the Cockroach Janata Party activists and supporters did everything from speeches to abuses from dances to obscenity and even violence against security forces The aim was to storm the media space and create a sensation which they did successfullyHowever it did not end with the protest CJP activists are now creating social media reels by forcibly entering schools and trying to influence young minds Under its âSchool Thik Karoâ campaign CJP workers have been barging into classrooms in government schools in Maharashtra and Rajasthan to âexposeâ poor infrastructure and administrative lapses However they faced public wrath in a Rajasthan village where the team was first asked not to bother the villagers When the CJP team still tried to barge into a school the villagers threw them outQuestions are now being asked about the lack of CJP activism in nonBJPruled states The party leaders are also being cornered over their lack of interest in the Jharkhand student protest movement The CJP is increasingly being portrayed as biased and playing lopsided politicsIf the CJP is trying every means to stay in social media views the Congress party is not staying behind In what appears to be a direct competition for attention Rahul Gandhi has been playing on the July 20 student protest violence caseOn August 21 Gandhi held a sixhour sitin protest outside a Delhi police station to register an FIR in the case of a 19yearold student protester who allegedly suffered pelletgun injuries during the July 20 march to Parliament The protest quickly went viral on news television and social media For much of Friday Gandhi occupied a substantial share of the viewing spaceIt is this viewing space for which strategies are being drawn and redrawn by political parties and their supporting outletsRecent reports said that the social media reach of Union ministers came up for discussion at a Cabinet meeting and ministers were told to step up efforts to ensure their messages reach a wider audience particularly the youthWith every party reviewing and refocusing its social media activities the competition is only going to get more interesting But what needs to be watched is the kind of plot that is set and the narrative that followsThe country is definitely going to witness an intense fight especially among opposition parties to build a narrative that can impress Gen Z The target is the 2027 elections and the big 2029 battle And todays Gen Z could have a big say in deciding that fightDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fairpoint-new-political-game-of-likes-and-views-to-sway-gen-z-for-the-right-evm-click-699128.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/driver-of-telangana-ministers-former-osd-arrested-699131.html Hyderabad Aug 23 The driver of Telanganaâs Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekhaâs former OSD N Sumanth was arrested on Sunday in a case of alleged assault on a real estate businessman The driver was arrested near Sumanthâs residence in Tellapur on the outskirts of HyderabadSumanth and five others were booked following a complaint filed by the realtor who alleged that he was assaulted with iron rods and that the accused demanded Rs 10 crore from himAn attempt to murder case was registered against the former OSD and five othersA zero FIR was registered against N Sumanth and five others at Medipally Police Station of Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate last weekLater the case was transferred to Jubilee Hills Police Station of Hyderabad CommissionerateGongidi Harikrishna a resident of Boduppal lodged a complaint Harikrishna alleged that he was assaulted with iron rods and sticks and threatened with dire consequences The case was registered against former OSD Sumanth Ramu Prashanth Arun Kumar Reddy Karthik and Mahender Reddy under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNSThe complainant said Sumanth and others assaulted him on July 30Harikrishna stated that Sumanth asked him to meet at Ramuâs office Sumanth allegedly abused him and hit him with an iron rod On Sumanthâs direction others also joined the assaultThe complainant claimed that he sustained a fracture to his left hand bleeding injuries and other injuries and that he underwent surgery on August 10The case was registered amid a controversy involving Minister Konda Surekhaâs familyHer daughter Konda Sushmithaâs recent remarks against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy triggered a storm in the ruling Congress partyAt her motherâs birthday celebrations in Warangal district Sushmita declared that she would contest from Parkala Assembly constituency in the next elections even if she was denied a party ticket She also made allegations of corruption against the Chief Ministerâs familyTaking serious note of the allegations the disciplinary committee of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee TPCC issued a showcause notice to the ministerSurekha distanced herself from her daughterâs remarks saying the latter expressed her personal views Congress MP and party disciplinary committee chairman Mallu Ravi said on Saturday that the committee had examined the explanation given by the minister and videos of remarks made by her daughter but had not taken any decision on the matter yetRavi said the panel had discussed several issues at length and examined complaints received from party leaders IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/driver-of-telangana-ministers-former-osd-arrested-699131.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/dda-plans-20-stakeholder-meetings-over-mpd-2047-till-nov-699132.html New Delhi Aug 23 As suggested by Delhi Lieutenant Governor LG TS Sandhu the Delhi Development Authority DDA has planned a major outreach initiative over the Master Plan for Delhi2047 by proposing 20 stakeholder meetings over the next three months an official said on Sunday The DDA whose chairperson is the LG would engage directly with elected representatives government agencies professional bodies industry residents landowners and other stakeholders on the implementation of the MPD2047 the official said in a statementThe meetings will provide a platform for focused interaction on various provisions of MPD2047 and facilitate greater coordination and participation in translating the Plans vision into action it addedAs part of the outreach the DDA will also interact with MPs and MLAs on the major provisions of MPD2047 including Transit Oriented Development TOD High Density Corridors HDC Land Pooling and Low Density Areas LDASeparate interactions will also be held with government agencies and service providers to strengthen coordination for implementation of the Plan the statement saidIndustry bodies and chambers including CII FICCI PHD Chamber ASSOCHAM and DSIIDC will be engaged on measures for promoting industrial development and facilitating availability of land for industry it addedArchitects planners professional institutions and privatesector stakeholders will also be involved in discussions on TOD HDC Land Pooling and other development opportunities envisaged under MPD2047The DDA will reach out to RWAs Group Housing Societies Cooperative Group Housing Societies and other stakeholders on redevelopment of Group HousingFor Land Pooling interactions with farmers landowners and local stakeholders will be undertaken through areabased meetingsThe outreach programme will also cover Low Density Areas rejuvenation of the Yamuna and development of Delhis bluegreen network heritage conservation mixeduse development development and redevelopment of commercial centres insitu slum redevelopment and measures for decongestion and improved mobility the statement saidFocused stakeholder interactions are also proposed on developing Delhis education and medical hubs with participation from educational institutions universities healthcare institutions and other concerned stakeholdersThrough this extensive outreach exercise the DDA aims to build greater awareness about the opportunities available under MPD2047 strengthen coordination among implementing agencies and encourage active participation of citizens and stakeholders in shaping Delhis development over the coming decades IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/dda-plans-20-stakeholder-meetings-over-mpd-2047-till-nov-699132.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/telangana-transport-minister-appeals-to-autorickshaw-drivers-to-withdraw-strike-call-699134.html Hyderabad Aug 23 With autorickshaw drivers across Telangana set to go on an indefinite strike from Sunday midnight Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar Goud appealed to them to withdraw the strike The minister assured them that the government will resolve issues of auto workers including the demand to increase auto faresâProblems cannot be solved through strikes The government is ready to show solutions to problems through discussionsâ he saidHe told media persons in Siddipet district that the government was establishing a welfare board for auto workersThe minister said the government was also introducing a new scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs 150 lakh for retrofitting diesel and petrol autosThe minister noted that autorickshaw fares have not been increased since 2015 âTaking into account the rising prices of petrol and diesel vehicle cost and maintenance expenses we will set up a special committee to review the auto fares The committee will include representatives of auto workers transport department officials and relevant stakeholders and will comprehensively discuss all issues to arrive at a fair decisionâ he saidPonnam Prabhakar said the government was committed to establishing a welfare board for the welfare of auto workers The Cabinet has taken a decision in this regard He said the government would formulate the necessary rules and establish the board He assured the autorickshaw drivers that in addition to reducing pollution in Hyderabad the government will provide incentives for retrofitting petrol diesel and gas autos into electric autos to ease the financial burden on auto workers The cabinet has decided to provide government assistance of up to Rs 150 lakh per auto for switching to an electric autoThe government will also support those who scrap old autos and purchase new electric autos The governments goal is to promote electric autos in phases in place of petrol diesel and gas autos in Hyderabad he saidThe transport minister said the government will also consider the issues of auto workers in rural areas Keeping their financial situation in mind the government is examining what kind of policy can provide them greater benefits âWe will take steps to ensure that auto workers also benefit from the welfare programmes being implemented by the government The government will work to extend benefits to eligible families of auto workers in welfare programmes such as ration cards free electricity free bus travel and othersâ he saidThe minister gave the assurance that as the issues of Road Transport Corporation RTC employees were resolved the government will also resolve the legitimate issues of auto workers IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/telangana-transport-minister-appeals-to-autorickshaw-drivers-to-withdraw-strike-call-699134.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/v-p-radhakrishnan-to-felicitate-andhra-farmers-launch-maize-seed-tomorrow-699135.html New Delhi Aug 23 VicePresident CP Radhakrishnan will visit Musunuru in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday to launch a popcorn maize hybrid seed and felicitate farmers an official said A statement issued by the Vice Presidents Secretariat on Sunday said âDuring his visit the Vice President will attend a programme at the Gourmet Popcornica Factory Musunuru where he will launch Indiaâs first nonGMO highexpansion popcorn maize hybrid seed felicitate farmers and address agricultural stakeholders and other participantsâEarlier last week Radhakrishnan visited Uttarakhand and told young IAS officers at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration LBSNAA in Mussoorie that leadership is not measured by power but by the ability to act ethically in difficult situationsDescribing character and integrity as the foundations of public service the VP asked officers to make their service meaningful by transforming livesReferring to the journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047 Radhakrishnan asked the officers to ensure that development reaches the last mile and every grievance is heard and every citizen is empoweredThe VicePresident also called upon the officers to embrace emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence Natural Language Processing Machine Learning and Blockchain to improve efficiency transparency and citizen service deliveryHe emphasised continuous learning adaptability and being futureready and urged the young officers to strive for team excellence rather than individual or group excellence an official statement saidHe stressed the importance of building cohesive teams motivating colleagues and carrying forward good practices established by their predecessorsSpeaking at the completion of the PhaseII training of the IAS Officer Trainees of the 2024 batch the VicePresident said that civil services have made immense contributions to the countrys development and remain a vital link between policy and its implementation at the grassroots level IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/v-p-radhakrishnan-to-felicitate-andhra-farmers-launch-maize-seed-tomorrow-699135.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/amit-shah-likely-to-hold-meetings-on-hill-issues-border-security-in-siliguri-on-saturday--699049.html Siliguri Aug 22 PTI Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a series of meetings here on Saturday with the security of the strategically important Siliguri Corridor and a permanent political solution to the longstanding issues of Darjeeling hills expected to dominate the agendaAccording to the home ministers official itinerary Shah is scheduled to chair two backtoback meetings on the final day of his threeday West Bengal visit at the hotel he is putting up at Sukna on the outskirts of Siliguri town starting at 11 am He is likely to depart for Delhi from Bagdogra airport around 230 pmnbspnbspSources said Shah will review border security with a focus on coordination among the BSF SSB intelligence agencies and the state administrationThe meeting assumes significance given Siliguris proximity to the international borders with Nepal Bhutan and Bangladesh and the strategic importance of the narrow corridor connecting the northeast with the rest of the countryShah is also likely to meet elected representatives and political leaders from the Darjeeling hills to discuss the regions longpending political issuesHowever there was no official confirmation of this meeting The meeting is expected to focus on the BJPs prepoll promise of a permanent political solution for the Gorkha community and other residents of the hills Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM president Bimal Gurung and its general secretary Roshan Giri are among the leaders expected to attend the meeting The BJPs Darjeeling MP Raju Bista state ministers and legislators from the hills are also likely to participate The hills have for decades witnessed demands for a separate Gorkhaland state Previous governments attempted to address the issue through arrangements such as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and the Gorkhaland Territorial AdministrationShah during his 2026 Assembly election campaigns had promised a permanent political solution raising expectations among hillbased political groups for longterm peace and economic and political stability in the region Saturdays meetings come after Shahs engagements in Siliguri on Friday when he visited the Sashastra Seema Bal SSB Frontier Headquarters inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several infrastructure projects and reviewed bordersecurity arrangementsHe also inaugurated an exhibition on the three new criminal laws at KawakhaliDuring Fridays programme Shah strongly criticised the previous Mamata Banerjee government for delays in providing land required for border fencing and security infrastructureHe praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikaris government for expediting land transfers and cooperation with central security agenciesThe Union home ministers Saturday engagements are also expected to follow his broader focus on strengthening security along the Siliguri Corridor popularly known as the Chickens NecknbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/amit-shah-likely-to-hold-meetings-on-hill-issues-border-security-in-siliguri-on-saturday--699049.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/paise-ki-goonj-bjp-claims-cong-paid-influencers-to-draw-crowds-for-rahul-gandhis-event--699051.html Mumbai Aug 22 PTI The BJP on Saturday dubbed Rahul Gandhis student event in Pune as Paise Ki Goonj alleging that the Congress had paid social media influencers to mobilise crowds triggering a fiery response from the Opposition which claimed the saffron party feared the growing Gen Z supportWhile BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that the Congress had spent nearly Rs 10 crore to buy attendance by paying up to Rs 35000 per influencer for the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme Opposition leader Sachin Sawant retorted that BJP leaders were terrified of Gandhis growing influence among youngsters Gandhi is slated to hold a Chhatron Ki Goonj event specifically dedicated to female students in Pune on SaturdayAddressing a press conference at the BJPs Maharashtra headquarters here Ban alleged that the Congress was trying to create an impression of a spontaneous public response to Gandhis Chhatron Ki Goonj programme by paying people to attend it and promote it on social media He claimed videos had surfaced showing offers of Rs 30000 to Rs 35000 to social media influencers to promote the Pune event covering their travel expenses and promoting the programme onlineThe programme is not Chhatron Ki Goonj but Paise Ki Goonj The Congress is gathering crowds with money Ban allegedHe claimed that if around 3000 people were paid Rs 30000 to Rs 35000 each the total expenditure could work out to between Rs 9 crore and Rs 10 croreWhere has this money come from Who is providing it and through whom is it being distributed What is the official account of this money he questionedThe BJP spokesperson demanded a detailed investigation into the source of the funds and questioned whether they had any link to foreign funding or money allegedly diverted through contracts commissions or other financial transactions in Congressruled states He also sought an inquiry into the organisations and individuals allegedly involved in distributing the moneyBJP Maharashtra vicepresident Keshav Upadhyay alleged that Gandhis Pune programme was an attempt to create a political platform by using students issuesThough the programme is called Chhatron Ki Goonj it is actually Rahul Gandhis political battle Upadhyay said claiming that the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition had lost 100 elections but had still failed to find a clear political directionRahul Gandhi has not been able to find a concrete issue against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre Despite making allegations and counterallegations about fake narratives and trying various political experiments people are not ready to trust him he saidHitting back at the BJP State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the ruling party was rattled by the growing response Gandhi was receiving from the youth particularly Gen Z He accused the saffron party of trying to create obstacles for the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme in PuneSawant said BJP leaders appeared to be as apprehensive of Gandhi as Mughal forces were of Maratha warriors Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji JadhavThe BJP has become so rattled by Rahul Gandhi that its leaders perhaps see him in their dreams just as Santaji and Dhanaji appeared in the dreams of Mughal forces Sawant said in a statementHe also alleged that authorities in Uttar Pradesh had released sewage water near the venue of Gandhis programme in Prayagraj to discourage youngsters from attending The Maharashtra government had imposed several restrictions on the Pune event he claimed alleging that members of the ABVP had indulged in highhandedness on Friday No matter how much they protest or try to create obstacles Gen Z will tell the country that the BJP has been rejected Sawant said adding that Gandhi would continue on his political courseMeanwhile NCP SP leader Mahesh Tapase accused the ABVP of creating hurdles for students participating in the Pune event and accused the BJP of displaying intellectual bankruptcy by questioning the programmeTapase said the country functions through dialogue and there was no reason for the BJP to be apprehensive about a programme aimed at raising issues concerning students and youthIf Rahul Gandhi is holding the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme to raise his voice against injustice being done to youth and students why is the BJP afraid of it he remarkedUnder the Constitution citizens have the right to decide which views they want to hear accept or reject The youth of the country have now decided to reject the BJPs ideology and that is why the BJP is rattled Tapase said PTI MRnbsp ARU 08221226Agencies https://dailyworld.in/national/paise-ki-goonj-bjp-claims-cong-paid-influencers-to-draw-crowds-for-rahul-gandhis-event--699051.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-president-nitin-nabin-holds-first-meeting-with-newly-appointed-team-at-party-hqs-699052.html New Delhi Aug 22 IANS Bharatiya Janata Party BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday began his first meeting with the newly appointed national officebearers at the BJP headquarters in the capital with organisational strengthening and programs marking Prime Minister Narendra Modis 25 years in public life among the key issues on the agendaThe daylong organisational exercise will include three separate meetings covering the introduction of the new officebearers preparations for nationwide programmes to mark PM Modis milestone in public life and other organisational mattersNabin will introduce the newly appointed officebearers and discuss the responsibilities and expectations associated with their new roles The meeting formally marks the beginning of their tenure in the BJPs national organisationThe new officebearers are expected to be briefed about their respective roles and responsibilities including the need to maintain an active presence on social media and engage effectively with the media Discussions will also focus on maintaining regular contact with party workers and ensuring that issues affecting the public are identified and addressedThe responsibilities assigned to individual officebearers are also likely to be reviewed with emphasis on strengthening the organisation and improving coordination across different levels of the partyThe new teams role in the BJPs electoral preparations is also expected to figure in the discussions The party is looking ahead to Assembly elections in seven states next year while organisational planning for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections is also likely to be taken upNabin is also scheduled to meet BJP state presidents organisational general secretaries incharges and coincharges as part of the organisational exerciseA key focus of the meetings will be the roadmap for programmes to be held across the country to mark PM Modi completing 25 years in public lifePM Modi first became Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7 2001 He remained in the post for nearly 13 years before becoming Prime Minister in 2014 He has continued in public office since then and has served as Prime Minister for more than 12 yearsThe BJP had announced its new 65member national team under Nitin Nabins leadership on August 17 The team includes 51 new faces representing a significant reshuffle and expansion of the partys national organisationSaturdays meetings are expected to provide the new team with direction on its responsibilities and establish the BJPs organisational priorities ahead of upcoming electionsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-president-nitin-nabin-holds-first-meeting-with-newly-appointed-team-at-party-hqs-699052.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/akhilesh-must-apologise-to-jats-for-insulting-family-of-charan-singh-mayawati--699053.html Lucknow Aug 22 PTI BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday said that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav must apologise to the entire Jat community for his derogatory remarks against the RLD and its president Jayant Chaudhary grandson of former prime minister late Charan Singh In a post on X Mayawati said Yadavs public remark about his former ally Rashtriya Lok Dal RLD and its leader and Union minister Jayant Chaudhary that we turned them from chavanni quarter into a rupee was completely improper indecent and highly shamefulShe said Yadav should apologise not only to the RLD and its leader but also to the entire Jat community for insulting the family of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan SinghProminent peasant leader Charan Singh served as the prime minister from July 1979 to January 1980 His son and Jayants father late Ajit Singh was a former Union ministerMayawati also alleged that the SP has remained narrowminded marked by castebased animosity not only towards rival parties but also towards its allies She claimed its politics often benefited the BJP electorally and weakened the secular forcesReferring to the 1993 SPBSP alliance Mayawati claimed it broke down because of the arrogant attitude of the SP resulting in the 1995 Lucknow state guest house incident In June 1995 BSP leaders and workers were allegedly attacked by SP supporters at the state guest house here amid tensions following the collapse of the SPBSP alliance with Mayawati alleging that there was a conspiracy to kill her She also recalled the 2019 alliance for the Lok Sabha elections between the SP and the BSP claiming that that too ended because of Akhilesh Yadavs arrogant and selfserving attitude after the union failed to achieve expected electoral resultsMayawati also accused the SP of using alliances only for its own political interests and changing its stance once its purpose was servedTargeting the SPs PDA Pichhda Dalit Alpsankhyak formula she alleged that Yadav changed the meaning of P according to his political interests sometimes projecting it as the voice of the backward classes and at times as representing the interests of Brahmins She alleged that the previous SP governments failed to take positive steps for Dalits backward classes minorities and uppercaste communities particularly Brahmins and instead benefited goons criminals mafias and other anarchic elements Mayawati also urged people across communities to remain cautious of what she described as the SPs narrow and casteist politics and appealed to voters to ensure that the party does not return to power after next years Assembly electionsLate on Friday night Jayant Chaudhary without naming Akhilesh Yadav hit back at the SP chiefs remarksnbspIn the battle of politics if you had to use some cheap words you could have taken my name Chaudhary said in a post on XChaudhary also said he had seen such arrogance from close quarters and believed that such conduct only led to a persons downfallThe exchange has revived the political significance of the chavanni remark ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh electionsnbspYadav recently said that the SP had turned chavanni into a rupee referring to the political value he claimed his party gave to its former alliesThe remark was a reference to a comment Chaudhary made while campaigning for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections when he rejected the BJPs overtures for being an SP ally saying he was not a chavanni who could be easily flippednbspChaudhary later joined the BJPled NDA and is currently a Union minister Wading into the exchange of words triggered by Yadavs remark Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed the SP chiefs comment reflected his frustration and alleged that he had begun targeting leaders across caste groups through his statementsnbspIn a post on X Maurya said Yadav should immediately apologise to Chaudhary for his remarks saying the family of Bharat Ratna Charan Singh had done much for the Saifai familyMaurya also claimed that the Triveni of upper castes backward classes and Dalits was with the BJP and that the people of Uttar Pradesh would reject the SP in next years Assembly elections for its castebased politics and appeasement of Muslims PTI CDNnbsp ARI 08221318Agencies https://dailyworld.in/national/akhilesh-must-apologise-to-jats-for-insulting-family-of-charan-singh-mayawati--699053.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cross-firs-filed-after-attack-on-cjp-team-in-jaipur-during-visit-to-govt-school-699059.html Jaipur Aug 22 PTI Amid a row over an alleged attack on members of the Cockroach Janta Party CJP during a visit to a government school in Jaipur the outfit and local villagers have lodged FIRs against each other accusing one another of assault and creating a ruckus The CJP team on Friday reached Rampura Kanwarpura village to inspect the condition of a government school when a confrontation broke out between its members and local residents whom the CJP has accused of being BJP goonsnbsp Some villagers however claimed that the teams presence created fear in the area The school had been functioning from a cattle enclosure after its building was declared unsafe On Saturday morning its students were shifted to new premises by the authorities Shivdaspura SHO Rajesh Gautam said that a local villager lodged a complaint last night alleging that CJP members had arrived in large numbers and had intimidated residents They claimed that children were scared and were not attending school Gautam said that the second FIR follows a complaint registered by a CJP member alleging that the team members were beaten up during the incident They have demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the alleged attackReacting to the FIR CJP coconvenor Ashutosh Ranka alleged that the attackers were goons called by BJP leadersWe have videos and all the evidence If they also have evidence let them show it he said Purported videos of the incident show a large number of people engaging in a heated exchange with the CJP team pushing and shoving its members as they tried to enter the village Some clips also showed smashed windows of cars believed to have belonged to the visiting CJP team Villagers allegedly accompanied by BJP workers put up barricades and forcibly pushed back the CJP team that was visiting the government school as part of its School Thik Karo campaign on Friday morning The villagers claimed that the government had already sanctioned funds for the repair work of the school building which could be carried out with local effortsnbspAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/cross-firs-filed-after-attack-on-cjp-team-in-jaipur-during-visit-to-govt-school-699059.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nhrc-directs-punjab-govt-to-probe-allegation-against-cms-wife-of-demanding-rs-5-cr-to-suppress-rape-case--699060.html New DelhiChandigarh Aug 22 PTI The NHRC has issued a notice to the Punjab government and its police chief over a complaint alleging that Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns wife demanded Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case officials said on Saturday The National Human Rights Commission NHRC directed the authorities to inquire into the allegation and submit an action taken report within two weeksnbspThe complainant alleged that a retired judge publicly stated that a demand of Rs 5 crore was made in connection with a rape case allegedly involving the wife of the chief minister of Punjab the proceedings dated August 21 readAn NHRC official said the Commission has taken cognisance of the allegation of the complainant that the wife of Chief Minister Mann sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case According to the complaint the allegation has been levelled by a former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge the official saidAfter the NHRC notice Manns wife Gurpreet Kaur on Saturday sent a legal notice to the former judge for his allegation that she sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case even as opposition leaders sought a clarification from the chief minister on the matter According to AAP sources Kaurs legal notice has sought a response from the exjudge within 24 hours of receiving it failing which further legal proceedings will be initiatedThe complaint with the NHRC filed by Legal Rights Observatory LRO raised concerns that such interference could compromise the victims right to dignity safety fair investigation and access to justice they saidThe complainant has requested independent verification of the allegation preservation of evidence and impartial inquiry into any attempt to dilute or influence the investigation and emphasised that a rape victims right to justice must remain above influence status or positionThe allegation prima facie seems to be a violation of the human rights of the victim an NHRC bench presided over by its member Priyank Kanoongo said after taking cognisance of the matter under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 according to the proceedingsThe registry is directed to issue a notice to the chief secretary of the Punjab government and the DGP of Punjab with directions to get the allegations made in the complaint inquired into and to submit an action taken report within two weeks for perusal of the Commission the bench said Let a copy of this proceeding be also transmitted to the Joint Secretary Women Safety Division Ministry of Home Affairs New Delhi for information it said Wading into the controversy Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that Chief Minister Mann must clarify on the serious allegation levelled against his wife The chief minister should give his clarification on the issue Why such allegations have been levelled what is the matter he should clarify Warring told reporters here In a post on X Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia asked Mann A serious allegation of demanding a Rs 5 crore bribe has been levelled against your wife and the NHRC has sought a report from your DGP and chief secretary He also said that Mann should immediately recommend handing over the matter to the CBI to ensure justice for the victim PTI KND SUNnbsp ARI 08221524Agencies https://dailyworld.in/national/nhrc-directs-punjab-govt-to-probe-allegation-against-cms-wife-of-demanding-rs-5-cr-to-suppress-rape-case--699060.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-recruitment-exam-row-bjp-leaders-demand-cbi-probe-slam-govt--699062.html Ranchi Aug 22 PTI Three senior Jharkhand BJP leaders Champai Soren Sanjay Seth and Babulal Marandi on Saturday accused the JMMled government of using force against protesting job aspirants and demanded a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams Talking to reporters former chief minister Champai Soren accused the state government of cheating job aspirants and using police force against those seeking a fair probe into the alleged irregularitiesHe demanded that the state government recommend a CBI inquiry into the alleged irregularities claiming that the ruling alliance had no intention of providing justice to the protesting job aspirantsJMM workers and police thrashed the students who were peacefully protesting and attempting to burn effigies of the chief minister The students had also taken permission from the administration Despite this they were beaten It happened not only in Ranchi but also in other districts of the state Soren alleged A scuffle broke out on Friday between police and students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations in Ranchi Hazaribag Giridih and other districtsThe protesters had attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the CongressThe BJP leader alleged that the government had already weakened the case concerning alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSCFormer JPSC chairman is in jail while other members have been forced to resign Now who will submit the documents related to irregularities he asked Soren further alleged that the students had understood the governments trickFeeling cheated the protesting students during Fridays programme were just demanding that the government present the correct facts before the court and follow the entire legal procedure he alleged The JMMled governments decision to cancel 22 job examinations and order a probe into 23 others had brought the 26day agitation against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations to an endnbsp However it triggered another protest by successful candidates many of whom approached the high court fearing that their jobs could be affectedHearing their pleas the high court stayed several government notifications cancelling recruitment examinationsnbspThis led to discontent among the exam protesters who took out a protest march on Friday Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth also demanded a CBI probe into all recruitment examinations including those conducted by the JPSC and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSCCGL over the past six years I condemned Fridays incident in which innocent students were assaulted by JMM goons and subjected to lathicharges by police in Ranchi Hazaribag Giridih and Garhwa he said while addressing reporters at the BJP headquarters here Seth alleged that people in power in the state had extorted more than Rs 1000 crore by selling jobs Meanwhile addressing a press conference in Giridih district Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi condemned the alleged attacks on job aspirants by JMM workers in various districts calling them an assault on democracy and constitutional rights He alleged that students protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations were assaulted in different parts of the state including Giridih Ranchi and Hazaribag Marandi demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in the alleged assaults and reiterated the BJPs demand for a CBI probe into the recruitment examinationsThe attempt to silence students voices with sticks and batons is an attack on democracy This hooliganism will be given a befitting reply Marandi saidAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-recruitment-exam-row-bjp-leaders-demand-cbi-probe-slam-govt--699062.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/centre-forms-panel-to-finalise-permanent-political-solution-to-gorkha-issue-699063.html Siliguri WB Aug 22 PTI The Centre on Saturday constituted a committee to draft an agreement and finalise modalities for a permanent political solution to the Gorkha identity issue in the Darjeeling hills and its adjacent areas officials said after a key tripartite meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah Gorkha leaders and the West Bengal governmentThe meeting aimed to find a roadmap for the BJPpromised permanent political solution to the longstanding issues and demands of the hill people and their recognition under the ambit of the ConstitutionAll issues relating to the hill population of West Bengal were discussed in detail Their demands pertaining to a distinct identity a permanent political solution and recognition under the Constitution of India were taken up The Union home minister promised a permanent political solution soon under the umbrella of the Constitution a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA said To finalise modalities it was decided to form a committee under Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh former deputy national security advisor and current interlocutor to finalise the details regarding the final agreement that will be drafted towards a permanent political solution for the people of the hill areas of West Bengal under the Constitution of India the statement added Shah the release said also promised to sympathetically look into all other demands of the communityHe said that adequate funding from the Centre will ensure all pending issues are taken care of the communication addedThe meeting held at a hotel in Sukna in the Darjeeling foothills on the third and final day of Shahs visit to the state was chaired by the Union home minister and attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and leaders of various political parties of the hills and other stakeholders of the region Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the partys senior leader Roshan Giri Gorkha National Liberation Front GNLF chief Mann Ghisingh several state ministers and BJP MLAs from the hills besides senior officials of the state government were among those present at the meeting Also present were BJP MPs Raju Bista and Harshvardhan Singla MoS Hill Affairs Bishal Lama MLAs Bharat Chettri Sonam Lama and Noman Rai among othersIn October 2025 the MHA had appointed Pankaj Kumar Singh a retired IPS officer and former DG BSF who also remained the deputy national security advisor from 202325 as the official government interlocutor for the issues related to Darjeeling hills Dooars and TeraiHis role focuses on leading political dialogue and addressing longstanding demands of the Gorkha communityBJPs Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said that Saturdays meeting was held on a historic day since it coincided with the date of signing of the Gorkha accord in 1988The accord signed between the Centre the West Bengal government and the GNLF had led to the creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council DGHC following a violent agitation for a separate state of GorkhalandThe history of struggle of the hill communities spans over four decades during which the previous Left and TMC government trampled over the aspirations of the hill people The sacrifice made by our people involves nearly 2000 people who were martyred over 5000 people displaced and women tortured and raped he allegedBista said that while representatives of the various communities put forth their concerns and expectations at the meeting Adhikari also spoke on how he intends to address the issues of the hill people After hearing out all stakeholders Shah summed up the meeting by elucidating how a permanent solution to the issues could be reached in the days ahead the MP saidGJM leader Roshan Giri said the Gorkha leadership was committed to finding a solution through constitutional means and would work with the Centre in the processUnion Home Minister Amit Shah has clearly said that whatever solution is reached to address the issue will have to be under the constitutional framework I am in favour of a constitutional solution and have put forward my suggestions in accordance with that Giri told reportersAttempts made by previous state governments to address the Gorkha identity issue through arrangements such as the establishment of the DGHC and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration GTA have arguably failed to secure longterm peace economic prosperity and political stability in the regionAgencies https://dailyworld.in/national/centre-forms-panel-to-finalise-permanent-political-solution-to-gorkha-issue-699063.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 18:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/from-chalta-hai-to-badal-sakta-hai-decoding-pm-modis-punctuality-narrative-699065.html New Delhi Aug 22 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modis repeated emphasis on punctuality goes beyond being advice on the importance of abiding by a schedule to that of reshaping a national habit where generations have been used to holding stylishly late and chalta hai anything goes as normalnbspIn the severe seventies proponents of the Emergency at that time would celebrate government offices and trains working strictly as per schedule as a cover for the ills the period bestowed In India the idea of punctuality has long been more aspiration than reality For decades trains ran hours late buses broke down randomly because of delayed maintenance and government offices took late as normal Citizens accordingly adjusted themselves arriving at railway stations prepared for long waits or standing in long queues to submit applications with the resigned knowledge that resolution might take yearsIn fact there evolved a system of reserving a place in a queue by placing a brick or some other object that would usually be respected by others Though not always as several verbal and physical tiffs would sometimes follow This culture of delay seeped into everyday life events rarely began at the announced hour meetings started long after the scheduled time and even school assemblies often ran lateThe abbreviation of IST for Indian Standard Time became a joke rephrased as Indian Stretchout Time Against this backdrop when PM Modi praised the Delhi Metro and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail for achieving 999 per cent punctuality he framed it as governance itself arriving on time As someone having lived those days in his speeches and statements from Mann Ki Baat to Fridays ET World Leaders Conference the Prime Minister has consistently linked punctuality to discipline respect and efficiency The Prime Ministers critique of the chalta hai attitude is central to this narrativeFor generations complacency allowed delays to be normalised like the late arrival of a train the babu to office or a guest at an event all shrugged off with the phrase Now by urging citizens to replace chalta hai with badal sakta hai things can change he positions punctuality as the antidote to cultural inertia In a country striving for global competitiveness the tolerance of delay becomes a barrier to growthPM Modis insistence on punctuality is therefore not an abstract moral lesson but a pragmatic call to action Initiatives like Mission Raftaar aimed to double train speeds while investments in Metro systems created urban networks where Delhi Metros punctuality record stands out These serve as proof that India can shed its reputation for delayBeyond transport punctuality has been recently embedded into governance through digital reforms The PRAGATI ProActive Governance and Timely Implementation initiative is for fasttracking projects schemes and grievance redressal through direct realtime review by the Prime Minister in partnership with states and Union MinistriesFor citizens CPGRAMS is Indias flagship digital platform for public grievance redressal enabling them to lodge track and escalate complaints across all central ministries departments and states These reforms matter because bureaucratic delays have long been a source of frustration Citizens seeking basic services often faced indefinite waits eroding trust in institutions Thus by enforcing timelines governance becomes more accountableThe significance of the Prime Ministers punctuality rhetoric lies in its dual function On the one hand it addresses practical issues like the running of trains movement of files and attending to grievances On the other it serves as a metaphor for governance itself By equating punctual trains with punctual government PM Modi makes reforms tangibleCitizens can measure progress in minutes saved along with usual economic indicators Thus in a country where lateness was once considered normal the insistence on punctuality is both a critique and promise exhorting all citizens that India can and must arrive on time for change and for progressIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/from-chalta-hai-to-badal-sakta-hai-decoding-pm-modis-punctuality-narrative-699065.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 18:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ed-searches-kadapa-mps-premises-in-pmla-case-linked-to-vivekananda-reddys-murder-698967.html Hyderabad Aug 21 IANS The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations including the premises linked to YSR Congress Party MP YS Avinash Reddy in Hyderabad and YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh in connection with the money laundering probe arising out of the murder of his uncle and former state Minister YS Vivekananda ReddynbspThe ED officials began the searches in the morning at two locations in Hyderabad and four in Kadapa districtThe searches were on at the premises of the Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy his father YS Bhaskar Reddy and other accused in the murder caseA team of ED officials was conducting searches at the MPs residence in Kokapet Hyderabad Another team went to his residence in Pulivendula town in Kadapa district but found the premises lockedThe searches were also underway at premises linked to other accused Sunil Yadav Devireddy Shivashankar Reddy and Yerra GangireddyThe Central agency began a money laundering probe on the basis of the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI and the chargesheets filed by itIt was in August last year that the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report ECIRThe agency is probing the financial transactions before the murder There are allegations that Rs 4 crore were paid to kill Vivekananda ReddyThe ED officials are trying to track the movement of funds and investigate the allegations of money launderingVivekananda Reddy brother of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy YSR and uncle of former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15 2019 weeks before the electionsThe 68yearold former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed himThe CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 at the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition by Vivekananda Reddys daughter Sunitha Reddy who raised suspicion about some relativesExpediting the probe into the case the CBI in 2023 arrested Avinash Reddys father YS Bhaskar Reddy and their follower Uday Kumar ReddyIt filed the first chargesheet in the case in 2021 and supplementary chargesheets in 2022 and 2023The CBI claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to instead field his mother Vijayamma or sister Sharmila However the fatherson duo denied the allegationAvinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31 2023In August 2025 the CBI informed the Supreme Court that it had completed the investigation in the caseThe Supreme Court in March 2026 dismissed a petition by Vivekananda Reddys daughter Sunitha seeking further probe by the CBI and challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy as well as bail to other accusedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ed-searches-kadapa-mps-premises-in-pmla-case-linked-to-vivekananda-reddys-murder-698967.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/vande-mataram-row-mayawati-urges-political-parties-to-focus-on-public-welfare-issues-698969.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS Amid the ongoing debate in the country over the singing of Vande Mataram Bahujan Samaj Party BSP chief Mayawati on Friday said the politics surrounding whether the full song only its first two stanzas or none of it should be sung was not rightMayawati took to social media X and wrote in Hindi loosely translated The ongoing politics in the country right now regarding whether to sing the full Vande Mataram or just the first two stanzas paragraphs or not to sing it at all this is not right and in this matter our partys stance is that the recent law passed in Parliament on singing Vande Mataram is not happening for the first timeMayawati further said that during changes in power all parties keep doing this sort of thingBecause during changes in power at the centre and in the states all parties keep doing this sort of thing based on their political interestsbenefits or to divert the publics attention from their own shortcomings that is they keep changing each others enacted laws she said in the postMayawati further said that the Central and state governments along with political parties should instead focus on issues concerning the country and public welfareWhereas at this time the central and all state governments as well as all political parties should properly pay appropriate attention to issues concerning the country and public interest and especially to unemployed youth and malefemale students of Gen Z schoolchildren of Gen Alpha and the severe loss of life and property due to the devastating floods that have struck some parts of the country right now among many other extremely important issues this is also the most urgent demand of the times in the current interest of the country and the people she addedThe latest controversy between the BJP and Congress over Vande Mataram began on August 15 The BJP shared a video of Independence Day celebrations at the Congress headquarters alleging that Sonia Gandhi attempted to stop the full rendition of Vande Mataram and that Rahul Gandhi appeared uncomfortable during the performanceCongress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh however rejected the allegations maintaining that the entire song was sung He clarified that Sonia Gandhis gesture was not intended to stop the rendition but was a request for a chair for Congress President Mallikarjun KhargeThe Congress Working Committee CWC also decided to adhere to its 1937 resolution under which only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at party eventsThe BJP accused the Congress of insulting the national song and launched a sharp attack on the opposition party alleging that it had become a new Muslim LeagueIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/vande-mataram-row-mayawati-urges-political-parties-to-focus-on-public-welfare-issues-698969.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-emphasises-indias-commitment-to-deepen-economic-ties-with-singapore-across-asia-698971.html Singapore Aug 21 IANS Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has emphasised Indias commitment to deepening economic partnerships with Singapore and across Asia while fostering stronger businesstobusiness collaborationnbspAddressing the nonprofit business school INSEAD alumni and students Singaporean entrepreneurs and Indian businesses at the IndiaSingapore Business Forum here the minister said he had an insightful interaction with Professor Sameer HasijaHighlighted Indias strong growth trajectory investment opportunities and the Governments efforts under the leadership of PM NarendraModi to enhance the ease of doing business Goyal posted on XHe earlier said that new avenues are being created for Indian farmers and processed food manufacturers to expand presence in the Singapore market and further to the whole ASEAN region and Australian marketGoyal met Gan Siow Huang Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Singapore and other dignitaries at the APEDAFairPrice roadshowcuminstore promotion being organised for expansion of exports of diverse range of Indias agricultural ampamp processed food productsThe minister posted on X that Organic products fresh fruits and vegetables frozen fruits and vegetables dairy products cashew rice milletbased products and products sourced from different regions of India are being promoted through this engagementMeanwhile Goyal also held a meeting with Sopnendu Mohanty Group CEO Global Finance and Technology Network a global advisory and investment firm based in Singapore They discussed opportunities to deepen IndiaSingapore cooperation in financial innovation technology and emerging areas of the digital economyWe also exchanged views on how Indias dynamic financial ecosystem and Singapores global financial and technology network offer significant opportunities for greater collaboration said GoyalThe minister also met Cindy Lim CEO of Keppel Infrastructure in SingaporeGoyal joined Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in engaging with our Singaporean counterparts at the 4th IndiaSingapore Ministerial RoundtableIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-emphasises-indias-commitment-to-deepen-economic-ties-with-singapore-across-asia-698971.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/hm-amit-shah-to-lay-foundation-for-ssb-projects-interact-with-soldiers-in-siliguri-today-698972.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend a series of programmes in Siliguri on Friday as part of his threeday visit to West Bengal with the days agenda focused on the Sashastra Seema Bal SSB border security and awareness about Indias new criminal lawsnbspShah will visit the SSB Frontier Headquarters in Siliguri on Friday where he will attend the inauguration and foundationlaying ceremonies for various infrastructure projects of the force He will also interact with SSB personnel during his visit to the headquartersAs part of his engagement with the soldiers the Home Minister will participate in a Bara Khana with SSB personnel The traditional communal meal will be part of his interaction with the security force during the Siliguri programmeThe first major programme is scheduled at the SSB Frontier Headquarters at around 1115 amLater in the day Shah will attend an event at Kawakhali Ground in Siliguri linked to an exhibition on the countrys three new criminal laws The programme is scheduled for around 230 pm and will include an exhibition and public programme focusing on the new legal frameworkThe three new criminal laws are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita BNSS and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam BSA They came into force on July 1 2024 replacing the Indian Penal Code the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence ActAnother programme listed for Friday is a meeting at Hotel Mayfair in Siliguri at around 420 pm described as a review meeting regarding the helplineA key aspect of Shahs threeday Bengal visit is the review of security arrangements around the strategically important Siliguri Corridor popularly known as the Chickens Neck The narrow corridor is crucial for connectivity between the rest of the country and the northeastern statesThe Home Minister is also expected to chair a bordersecurity review meeting on August 22Shah had arrived in West Bengal on Thursday evening His Friday schedule places SSB infrastructure interaction with security personnel the new criminal laws and securityrelated meetings at the centre of his engagements in SiliguriIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/hm-amit-shah-to-lay-foundation-for-ssb-projects-interact-with-soldiers-in-siliguri-today-698972.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/three-killed-as-shuttering-collapses-at-under-construction-mall-in-ups-vrindavan-698975.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS At least three people were killed and one critically injured after a shuttering collapsed at an underconstruction commercial mall in Rukmani Vihar in Uttar Pradeshs Vrindavan on Friday triggering a rescue operation by police fire brigade and other emergency teamsThe incident took place in the Vrindavan Kotwali area when construction work was underway at the site and several workers were present According to preliminary information the shuttering or centring supporting a section of the structure suddenly gave way trapping workers beneath the debrisPolice and rescue teams immediately reached the spot after receiving information about the collapse The operation was launched to locate and rescue those who may still be trapped under the debrisMathura SP City Rajeev Kumar Singh said the incident occurred at a commercial site in Rukmani Vihar where construction work was in progressRukmani Vihar has an Omaxe commercial site where construction work is going on A chajja was being constructed and shuttering work was underway Suddenly the shuttering collapsed and information was received that four masons were trapped under it SP Singh saidRescue personnel have been working at the site to clear the debris and check whether any other workers remain trapped The authorities have also begun looking into the circumstances that led to the collapseSeveral injured workers were taken to hospital following the accident and one body was initially found at the siteThe latest information puts the death toll at three while one person is critically injured Rescue and relief operations remain underway at the construction siteThe collapse occurred while construction activity was being carried out at the complex with workers engaged in shuttering work The sudden failure of the temporary support structure caused debris to fall leaving workers trappedPolice fire brigade personnel and rescue teams remain deployed at the location as authorities continue efforts to ensure that no one is left beneath the debris The administration has also started an inquiry into the accident and the circumstances surrounding the collapseIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/three-killed-as-shuttering-collapses-at-under-construction-mall-in-ups-vrindavan-698975.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cbi-registers-case-for-rs-2481-crore-union-bank-fraud-in-vijayawada-698976.html Vijayawada Aug 21 IANS The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI has registered a case against a Vijayawadabased private company its four directors and unidentified public servants and private persons in connection with an alleged Rs 2481 crore fraud involving the Union Bank of IndianbspThe FIR was registered on August 18 at CBI ACB Visakhapatnam on a written complaint filed by Chinari Srikanta Patro Assistant General Manager Union Bank of India Zonal Office VijayawadaThe CBI said in a release on Friday that the FIR names Omkara Vijayalakshmi Strips Pvt Ltd as accused number one and its directors Kota Bhanu Prasad Kota Sravani Kota Prudvi Venkata Teja and Kota Rahul Sai Balaji as accused numbers two to five Unknown public servants and private persons have also been named as accusedThe case has been registered under Sections 120B 406 420 468 and 471 of the IPC Sections 612 3162 3184 3363 and 3402 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS and Section 132 read with Section 131a of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 as amended in 2018According to the FIR the company was incorporated in 2017 and was engaged in manufacturing electronic resistance welded ERW galvanised pipes and other steel productsThe FIR stated that during 2024 the companys directors entered into a criminal conspiracy with unknown public servants and private persons and approached Union Bank of Indias Suryaraopeta Branch Vijayawada to take over its loan from Karur Vysya Bank by submitting false financial statements and other documentsBased on the documents submitted by the borrowers the bank sanctioned fundbased and nonfundbased credit facilities aggregating to Rs 2498 crore on February 22 2024 the FIR statedThe borrowers allegedly offered stocks book debts and plant and machinery as primary security along with mortgage of immovable properties as collateral security according to the FIRHowever a unit inspection allegedly revealed a substantial discrepancy between the stock declared by the borrower and the physically available stockAccording to the FIR the borrower declared stock worth Rs 2385 crore while physically available stock was found to be worth only around Rs 25 lakh with no commensurate evidence of sales or turnoverIt stated that two directors of the company resigned within six months from the date of sanction of the loan without obtaining prior permission from the sanctioning authority and subsequently floated a new company Ms Nerro Steels Pvt Ltd which had a charge of Rs 601 crore with Canara BankAccording to the FIR an internal investigation found that substantial funds were remitted to Karur Vysya Bank without commensurate realisation of sales proceeds while ageing of book debts was allegedly not disclosedThe FIR also mentioned routing of transactions through current accounts suspicious transactions with limited entities unauthorised changes of directors and statutory auditors and movement of stock from the unit without intimation to the bankThe FIR stated that major payments were observed in the name of Maruthi Traders and major credits amounting to Rs 3219 crore out of total credits of Rs 6754 crore were observed in the name of Sri Durga Bhavani SteelsAccording to the FIR the two firms were established only in 2024 and were not operational as on the date of the banks enquiry The FIR stated that this prima facie indicated that the entities were used for siphoning of funds and artificially inflating the turnover to enhance the credit eligibility of the companyThe FIR stated that the directors in conspiracy with unknown public servants and private persons furnished false and fabricated financial information inflated stock and bookdebt statements and concealed material financial information thereby inducing the bank to sanction credit facilitiesThe account was classified as NPA on June 23 2025 due to nonservicing of interest with outstanding dues of approximately Rs 2605 crore including accrued interest the FIR statedThe FIR put the alleged wrongful loss to the bank at Rs 248147000 with corresponding wrongful gain to the accusedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cbi-registers-case-for-rs-2481-crore-union-bank-fraud-in-vijayawada-698976.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/several-religious-political-outfits-observe-punjab-shutdown-today-698977.html Chandigarh Aug 21 IANS Several Sikh religious and political organisations seeking the release of Sikh inmates who have completed their prison terms on Friday gave a statewide shutdown of Punjab till 2 pm amid heavy security buildupnbspThe impact of the shutdown was partial in the morning despite farmer organisations the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar Waris Punjab De and others extending support However there was no report of violence so far a senior police official told IANS hereThe shutdown call comes in the wake of the use of security forces on the Mohali border on August 15 to disperse demonstrators with the use of batons tear gas and water cannons as they were forcefully making their way to Chandigarh to lodge their protest outside the residence of the GovernorThe march led by members of the Qaumi Insaf Morcha was also aimed at seeking parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara who is serving a life sentence in a case linked to the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant SinghOrganisers of the shutdown gave a call to stage sitin protests on rail tracks highways and toll collection centres and shut markets across the state However they have appealed to shopkeepers and traders to support the call while urging protesters to maintain peace and not to hamper emergency medical servicesStudents who are travelling for exams and those travelling for weddings funerals or going abroad are exempted from the shutdown amid activists of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha deployed on state and national highways to stop traffic movementPrivate bus operators in several cities and towns have extended support to the call As a precautionary step many private educational institutions announced that they will remain closed besides markets factories and commercial establishments in many cities and towns have decided to keep their establishments shut till 2 pmHowever government educational institutes are working normally though the attendance of the students was thinThe SGPC kept its offices and institutions shut to express solidarity besides postponing its scheduled executive meetingKisan Mazdoor Morcha coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said markets and institutions would be closed during the seven hours of shutdown call Earlier he had advised milkmen to distribute milk either before 7 am or after the shutdown is overLegislator Manpreet Singh Ayali now a supporter of Waris Punjab De asked Why are the Sikhs being kept in jail despite completing their jail terms They must be freedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/several-religious-political-outfits-observe-punjab-shutdown-today-698977.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pellet-guns-issue-intensifies-lop-rahul-gandhi-reaches-police-station-at-parliament-street-699010.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS The controversy over firing of pellet guns by Delhi Police during the students stir at Jantar Mantar on July 20 escalated on Friday as the Leader of Opposition LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reached the Parliament Street Police Station accompanied by some individuals and purportedly the pellet gun victimnbspAccording to reports the Congress MP visited the police station to support the demand of the victim to register an FIR into the pellet gun firing issueTop sources said that LoP Rahul Gandhi met the DCP and enquired why a police case was not lodged over firing of pellets on the protesting students and also demanded to know who gave the orders for the lathicharge firing of pellet guns on students and why no case was being lodged despite it being a cognisable offenceLoP Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have been attacking the Centre accusing it of using excessive police force to silence the voice of students while they peacefully protested against paper leaks at Delhis Jantar MantarLoP Rahul Gandhi first went to the Mandir Marg Police Station to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Police DCP and from there reached the Parliament Street Police Station as Jantar Mantar comes under its jurisdictionLoP Rahul Gandhis visit to the police station assumes significance as this comes a day ahead of his third edition of Chhatron ki Goonj campaign in Pune slated for August 22 The Congress MP is set to address a gathering of students tomorrow where he will take the government to task accusing it of using brute force to silence the voice of studentsNotably the pellet gun victim had also shared the stage with LoP Rahul Gandhi earlier where the latter showed the young mans pellet injuries to the media and hurled questions at the Centre asking who directed the Delhi Police to fire pellets at the protesting studentsThe Congress MP has also been raising the issue of women students facing harassment at the hands of policemen during the NEET protests in Delhi and has now stepped up the campaign around use of pellet guns asking how can the government allow use of brute force to crush the students movementWhile LoP Rahul Gandhi insists on filing of a FIR into the pellet gun firing the Congress party claimed that the Delhi Police has been refusing to file a case despite the victim approaching them multiple timesOn 14th Sahil Lochav went with his lawyers to Delhi Police and gave a written complaint They refused to give a IO number It was again pursued on 17th with email phone as well Again no IO number given No acknowledgement was also given Now LoP Rahul Gandhi ji went along with the victim to insist The DCP is again not giving the case officer and IO number As its a cognisable offence a FIR also has to be registered but Delhi Police not doing so a statement from the Congress party saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pellet-guns-issue-intensifies-lop-rahul-gandhi-reaches-police-station-at-parliament-street-699010.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-reaffirms-indias-strong-economic-fundamentals-investment-led-reforms-with-global-ceos-699019.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday that he met several top CEOs during his Singapore visit and reaffirmed Indias strong economic fundamentals investmentled reforms and expanding opportunities across sectorsnbspDuring his visit Goyal met Dilhan Sandrasegara CEO of Temasek Holdings and discussed opportunities to further deepen investment linkages and strengthen Temaseks engagement with Indias growth storyHe reiterated how Indias strong economic fundamentals investmentled reforms and expanding opportunities across sectors offer significant potential for longterm partnershipsIn his meeting with a delegation led by Mark Lee Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation Goyal discussed opportunities to deepen businesstobusiness engagement and further expand trade and investment ties between India and SingaporeGoyal emphasised the vital role of our business communities in driving stronger economic partnerships fostering greater collaboration ampamp unlocking new opportunities for businesses in both countriesThe minister also met Leo Puri Chairman Fortis Healthcare and Dr Prem Nair Group CEO IHH Healthcare in SingaporeWe discussed opportunities to deepen IndiaSingapore cooperation in healthcare and strengthen partnerships in this important sector Goyal posted on XIndias growing healthcare ecosystem offers significant opportunities for global investors and institutions seeking to participate in the countrys development journey he addedIn his meeting with Brian Shuptrine Managing Director Asia Pacific Turner ampamp Townsend Goyal deliberated on Indias expanding infrastructure and development landscape and the scope for greater participation by global investors and partnersIndias investmentled growth is creating new opportunities across infrastructure and allied sectors said Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasises Indias commitment to deepen economic ties with Singapore across AsiaEarlier Goyal emphasised Indias commitment to deepening economic partnerships with Singapore and across Asia while fostering stronger businesstobusiness collaborationAddressing the nonprofit business school INSEAD alumni and students Singaporean entrepreneurs and Indian businesses at the IndiaSingapore Business Forum here the minister said he had an insightful interaction with Professor Sameer HasijaHighlighted Indias strong growth trajectory investment opportunities and the Governments efforts under the leadership of PM NarendraModi to enhance the ease of doing business Goyal posted on XIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-reaffirms-indias-strong-economic-fundamentals-investment-led-reforms-with-global-ceos-699019.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-interacts-with-20-space-startups-calls-for-india-to-become-global-space-tech-hub-699020.html New Delhi Aug 21 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth here highlighting the growing strength of the countrys private space industry and calling for greater collaboration to position India as a global hub for space technologynbspThe interaction brought together leaders of startups working across a wide range of areas including rocket and reusable semicryogenic launch vehicle development avionics satellites advanced propulsion systems space and defence intelligence space debris removal and AIpowered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligenceThe startup founders highlighted the rapid progress made by Indias private space sector and shared their vision for its futureThey said their companies had invested significant time and effort in developing capabilities and technologies indigenously while expressing gratitude for the support extended by the Prime Minister and the governmentThe industry leaders also underlined the strong ecosystem being created through government support and collaboration among companies They said their teams were highly motivated and working with determination to achieve ambitious goals in the space sectorThe founders recalled that the decision to open the space sector to private participation had generated significant enthusiasm and created new opportunities for Indian industry They also noted that several companies are now showing interest in adopting and leveraging technologies developed by the emerging private space industryCongratulating the space sector leaders for their courage and initiative Prime Minister Modi said the confidence demonstrated by private companies had strengthened the vision behind opening the sector to private participationThe Prime Minister pointed out that many countries either lack the resources to invest in the space sector or do not wish to make such investments creating a major opportunity for India to rapidly strengthen its position in the global space industryPM Modi also encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on developing solutions that can make peoples lives easier The Prime Minister called for greater collaboration between space startups and companies operating in other sectorsPM Modi suggested that companies working on space debris could collaborate with environmental organisations to expand the use of their technologies Similarly space technology companies working in agriculture could partner with agricultural universities and government departments to help farmers make betterinformed decisions and improve productivityIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-interacts-with-20-space-startups-calls-for-india-to-become-global-space-tech-hub-699020.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/amit-shah-to-chair-southern-zonal-council-meeting-in-tn-today-698893.html Chennai Aug 20 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at a luxury hotel in Tamil Nadus Kovalam near Mamallapuram on ThursdaynbspHM Shah arrived in Chennai from New Delhi by a special aircraft around 9 pm on Wednesday to attend the highlevel meeting The Southern Zonal Council and its standing committee will meet at the same venue from 1030 am to 130 pmHe is the chairman of the council while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will preside over the standing committee The meeting is expected to focus on cooperation among southern states internal security economic development industrial investment watersharing disputes education and healthcare The establishment of special fasttrack courts to expedite cases involving sexual offences against women and children will also figure in the discussionsOfficials said the zonal councils play an important role in strengthening coordination between the Union and State governments and resolving interstate issues through dialogue Their functioning is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modis emphasis on cooperative federalism and the Team India approach to national developmentSeveral politically sensitive matters are expected to be raised during the deliberations These include the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies the Cauvery River watersharing dispute and Karnatakas Mekedatu dam projectThe conference is also likely to review pending infrastructure projects and measures to improve connectivity across the southern regionOfficials are expected to discuss ways to strengthen intelligence sharing curb drug trafficking and enhance coordination during natural disasters Proposals relating to fisheries coastal security and the implementation of centrally sponsored welfare programmes may be taken up by the participating governments during the sessionTamil Nadu is also expected to raise the recent shooting incident near the interstate border in which three men from the state were killed allegedly in firing by Karnataka forest personnel The Tamil Nadu government has sought a detailed investigation into the incident and action against those responsibleAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan are scheduled to attend the meeting Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands representatives from Lakshadweep and senior officials from the participating States and Union Territories will also take part in the deliberationsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/amit-shah-to-chair-southern-zonal-council-meeting-in-tn-today-698893.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/resolve-to-build-india-of-your-dreams-will-continue-to-guide-me-rahul-gandhi-on-rajiv-gandhis-birth-anniversary-698894.html New Delhi Aug 20 IANS Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to his father former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 82nd birth anniversary asserting that the latters resolve to build an India of dreams will continue to guide himnbspThe former Prime Ministers birth anniversary is observed as Sadbhavana Diwas Harmony Day across the nationIn a post on X Rahul Gandhi said Harmony among Indians compassion in every heart and equal rights to justice and democracy for every citizenPapa this teaching of yours is my strength and your memories are my courageThe resolve to build the India of your dreams will always continue to guide me he addedEarlier in the day Rahul Gandhi Congress Parliamentary Party CPP leader Sonia Gandhi Priyanka Gandhi Vadra party chief Mallikarjun Kharge KC Venugopal and others paid floral tributes at Veer Bhumi on the former Prime Ministers birth anniversaryCongress President Kharge also paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi saying Today on Sadbhavana Diwas we remember Rajiv Gandhi a visionary leader who awakened hope in millions and helped prepare India for the promise of the 21st centuryHis legacy lives on in the transformative changes he championed and in his enduring faith in Indias youth technological progress and the power of new ideas he said in a post on XAccording to the Congress chief perhaps the most meaningful tribute to Rajiv Gandhi would be to strengthen Indias timeless spirit of empathy harmony and reconciliation while nurturing intellectual freedom innovation and the aspirations of our young peopleWe pay our deepest respects on his birth anniversary and remember his tremendous contribution to the nation Kharge addedPaying tribute to Rajiv Gandhi Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he feels a deep sense of gratitude while thinking of the faith he placed in young leaders like him at a formative stage of his political journeyHe did not merely speak about the future he had the courage to imagine a new India and inspire a generation to believe that it was possible the Karnataka CM said in a post on XIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/resolve-to-build-india-of-your-dreams-will-continue-to-guide-me-rahul-gandhi-on-rajiv-gandhis-birth-anniversary-698894.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-to-discuss-defence-cooperation-indo-pacific-with-japanese-counterpart-today-698895.html New Delhi Mumbai Aug 20 IANS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on Thursday to further strengthen defence cooperation between the two nations and promote peace in the IndoPacific regionThe meeting is expected to further strengthen bilateral defence relations enhance strategic trust and cooperation promote stability ampamp security in the IndoPacific region and identify new areas of collaboration the Defence Ministry saidThe Ministry further stated that the two leaders will exchange views on deeper maritime security cooperation and closer defence equipment and technology collaboration under the MakeinIndia framework following Japans revision of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and TechnologyThe meeting provides an opportunity to build a roadmap for further advancing bilateral defence and security cooperation it addedAccording to the Ministry of Defence India and Japan share a common vision of building a free open resilient and prosperous IndoPacific regionThe twoday visit of the Japanese Defence Minister underscores the growing momentum in bilateral defence cooperation and reflects the commitment of both sides to further expand the partnership it addedShinjiro Koizumi arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday for his maiden visit to India Upon arrival he inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command in MumbaiThe Japanese Defence Minister also laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard Additionally he paid a visit to the indigenous ship INS ChennaiKoizumi held discussions with Indian Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan The delegation was briefed on the roles and responsibilities and operational capabilities of the Indian Navy according to the Defence MinistryThis comes weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited India in July for the 16th Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi where both sides agreed to deepen defence and security cooperationDuring this visit India and Japan signed over 10 billion in agreements aimed at boosting investments in AI defence clean energy and targeting 10 trillion Yen in Japanese investments over the next decadeIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rajnath-singh-to-discuss-defence-cooperation-indo-pacific-with-japanese-counterpart-today-698895.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/maharashtra-approves-operational-guidelines-for-global-capability-centre-policy-2025-698897.html Mumbai Aug 20 IANS The Maharashtra government has officially approved and notified the operational guidelines and standard operating procedures for implementing the Maharashtra Global Capability Centre GCC Policy 2025nbspnbspThe formal Government Resolution GR issued by Dr P Anbalagan Principal Secretary Industries Investment and Services on Wednesday establishes a comprehensive framework to govern fiscal and nonfiscal incentives offered to captive global hubs establishing or expanding operations in the stateThe policy aims to position Maharashtra as a prime global hub for technology research and development RampampD and specialised business functions The policy applies exclusively to fully integrated captive hubs set up by multinational corporations MNCs or Indian global entities to serve their parent or group companies Call centres business process outsourcing BPO units and pure sales or distribution entities are explicitly excluded from availing incentives under this policyProjects are categorised into five tiers based on Fixed Capital Investment FCI or Direct Employment created within two years of commercial operation The small category projects with minimum capital investment of Rs 50100 crore will have job potential of 250500 medium Rs 100250 crore with jobs of 500750 large Rs 250500 crore with 7501000 jobs mega Rs 500750 crore with 1000 plus jobs and ultra mega with above Rs 750 crore and 1000 plus jobsAccording to the GR Zone I covers the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR and Pune Metropolitan Region PMR while Zone II encompasses the remainder of Maharashtra to promote balanced regional growth Eligible units are granted a range of financial benefits based on their location and setup model Capital Subsidy up to 20 per cent subsidy on plant and machinery investments made after April 1 2025 will be capped from Rs 10 crore for Small units up to Rs 100 Crore for Mega units disbursed in 5 equal annual instalmentsNew GCC units opting for rented premises can claim 10 per cent Zone I or 20 per cent Zone II of actual rentreadyreckoner rate capped annually from Rs 1 crore to Rs 4 crore Units cannot combine capital subsidy with rental assistance Payroll Subsidy will be up to Rs 50000 per employee annually for up to 100 employees over three years An additional 10 per cent subsidy bonus is granted to units maintaining at least 50 per cent diversity in hiring women and persons with disabilitiesThe GCCs will be entitled to a 100 per cent stamp duty exemption for acquisitionsleases in Zone II IT Parks SEZs and STPIs and 75 per cent in Zone I Public IT Parks and a complete waiver from Electricity Duty for 10 years Further GCCs will get RampampD and Sustainability Grants up to Rs 50 Lakh annually 25 per cent reimbursement with an extra 10 per cent topup for joint research collaborations with Maharashtrabased universities Green building certification expenses are reimbursed up to 30 per centThe Commissionerate of Services will act as the primary implementing authority responsible for issuing Registration Certificates and disbursing incentives The Maharashtra GCC Growth Council chaired by the Principal Secretary Industries will act as an overarching think tank A dedicated Policy Monitoring Unit PMU has been allocated 1 per cent of the total policy budget capped at Rs 10 Crore annually for global promotion capacity building and impact assessmentThe GR mentioned that beneficiary units must remain operational for a minimum operative period of ten 10 years from the date of initial registration Noncompliance or furnishing false information will trigger immediate withdrawal of benefits and strict monetary recovery with penaltiesThe governments move to release the operational guidelines for GCCs comes days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 11 announced that the Maharashtra government is determined to make the state Indias leading and most preferred destination for Global Capability Centres GCCsSpeaking at the GCCProj Leadership Summit the Chief Minister outlined an ambitious target to establish 400 new GCCs generate 400000 highskilled jobs and attract Rs 50000 crore in investments He highlighted how the nature of GCCs in India has fundamentally evolved from lowcost backoffice assistance to highvalue innovation nodesBy 2030 Global Capability Centres will no longer be limited to support operations They will serve as core hubs for engineering artificial intelligence product development cybersecurity financial services data analytics and research and development RampampD CM Fadnavis said adding that key strategic decisions for global enterprises will increasingly originate from these centresIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/maharashtra-approves-operational-guidelines-for-global-capability-centre-policy-2025-698897.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/top-indian-ministers-discuss-progress-towards-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-in-singapore-698898.html Singapore Aug 20 IANS Top Indian ministers on Thursday met Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong here and discussed the progress made in implementing the roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nationsnbspFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal External Affairs Minister EAM S Jaishankar and Jitin Prasada Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented the Indian delegation during the highlevel 4th IndiaSingapore Ministerial Roundtable ISMRThe roundtable builds on progress made under six key pillars of cooperation advanced manufacturing connectivity digitalisation healthcare and medicine skills development and sustainabilityThe leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across economic cooperation digitalisation connectivity skills development and sustainability according to a Finance Ministry post on XOn Wednesday EAM Jaishankar and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan discussed ways to enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries while exchanging views on the current geopolitical situationDelighted to meet my friend FM Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore A detailed discussion on how to further deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Also value his insights on the current geopolitical situation said EAM JaishankarThey also laid the foundation stone of the new Chancery complex of the High Commission of India in Singapore The EAM expressed confidence that the complex would symbolise the new phase of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and strengthen support for the Indian community in SingaporeEAM Jaishankar arrived in Singapore on Tuesday ahead of the 4th IndiaSingapore Ministerial Roundtable ISMREarlier FM Sitharaman was welcomed by Simon Wong Singapores High Commissioner to India and High Commissioner of India to Singapore Dr Shilpak Ambule at the Changi International AirportThe mechanism of ISMR is an important platform to drive cooperation including in new and emerging areas Its inaugural meeting was held in New Delhi in September 2022 followed by the second meeting in Singapore August 2024 and the third in New Delhi in August 2025IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/top-indian-ministers-discuss-progress-towards-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-in-singapore-698898.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/himanta-sarma-reaffirms-viksit-assam-vision-as-nda-30-completes-100-days-698908.html Guwahati Aug 20 IANS Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday reaffirmed his governments commitment to accelerating development and welfare initiatives as the BJPled NDA government in the state completed 100 days of its third consecutive termnbspBuilding a Viksit Assam Sarma said in a post on X adding that the completion of 100 days was an occasion to reaffirm the governments commitment to serving the people with sincerity and creating new milestones in development and welfareThe latest milestone comes months after the BJPled alliance secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections returning to power for a third consecutive term under Sarmas leadershipThe election result marked a significant expansion of the BJPs electoral footprint in the state The BJP won 82 of the 90 seats it contested crossing the majority mark in the 126member Assembly on its own for the first timeIts allies the Asom Gana Parishad AGP and Bodoland Peoples Front BPF won 10 seats each taking the NDAs overall tally to 102The Congress emerged as the principal Opposition party with 19 seats while its campaign was led by state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi who suffered defeat in JorhatThe election also recorded a voter turnout of 8596 per cent reflecting high voter participation across the state Sarma who retained the Jalukbari constituency with a substantial margin was sworn in as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term on May 12 marking the beginning of the NDAs third government in AssamThe governments 100day narrative is centred on development infrastructure welfare delivery and economic growth with the Chief Minister repeatedly stressing the twin objectives of development and public welfareThe BJPs historic solo majority has also strengthened Sarmas political position giving the government a broader mandate to pursue its longterm development agendaAs Assam moves into the next phase of the NDA government the focus is expected to remain on translating the electoral mandate into visible improvements in infrastructure employment governance and welfare deliverySarma concluded his post with Joi Aai Axom reaffirming the governments stated vision of building a more developed and prosperous AssamIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/himanta-sarma-reaffirms-viksit-assam-vision-as-nda-30-completes-100-days-698908.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-move-hc-against-cancellation-of-recruitment-exams-hearing-on-four-petitions-at-3-pm-698909.html Ranchi Aug 20 IANS The legal battle launched by affected candidates against Jharkhand governments decision to cancel 22 recruitment examinations has intensified with four petitions challenging the move filed in the High Court so far The petitions are likely to be heard on Thursday at 3 PMnbspThe petitioners include successful candidates from the 11th13th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination JSSCCGL and the Food Safety Officer examination The petitions have been filed by successful candidates including Avadhesh Kumar Deepmala Sonam Kumari and Saurabh Singh among othersThe candidates primary argument is that the government unilaterally cancelled the examinations and subsequent appointments without giving them an opportunity to present their case A large number of these candidates had already joined government service following their selection and the governments decision has directly jeopardised their employmentThe petitioners have also invoked the principles of natural justice in their defence They argue that while action should be taken against any candidate found to have played a dubious role during the investigation it would be unjust to remove all successful candidates from their jobs without an individual inquiry or hearingThey maintain that they appeared for the examinations in accordance with the prescribed procedure secured positions on the merit lists and were subsequently appointed to government postsIn the JSSCCGL case some petitioners have also argued that the examination results were declared in compliance with earlier High Court orders raising questions over the legality of the governments subsequent decision to cancel the entire examinationThe Jharkhand government decided to cancel the 22 recruitment examinations based on findings of CID and SIT investigations into alleged irregularities in various competitive examinationsThe affected examinations cover recruitment for several posts including those through the JPSC 11th13th Combined Civil Services Examination and JSSCCGL as well as Civil Judge Deputy Collector Food Safety Officer Drug Inspector Assistant Professor Lecturer Assistant Engineer Forest Range Officer and Assistant Conservator of ForestsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-move-hc-against-cancellation-of-recruitment-exams-hearing-on-four-petitions-at-3-pm-698909.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/himanta-sarma-meets-pm-modi-discusses-assam-flood-recovery-efforts-698927.html New Delhi Aug 20 IANS Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and sought his guidance on the states flood recovery efforts rebuilding plans and key initiatives undertaken by his government during its first 100 days in officenbspCM Sarma said the meeting focused primarily on the next phase of Assams flood response including reconstruction of affected areas restoration of livelihoods and ensuring comprehensive rehabilitation of people impacted by the floodsIn a post on X the Chief Minister said PM Modi had remained in constant touch with the Assam government during the flood situation closely reviewing developments and extending all possible assistance from the CentreToday in New Delhi I had the privilege of calling upon Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji to seek his blessings and guidance CM Sarma saidHe said he apprised the Prime Minister of the roadmap prepared by the state government for rebuilding floodaffected areas and restoring normalcy and livelihoodsAccording to CM Sarma PM Modi reaffirmed the Centres unwavering support to Assam and assured that the Union government would continue to assist the state until the recovery and rehabilitation efforts reach their logical conclusionThe Chief Minister also briefed PM Modi on the major initiatives undertaken by the Assam government during its first 100 days aimed at fulfilling the mandate received from the people of the stateCM Sarma said the initiatives were part of the governments broader development agenda and its vision of building a Viksit AssamThe meeting comes at a crucial juncture for Assam as the state continues to deal with the aftermath of recurring floods which have affected communities infrastructure agriculture and livelihoods across several districtsThe Chief Ministers emphasis on rebuilding and livelihood restoration indicates a shift from immediate relief and rescue operations towards longterm rehabilitation and resilienceCM Sarma thanked the Prime Minister for his continued guidance and support saying the Centres assistance would be critical in taking Assams recovery efforts forwardThe Chief Minister has repeatedly stressed the need for coordinated efforts between the Centre and the state to strengthen Assams ability to deal with recurring floods while simultaneously maintaining the momentum of infrastructure development and welfare initiativesThe latest meeting also underlined the close coordination between the BJPled state government and the Centre on Assams development priorities CM Sarma said he remained committed to translating the governments mandate into concrete outcomes and advancing the shared vision of a developed AssamIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/himanta-sarma-meets-pm-modi-discusses-assam-flood-recovery-efforts-698927.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/india-japan-reaffirm-commitment-to-deepen-bilateral-defence-cooperation-698931.html TokyoNew Delhi Aug 20 IANS India and Japan on Thursday welcomed the steady strengthening of bilateral defence cooperation including engagement between their respective ministries and services based on shared strategic perspectives under the JapanIndia Special Strategic and Global Partnership which constitutes one of the pillars for peace stability and prosperity in the IndoPacificnbspIn a joint statement issued after the JapanIndia Defence Ministers Meeting between Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi the two sides stressed the importance of sharing assessments of the regional and international security environment amid heightened global tensionsThey also expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral actions that impede freedom and safety of navigation and overflight as well as to any attempts to change the status quo by force or coercionRecalling the JapanIndia Joint Statement issued in July 2026 both Singh and Koizumi affirmed their commitment under their leadership to further deepen defence cooperation to realise a free and open IndoPacificThe two ministers agreed to deepen operational cooperation in the field of maritime security in a practical and effective manner They accordingly affirmed their commitment to strengthening Maritime Security Cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security CooperationThe Memorandum provides a framework for further advancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of maritime security Specifically it includes the strengthening of cooperation between the Japan Maritime SelfDefense Force and the Indian Navy including information sharing in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness MDA as well as enhanced cooperation in areas such as Search and Rescue SAR and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief HADR read the joint statementThe two Ministers affirmed that they would strengthen coordination between both sides for the protection of Sea Lines of Communications through mutual visits by naval ships and units joint exercises personnel and Subject Matter Expert SME exchanges and logistical support including use of ports maintenance and repair facilities Such cooperation is vital not only to Japan and India but also to the region and the international community it addedAccording to the statement the two sides shared the view that they should leverage each others strengths in the field of defence shipbuilding and related areas and deepen discussions on Japans use of Indias production capabilities under the framework of Make in IndianbspIndia and Japan also emphasised the need to advance reciprocal provision of ship repair facilities including the conclusion of ship repair arrangement in the near futureThe two ministers also welcomed the steady expansion and deepening of bilateral exercises conducted by Japan and India including the JapanIndia Army exercise Dharma Guardian and the JapanIndia Maritime Exercise JAIMEXThey particularly welcomed the steady progress in coordination for the JapanIndia Air Force exercise Veer Guardian 26 scheduled to be held this year under which Japan Air SelfDefence Force fighter aircraft will for the first time visit India and participate in the exerciseThe two sides further reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening cooperation in bilateral exercises through enhanced complexities integration of unmanned systems and pursuing joint exercises at short notice whenever the opportunities ariseWith a view to further advancing cooperation among the Services of the two countries the two Ministers concurred on promoting exchanges between their respective Special Operations Forces and pursuing cooperation with Indias integrated theatre commands following their establishment the statement notedDefence Minister Singh welcomed Japans recent review of its framework for the transfer of defence equipment and technology and expressed confidence that Japan would further contribute to peace and stability in the IndoPacific region and the wider worldHe particularly expressed his expectations for the further deepening of the defence and technology partnership between the two countriesBoth sides assured that Japan and India will hold consultations when necessary to ensure the security of both countries and peace and stability in the regionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/india-japan-reaffirm-commitment-to-deepen-bilateral-defence-cooperation-698931.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/-priyanka-wins-silver-at-u-23-asian-boxing-championship-698832.html DW Bureau Chandigarh August 19 2026 Dev Samaj College for Women DSCW Sector 45B Chandigarh felicitated its BA student and boxer Priyanka for winning the silver medal in the 80 kg category at the U23 Womens Asian Boxing Championship 2026 held in Jakarta IndonesiaRepresenting India Priyanka put up a strong performance throughout the championship to secure the silver medal at the international eventTo honour her achievement the college organised a felicitation ceremony on the campus College Chairperson Prof Dr Agnese Dhillon Secretary Maanvinder Singh Mangat Principal Prof Dr Neeru Malik and College Advisor Dr Jaspal Kaur congratulated Priyanka and felicitated her with a bouquet and garlandAddressing the gathering Prof Dr Agnese Dhillon praised Priyanka for bringing laurels to the institution through her international sporting achievement She encouraged students to pursue excellence in both academics and sports with equal dedication and determinationDr Surinder Kaur Head of the Department of Physical Education and Dr Shiva Malik Head of the Department of Commerce along with faculty members staff and students were also present They congratulated Priyanka on her achievement and wished her continued success in her sporting career https://dailyworld.in/national/-priyanka-wins-silver-at-u-23-asian-boxing-championship-698832.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/tejashwi-detained-amid-rjds-march-to-lok-bhavan-over-police-action-during-neet-protests--698844.html Patna Aug 19 RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday braved water cannons before being detained in Patna where he was leading thousands of supporters during a march to the Lok Bhavan over the recent police action on students who demonstrated against the NEET paper leak Yadav also the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly was bundled into a police van along with key aides like Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav and the vehicle took them to an undisclosed locationnbspSSP Kartikeya K Sharma confirmed that Tejashwi Yadav was detainednbspPolice officers however were tightlipped on the whereabouts of the leaders whose detention left the supporters outraged with many of them trying to clamber atop the vehicle to prevent it from movingThe RJDs march is aimed at demanding stern action against police personnel in various districts of the state especially Siwan where a constable had allegedly used an AK 47 rifle during the student protestsnbspThe constable was suspended days after the July 25 incident and SP Pooran Kumar Jha was transferred on August 18nbspWhy just a transfer Both the DM and the SP should have been suspended one of the RJD supporters screamed when approached by reporters before the march took off from the JP Golambar a roundabout named after legendary socialist leader Jay Prakash NarayanTejashwi Yadav who had a day ago voiced fears of excessive use of force against his Lok Bhavan march managed to breach the barricades put up at the Dak Bungalow crossing only to be blocked by a heavy contingent of police at the Income Tax roundabout situated close to the Patna High Court premisesnbspThe former deputy CM and his supporters stood waving the tricolour undeterred by water cannons that were used by the police Some of them also carried dummies of the AK47 rifleThese tactics are not going to dampen our spirits We will make the government see reason and listen to the voice of the studentsnbspThe government is pushing the future of students into darkness Exam papers are getting leaked frequently he alleged while being put inside a police vannbspMeanwhile SDM Patna Sadar Kritika urged the agitators to show respect to the national flag during the marchnbspnbspIt is being observed here that several people are holding the national flag upside down Under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971 disrespecting the tricolour is unconstitutional and punishable she saidRJD MLA Bhai Virendra said the rallyists are scheduled to submit a memorandum to the governor at the Lok BhavannbspAccording to police sources a delegation of the protesters will be allowed to meet the Bihar governornbspIt is important to understand the emotions of Gen Z The government used AK47 rifles against the protesting students in Bihar and pellet guns and nailembedded batons against them in Delhi just because they demanded an honest and transparent examination systemnbspWe are staging this march to bring all these aspects to the notice of the Bihar governor RJD MP Manoj Jha told PTI VideosReacting to the partys march BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi claimed that it was a rally to save the career of Tejashwi YadavnbspHe failed as a student cricketer and politician Now he is trying to play politics around an issue that the Bihar government has already resolved Saraogi assertednbspHe said the Bihar government had already made provisions for a hefty fine of Rs 1 crore and provided for up to eight years of imprisonment in cases of paper leak incidents through a law passed in the assemblyTejashwi Yadav was on a foreign trip when the bill was passed If he were present in the House he could have given some healthy suggestions The people of Bihar are watching everything Saraogi saidnbspEchoing similar views Mritunjay Tiwari who recently jumped ship from the RJD to the BJP described the march as a bid to save the RJD and the Leader of Opposition post for Tejashwi YadavnbspThe Samrat Choudharyled government in Bihar is working for students welfare in a dedicated manner It has resolved all their grievances and they are happy now Tiwari said Agencies https://dailyworld.in/national/tejashwi-detained-amid-rjds-march-to-lok-bhavan-over-police-action-during-neet-protests--698844.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-appeasing-its-communal-supporters-with-raids-on-those-building-universities-akhilesh-yadav-697567.html Lucknow Aug 19 IANS Samajwadi Party SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP over the Enforcement Directorate ED searches at several locations linked to jailed former Rampur MP Azam KhannbspYadav accused the BJP of targeting those involved in establishing educational institutions while ignoring other individuals facing allegations of corruption and wrongdoingnbspTaking to social media Yadav claimed that the action was intended to appease the BJPs remaining 12 per cent communal narrowminded supportersAntieducation antiteacher and antistudent BJP members and their allies who shut down schools are conducting ED raids against those building universities just so they can appease their remaining 12 per cent supporters who cling to communal narrowminded illogical thinking while no action is being taken against those corrupt individuals involved in the following criminal scandals Yadav posted on X while listing several alleged scandalsIn the list the SP chief referred to the Ram Temple donation theft case the codeine scandal and the poor condition of several expressways while questioning the BJP government over its handling of these issuesYadav claimed that several major roads and infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh have deteriorated during the BJP governments tenure He claimed that the Bundelkhand Expressway has fallen into disrepair while the Purvanchal Expressway has become rutted and the KanpurLucknow Expressway has developed numerous potholesThe Kannauj MP further questioned the BJP government over alleged cracks in the green corridor damaged roads deteriorating bridges collapsing water tanks leaking roofs and station walls that he claimed were falling apartYadav also raised allegations concerning corruption involving police officials in BJPruled states claiming that corrupt officers have been caught not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in other states He questioned the alleged misappropriation of funds during the Maha Kumbh Mela and raised allegations of widespread corruption in the implementation of Smart City projectsThe SP chief further alleged that BJP representatives were involved in illegal construction on land that had not received the necessary approvalsHe questioned why action was allegedly not being taken against those facing such allegations while the ED was conducting searches against individuals associated with the establishment of universitiesYadav also claimed that a purported distribution involving around Rs 7000 crore had taken place claiming that a layer of publicity was added to the alleged wrongdoing and objectionable statements in an attempt to divert attention from the issueHis remarks came after the ED conducted searches at multiple locations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to Azam Khan and matters concerning the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and its associated trustIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-appeasing-its-communal-supporters-with-raids-on-those-building-universities-akhilesh-yadav-697567.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sebi-to-act-against-cas-manipulation-warns-chairman-pandey-697569.html Mumbai Aug 19 IANS Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Wednesday warned that the markets regulator would take strict and immediate action against any attempt to manipulate the newly introduced Closing Auction Session CAS mechanismnbspSpeaking on the sidelines of the FICCI Capital Markets Conference in Mumbai Pandey said the regulator was closely equipped to detect any manipulation under the CAS frameworkWe want to make one thing clear that if people do manipulation in CAS then we will take strict action and do it immediately he saidThe SEBI chairman said the new system provides the regulator with greater ability to identify potential manipulation compared with the earlier volumeweighted average price VWAPbased mechanismIn the CAS system we have more capability to catch manipulation Compared to the old VWAP system in the CAS system we can catch manipulation relatively easily Pandey saidnbspHe stressed that the objective of CAS was to enhance transparency and ensure a fairer mechanism for determining the closing price of stocks He also cautioned market participants against attempting to misuse the system or create doubts about its effectivenessCAS is for transparency But if someone thinks that we will manipulate the CAS to defame it then they are mistaken he saidnbspThe closing auction mechanism was introduced earlier this month as a separate 20minute session during which exchanges collect buy and sell orders and determine a stocks closing price at the level where the maximum volume can be executedThe system replaced the earlier method of determining the closing price based on the average price of trades during the final 30 minutes of regular market hoursnbspThe new mechanism is aimed at making the closing price discovery process fairer and more transparent while also improving execution efficiency particularly for large ordersIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sebi-to-act-against-cas-manipulation-warns-chairman-pandey-697569.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/files-on-my-table-cm-vijay-hints-at-action-over-irregularities-in-dmk-era-govt-697570.html Chennai Aug 19 IANS Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday said files relating to alleged irregularities in three departments under the previous DMK government were on his table and indicated that the findings would be made public with supporting evidence at an appropriate timenbspThe Chief Minister made the remarks during a heated exchange in the Legislative Assembly where demands for grants for the Water Resources Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Tourism and Art and Culture departments were taken up for discussionParticipating in the debate DMK MLA I Periyasamy raised several issues concerning the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Minister N Anand responded to the points raised by the senior Opposition legislator and defended the functioning of the TVK governmentnbspThe exchanges intensified when the DMK demanded evidence to substantiate allegations made by the ruling party against the previous administration Opposition members questioned whether the government possessed any documentary proof of the charges it had levelled against former DMK ministersResponding to the demand the government said the Finance Minister had earlier referred to files connected with three departments that had been subjected to scrutiny The files were now before the Chief Minister and contained evidence relating to the alleged irregularities the House was toldnbspIntervening in the debate CM Vijay said he had initially not intended to speak on the issue but was compelled to respond because the Opposition had repeatedly demanded proofA week ago when the Finance Minister spoke in the House he said files relating to three departments that had been examined were on my table The Opposition is now asking for evidence CM Vijay saidnbspThe Chief Minister added that the government would not disclose the contents of the files hastily Whatever needed to be placed in the public domain would be released properly and accompanied by evidence he saidnbspCM Vijay asserted that his administration understood when what and how it should communicate with the peopleThe electorate had brought the TVK to power with affection and high expectations after carefully considering its promises he saidnbspI will speak It is not that I will remain silent CM Vijay said while suggesting that the government would choose the appropriate moment to reveal its findingsnbspIn a pointed political remark the Chief Minister said some people should at least be given an opportunity to receive good news during the forthcoming byelections His comment triggered reactions from both the treasury and opposition benchesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/files-on-my-table-cm-vijay-hints-at-action-over-irregularities-in-dmk-era-govt-697570.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/india-japan-to-hold-talks-on-deepening-defence-ties-make-in-india-initiative-697571.html New Delhi Aug 19 IANS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi here on Thursday to further strengthen bilateral defence relations enhance strategic trust and cooperation promote stability and security in the IndoPacific region and identify new areas of collaboration according to a Defence Ministry statement issued on WednesdaynbspThe two ministers will exchange views on deeper maritime security cooperation and closer defence equipment and technology collaboration under the Make in India framework following Japans revision of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and TechnologyThe meeting provides an opportunity to build a roadmap for further advancing bilateral defence and security cooperation the statement saidOn his maiden visit to India Shinjiro Koizumi visited the Western Naval Command in Mumbai on Wednesday where he held discussions with the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan The delegation was briefed on the roles and responsibilities and operational capabilities of the Indian NavyUpon his arrival the visiting dignitary inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command He earlier laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard He also paid a visit to the indigenous ship INS ChennaiIndia and Japan share a common vision of building a free open resilient and prosperous IndoPacific region The twoday visit of the Japanese Defence Minister underscores the growing momentum in bilateral defence cooperation and reflects the commitment of both sides to further expand the partnershipThe visit comes weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visit to Delhi for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which both sides agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation the statement addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/india-japan-to-hold-talks-on-deepening-defence-ties-make-in-india-initiative-697571.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/oppn-lacks-confidence-after-poll-defeats-vents-frustration-in-parliament-kiren-rijiju--698859.html New Delhi Aug 19 IANS Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday asserted that the Opposition lacks confidence after facing repeated defeats in several elections and hence resorts to venting frustration during the Parliament sessionnbspHis remarks came in response to a query on the INDIA bloc members engaging in creating disturbances during the Monsoon session of ParliamentIn an exclusive interview with IANS Rijiju said The Opposition is currently somewhat fragmented and lacks confidence When they fail to win elections they vent their frustration in ParliamentHe also added that if Leader of Opposition LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had wanted the Opposition MPs would not have resorted to creating a ruckus in Parliament during the recently concluded Monsoon sessionThe Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister also mentioned that Home Minister Amit Shah used to remain present on the Parliament premises during the Monsoon session however due to the Oppositions sloganeering and ruckus he did not attend the proceedingsI have met Rahul Gandhi and also spoken to him on the phone I respect him a lot because he is the Leader of the Opposition and a senior leader However our efforts towards smooth functioning of the Parliament were not successful Everyone knows that if Rahul Gandhi wanted the Congress MPs would not resort to abuses sloganeering and ruckus during the House proceedings Rahul Gandhi is the only leader in the Congress who can correct the behaviour of his MPs he addedWhen asked about the Oppositions statements that Home Minister Amit Shah was absent during the House proceedings Rijiju said that the Home Minister used to come to Parliament every day however the Opposition still continued with the baseless claimsThe Home Minister Amit Shah used to come to Parliament during the Monsoon session and remain there from morning till evening He cannot really go amid the ruckus can he They the Opposition are just resorting to spreading rumours he addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/oppn-lacks-confidence-after-poll-defeats-vents-frustration-in-parliament-kiren-rijiju--698859.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jk-an-important-part-of-india-us-will-reconsider-travel-advisories-envoy-gor-698863.html Srinagar Aug 19 IANS US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor who arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday on his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir said that the United States will reconsider advisories on travel to the Union Territory adding that that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of IndianbspAfter meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the US Envoy said Its a pleasure to be here US will reconsider its advisories on travel to Jammu and Kashmir This is an important part of IndianbspI am here visiting for the first time It is an incredibly beautiful place I am thrilled to be here thrilled to see this place We just had a very good meeting We have some followups so we hope to take them back to Washington back to DelhinbspBut a very warm a very cordial welcome and we look forward to building this relationship forwardGor arrived in Srinagar earlier on Wednesday on his twoday visit to Jammu and Kashmir and LadakhnbspChief Minister Abdullah said earlier on Wednesday that he would discuss the situation in the region with the US envoy but ruled out raising internal issues with Washingtons representative saying only the Central government can resolve those issuesnbspAfter meeting the US Ambassador CM Abdullah said It was a very good meeting We had an opportunity to discuss the relations between our two countries but with specific focus on what the US can do with JampampKThere are obviously certain legacy issues that over time we will be working to resolve but we look forward to taking this conversation furthernbspThis is a conversation that will take place both between Ambassador Gor and Washington and between me and the Indian government in New Delhi But we are very hopeful and optimistic that the engagement between the US and Jammu and Kashmir will both widen and deepen in the years ahead the Chief Minister addedGor is the first US Ambassador to visit Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019nbspGors assertion that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India is of significance for local politics especially for separatists who had been trying to attract international attention during the peak years of terror violence hereIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jk-an-important-part-of-india-us-will-reconsider-travel-advisories-envoy-gor-698863.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/students-end-hunger-strike-as-jharkhand-govt-cancels-jssc-cgl-tdpl-exams-agitation-continues-over-cbi-probe-697517.html Ranchi Aug 18 IANS Four students including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended their hunger strike on Tuesday after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of all examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC and TDPL However the JPSCJSSC Reform Forum has announced that its agitation will continue over its demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinationsnbspThe four protesters Devendra Nath Mahto UmmeHabiba Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto ended their hunger strike at around 115 am at Ranchi Sadar Hospital after the state governments decision Ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice to formally end the fastSpeaking after ending his hunger strike Mahto said Today on the 16th day of our hunger strike we ended our fast in a dignified manner With the joint initiative of Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari Minister Deepika Pandey and our MLA Jairam Mahto we decided to suspend our hunger strike All the demands for which we had been protesting constitutionally and peacefully have been fulfilledJLKM president Jairam Kumar Mahato also welcomed the governments decision calling it historic I would undoubtedly thank the government This is a historic decision as the CGL examination process had already reached the joining stage Despite this the government respected the sentiments of the students he saidThe decision to cancel all examinations conducted by JSSCCGL and TDPL was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on MondayThe announcement triggered celebrations among students protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium Despite heavy rain protesters embraced each other distributed sweets raised slogans and celebrated with colours and fireworks They described the cancellation of the JSSCCGL examination as a major victory after 24 days of agitationHowever the students made it clear that their movement has not ended completely Their key pending demand is a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinationsJPSCJSSC Reform Forum spokesperson Ravindra Paswan said the government had accepted their most important demand by cancelling the examinations but no decision had yet been taken on the CBI probe He said the agitation would continue until there was clarity on the issueStudent leader Piyush Kumar termed the governments decision the first major victory but said several issues including the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services Examination remain unresolved The protesters will review the governments decision and official notification before deciding their next course of actionChief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier said the SIT and CID investigations into the JSSCCGL matter had revealed several important and startling facts including indications of alleged collusion among different agenciesThe government has also decided to conduct a comprehensive enquiry into recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC since 2014 In addition a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been constituted to recommend reforms to make the examination process more transparent and prevent irregularities in the futureIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/students-end-hunger-strike-as-jharkhand-govt-cancels-jssc-cgl-tdpl-exams-agitation-continues-over-cbi-probe-697517.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/let-me-die-in-peace-cbi-chargesheet-reconstructs-twisha-sharmas-final-90-minutes-697519.html Bhopal Aug 18 IANS The final hours of 34yearold Twisha Sharmas life have been reconstructed in a 600page chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI which has accused her husband Samarth Singh and motherinlaw Giribala Singh of subjecting her to sustained mental cruelty and abetting her suicideThe chargesheet filed on August 14 details WhatsApp messages phone calls CCTV footage medical records counselling sessions family statements and financial allegations to piece together the events leading to Twishas death on May 12At 936 pm that night Twisha sent a WhatsApp message to her sisterinlaw Rashi Abrol Ask him to collect leftover of his wife But tomorrow Let me die in peace right nowFour minutes later CCTV footage cited by the CBI allegedly showed Twisha walking alone from the ground floor of her Bhopal home towards the terraceAt 941 pm she called her father while crying According to the CBI she said Samarth had become very aggressive and violent that she was frightened and asked her parents to come to her immediately Around 1005 pm she spoke to her mother and allegedly repeated the same concernsAt around 1023 pm CCTV footage allegedly captured Samarth and his mother Giribala heading towards the terrace Twisha was subsequently brought downstairs and taken to AIIMS Bhopal where she was declared brought dead at around 1055 pmThe CBI has booked Samarth and Giribala under Sections 85 108 and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNSAccording to the agency Twisha a former Miss Pune who had worked as an actor before moving into the corporate sector met Samarth through an online dating application in February 2025 They married on December 9 that yearAccording to NDTV the CBI alleges that after their marriage Samarth subjected Twisha to repeated mental cruelty including sexually derogatory remarks and allegations concerning relationships she had disclosed before marriage It also alleges that Giribala repeatedly sided with or encouraged her son when Twisha objected to his behaviourThe relationship reportedly deteriorated further in March and April 2026 While Twisha was staying with her father during his treatment after a heart attack the CBI alleges that both accused pressured her to return to Bhopal She returned on March 24Twisha subsequently discovered she was pregnant on April 16 According to the chargesheet the pregnancy was unplanned and she was uncertain about continuing it because of Samarths alleged abusive behaviour Following an argument on April 17 she left her matrimonial homeThe CBI has also alleged that financial disputes contributed to the deterioration of the relationship Twisha reportedly had investments worth around Rs 20 lakh in shares through a demat account The agency alleges that Samarth and Giribala pressured her to transfer the investment into a joint account opened by Twisha and Samarth on April 7 She refused saying the money belonged to her fatherOn April 30 after returning to Bhopal Twisha allegedly told her mother that her life had become hell and that she had suffered an anxiety attack She was subsequently examined by a psychiatrist who reportedly found her anxious and distressed about the pregnancy and prescribed medicationOn May 6 Twisha accepted an offer to rejoin her previous job and took the first dose of medication for termination of pregnancy In messages to her mother the following morning she allegedly asked to be taken away from the matrimonial homeThe chargesheet says Giribala wanted to explore whether the termination could be reversed Twisha accompanied her motherinlaw to a hospital on May 7 but doctors reportedly said the process could not be reversed She was later examined by another doctor Dr Kakoli Roy who allegedly found her emotionally distressedThe CBI says Twisha told her sisterinlaw that Giribala had called her a murderer three times over the abortion On May 8 she took the second dose and reportedly experienced significant pain and bleeding She allegedly complained that Samarth dismissed her suffering as dramaOn May 9 Twisha reportedly told her mother that Samarth had questioned whether the pregnancy she terminated was even his She also expressed feelings of suffocation and according to the CBI spoke about dying and disappearingThe agency further cites former employer Amit Das who allegedly told investigators that Twisha complained of being continuously monitored at home and having her calls watchedOn May 12 Twisha decided to leave Bhopal Around 751 pm she allegedly told her sisterinlaw that Samarth was pressuring her to transfer her investments so that he could invest the money in the Chinese stock market The CBI is separately investigating the dowryrelated allegationsEarlier that day Twisha had sought Rs 3000 from her mother for a train ticket to Nasirabad in Rajasthan Her father transferred the money and she booked the ticket She reportedly told her family that she had tried her best to save the marriage but wanted to return because Samarth was unwilling to attend counsellingSamarth later agreed to attend a counselling session and the couple met Dr Kakoli Roy around 1130 am According to the chargesheet Samarth also raised complaints about Twishas behaviour and said they consumed marijuana The doctor allegedly advised him to listen to her give her time and stop using marijuanaThe couple returned home around 1 pm Twisha later went to a beauty parlour and returned around 611 pm She allegedly told her mother that Samarth and Giribala had ignored her when she tried to join them outside and that she had concluded the marriage could not be repairedThe CBI says she decided to leave Bhopal permanentlyAround 920 pm Twisha was reportedly on a call with Rashi and crying continuously She allegedly said that after she asked Samarth to sleep in the bedroom because of her back pain he became aggressive and violentAfter the call disconnected Twisha answered another call at around 929 pm but was reportedly too distressed to speak At 936 pm she sent the message asking to be allowed to die in peaceHer mother repeatedly attempted to contact her Around 1010 pm she called Giribala and asked her to check on Twisha The CBI says CCTV showed Giribala leaving her room at around 1016 pm and going to Twishas bedroom She allegedly called Twisha at 1018 pm after failing to find her and contacted Samarth around 1021 pm At 1023 pm CCTV allegedly showed Giribala and then Samarth heading towards the terraceTwisha was brought downstairs by Samarth his cousin and a domestic worker before being taken to AIIMS BhopalThe case also saw controversy over the postmortem examination The initial AIIMS Bhopal report attributed the death to antemortem hanging After Twishas family raised concerns and sought another examination the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a second postmortemA medical board from AIIMS Delhi examined the body on May 24 and concluded that the cause of death was asphyxia due to antemortem hanging and classified the manner of death as suicidal The board also found no other medicolegally significant injuries indicating assault before deathThe CBIs case is therefore not that Twisha was physically murdered but that prolonged alleged mental cruelty drove her to suicideA forensic psychological assessment based on her diaries CCTV footage and other evidence the agency said indicated prolonged psychological harm hopelessness and lack of support The CBI alleges that the accused subjected Twisha to cruelty to such an extent that she was left with no choice except to end her lifeHowever the investigation remains open The CBI is awaiting forensic extraction of Twishas primary iPhone which it says could provide additional evidence identify witnesses or reveal the involvement of other personsThe DVR recovered from the accuseds residence has also been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory CFSL in New Delhi to determine the continuity of CCTV recordings and examine possible tampering Voice samples of Samarth and Giribala have separately been sent for forensic comparison with audio recordings recovered during the probeThe CBI has also sought permission to continue investigating allegations relating to dowry demand and dowry death under Section 1939 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita BNSSIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/let-me-die-in-peace-cbi-chargesheet-reconstructs-twisha-sharmas-final-90-minutes-697519.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-chief-nitin-nabin-to-engage-with-youth-party-workers-in-andhra-pradesh-today-697520.html Visakhapatnam Aug 18 IANS BJP National President Nitin Nabin will begin a packed schedule of organisational and political engagements in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday focussing on strengthening the partys grassroots network reviewing organisational preparedness and engaging with youth and elected representativesNabins visit comes at a time when the BJP is seeking to deepen its organisational presence across the state through greater boothlevel engagement and closer coordination between its leadership and grassroots workersOn Tuesday morning the BJP National President is scheduled to offer prayers and seek darshan at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam where he will invoke blessings for peace progress and prosperityHe will then attend a highlevel organisational session in Visakhapatnam bringing together district presidents district incharges and state officebearers The meeting will focus on evaluating organisational outreach and strengthening boothlevel engagement across Andhra PradeshAt around 11 am Nabin will lead a ceremonial flag hoisting and visit a specially curated party exhibition Following the exhibition visit he will preside over an Extended State Executive Meeting where the partys political road map and strategic priorities for the state are expected to be discussedHighlighting the BJPs emphasis on grassroots leadership Nabin will also join party workers for lunch and interact directly with themThe BJP National President is scheduled to participate in a Yuva Samvad interactive session at Hotel Novotel Varun Beach at 4 pm where he will engage with more than 200 students young professionals and other young participantsDiscussions will centre on nationbuilding innovation digital leadership and youth empowerment under the vision of Viksit BharatHis schedule will also include a meeting with BJP MPs MLAs and MLCs to review parliamentary initiatives constituency outreach and development priorities in Andhra PradeshSpecialised smallgroup sessions will also be held to improve coordination between central welfare schemes and their implementation at the grassroots levelNitin Nabin arrived at Bhogapuram International Airport in Visakhapatnam on the evening of August 17 where he received a warm welcome from senior BJP leaders and party workersIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bjp-chief-nitin-nabin-to-engage-with-youth-party-workers-in-andhra-pradesh-today-697520.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/8-killed-23-injured-as-pickup-van-carrying-labourers-collides-with-truck-in-mp-697523.html Bhopal Aug 18 IANS Eight labourers were killed and 23 others injured after a speeding pickup van carrying them collided headon with an incoming truck in Madhya Pradeshs Bhind district police said on TuesdaynbspnbspThe accident took place at around midnight near Chhimka village under Gohad area on National Highway719 The labourers were returning to their villages in Uttar Pradesh after completing paddy transplantation work in Gwalior regionnbspAccording to police 29 labourers were travelling in the pickup when the accident occurred The injured were rescued with the help of local residents and shifted to nearby hospitals Gohad Chauraha police station incharge Ramnaresh Yadav said the pickup was travelling at an estimated speed of 8090 kmphnbspSome cows were sitting on the highway and the driver tried to avoid them after they suddenly came in front of the vehicle The pickup swerved and collided headon with the oncoming truck Yadav saidnbspThe collision was so severe that the pickup was badly mangled trapping several labourers inside Police personnel and local residents helped extricate the injured from the vehiclenbspFive bodies have been kept at Gohad and three at Gwalior while the process of identifying the deceased was underway police said The labourers had come to the Gwalior region from different villages for paddy transplantation worknbspAfter completing the work they were returning to their villages in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh Yadav said the presence of cattle on the highway was emerging as a key factor in the accident particularly as the pickup was travelling at high speed during the nightnbspThe damaged vehicles were removed from the highway and traffic movement was restored after some disruption Yadav addednbspPolice have registered a case and started an investigation into the accident Further details including the identities of the deceased are awaitednbspIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/8-killed-23-injured-as-pickup-van-carrying-labourers-collides-with-truck-in-mp-697523.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/stop-claiming-monopoly-as-custodian-of-freedom-movement-bjp-blasts-cong-over-vande-mataram-row-697548.html New Delhi Aug 18 IANS Stepping up its attack on the Congress party over the conduct of its senior party leaders during the recitation of the National Song Vande Mataram at the Independence Day event at Indira Bhawan Congress headquarters the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP on Tuesday asked the former to stop claiming monopoly as the custodian of freedom movementnbspnbspThis comes a day after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the BJP and RSS during a party convention in Goa asking which of their leaders fought for Indias independencenbspAddressing a press conference BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad cited that only two stanzas of the national song were sung at the Goa event of the Congress chief a day beforeQuestioning the mentality of the Congress the BJP leader said If the party keeps doing such a thing with the national song then it should better stop claiming monopoly as the custodian of freedom movementnbspRecalling the history of the national song Vande Mataram he alleged The Congress had made a pact with the Muslim League in 193637 and maybe because of this the Muslim League pressurised the Congress to sing only the first two stanzas of the song as the rest of it will hurt its religious sentimentsOn January 24 1950 Dr Rajendra Prasad had declared the Jan Gan Man as the national anthem and Vande Mataram as the national songnbspHe observed that despite the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Act 2026 the Congress is still opposing the rendition of the full version of the national songnbspResponding to Kharges charge on the freedom struggle Prasad said I want to ask him whether Dr Rajendra Prasad was a freedom fighter or not and whether or not he had made this announcement in the Constituent Assembly in 1950nbspThen whom is he Kharge making fun of and why he questionedThe BJP leader further remarked that the Congress is still troubled with the same mindset with which it had signed a pact with the Muslim LeaguenbspThey League went to Pakistan along with Mohammed Ali Jinnah but these people Congress are still carrying the same mindset he addednbspMoreover Prasad alleged that due to vote bank politics the Congress leaders are leaving their own culture behind since the BJP did not exist during the freedom struggleAdding to the criticism he said The Congress opposed the Triple Talaq Act and staged a walkout during discussions on the Vande Mataram and abolition of Article 370 So the Congress backs out whenever issues related to national interest clash with vote banknbspDisplaying the mentions of Lord Ram his brother Laxman Goddess Sita Lord Hanuman and the Hindu deity Nataraj in a copy of the Constitution Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Kharge and Sonia Gandhi What do have to say about this Is this a disregard of religious sentiments You are forgetting the principles of your party which existed during the freedom movementMeanwhile Ravi Shankar Prasad also issued a clarification over Prime Minister Narendra Modis dimagi Naxal remark during his Independence day address two days after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also did the samenbspHad the Prime Minister named anyone while making the dimagi Naxal remark He had just cautioned the country to be careful of dimagi NaxalsnbspThe PMs statement was aimed at those who provide intellectual stimulus to Maoism write in their favour and provide financial assistance to them The nation should be careful of them too he addednbspWhile saying that the opposition parties are competing to take the remark on themselves Prasad noted that so far Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has not done thatIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/stop-claiming-monopoly-as-custodian-of-freedom-movement-bjp-blasts-cong-over-vande-mataram-row-697548.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-flood-rs-150-crore-interim-relief-disbursed-says-cm-sarma-697387.html Guwahati Aug 17 IANS Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that nearly Rs 150 crore has been disbursed as interim relief to floodaffected people in the state while directing officials to expedite the remaining compensation claims and restoration worknbspIn a post on Sunday on social media platform X Sarma added that the remaining eligible relief claims would be cleared by Monday underlining that the state government was working to ensure timely assistance reaches every affected householdnbspHe said the assessment of floodrelated damage across the state was about 75 per cent complete with more than 1000 surveyors deployed on the ground to complete the remaining assessment immediatelynbspThe Chief Minister added that the administration was simultaneously focusing on restoring essential public infrastructure damaged by the floodsnbspAs many as 793 schools are currently under repair and will be made ready for the resumption of classes while damaged roads and other public infrastructure are being rebuilt on priority he saidnbspIn Sivasagar highcapacity pumps have been deployed and are operating round the clock to drain water from lowlying areas and accelerate the dewatering processnbspThe state government has also stepped up health interventions in floodaffected areas with health camps being expanded and authorities maintaining close surveillance for any possible outbreak of waterborne or other diseases following the floodsnbspChief Minister Sarma said the state government had also reviewed loan relief measures and insurance claims related to the flood damage and urged all eligible affected people to submit their claims by August 30nbspThe Chief Minister added that the administration was mapping compensation and other benefits to ensure that assistance reaches every affected householdnbspMy instructions to officials are clear no one gets left behind speed is nonnegotiable and theres zero tolerance for a lackadaisical approach Sarma saidnbspThe latest measures come as Assam continues its recovery and rehabilitation efforts following widespread flooding that affected several districts damaging homes roads schools and other public infrastructurenbspThe Assam government has been focusing on immediate relief alongside restoration of essential services damage assessment and financial assistance to affected familiesnbspSarma said the state administration would maintain a close watch on the relief and restoration process and ensure that officials move swiftly to complete pending assessments and deliver assistance to those eligibleIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-flood-rs-150-crore-interim-relief-disbursed-says-cm-sarma-697387.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/students-years-being-stolen-says-rahul-gandhi-as-nta-orders-ugc-net-re-exam-for-3-subjects-697388.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS As the National Testing Agency NTA announced the reexamination for the UGCNET papers for three subjects after multiple errors were found in the question papers Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday took aim at the Central government and claimed that the years of the students are being stolen because of these examination irregularitiesnbspEarlier on Sunday the NTA announced that it will reconduct the University Grants CommissionNational Eligibility Test UGCNET for English Sociology and Commerce after several errors were found in the question papers This added to the growing criticism over the testing agencys handling of competitive examsnbspRahul in a post on X said Modi ji look at what your NTA has just done UGCNET exams for Sociology English and Commerce were held between 22 and 30 June Nearly two months later NTA has cancelled all three because it set faulty papers and repeated old questionsThousands of candidates who prepared for years filled forms paid the fees travelled to distant centres must now do it all again in September NTA makes the mistake but the student serves the sentence he saidThe LoP recalled that during his Chhatron Ki Goonj programmes held in Kota Dehradun and Prayagraj he had stated that this is no longer an education system but an extraction machinenbspIt takes your money your years your mental health and your confidence and returns nothing Not even a job NTA still wont answer the real question were these papers leaked before the exam he saidnbspJust like every other arm of the Modi government NTA never says its their fault Just like every other compromised paper I am absolutely sure there will be no accountability Dharmendra Pradhans resignation was the first step not the last NTAs leadership must be held accountable too Gandhi statedTo every student sitting this exam again in September you are not the problem PM Modi built a system that cannot run an exam and then blames the students who take it Your years are being stolen and we will not stop until PM Modi answers for it he addednbspThis comes months after the NTA faced public ire over the NEET paper leak case As part of a major punitive crackdown and institutional overhaul 47 NTA officials faced termination from service alongside impending criminal proceedings Additionally Subodh Kumar Singh was removed as the Director General of the testing agencyMeanwhile the Sociology will be held on September 10 while the English and Commerce tests will be reconducted on September 9The UGCNET is held to determine eligibility for the appointment of entry Assistant Professors admission to PhD courses and for the award of Junior Research Fellowship JRF in government and private universitiesThe UGCNET 2026 exam was held in June this year across 87 subjects The NTA however was criticised for delaying the release of the answer key The provisional answer key was then released on SundaynbspFollowing this the NTA stated that it had received several complaints about multiple errors in the English Commerce and Sociology papersnbspA committee was formed to enquire into these errors and as per the committees recommendation the NTA will reconduct the exams in these subjects to ensure a fair and errorfree examination officials statedThe testing agency also mentioned that no additional fees will be charged from the candidates and allocation of seats will not be reduced Additionally the results for the other 84 subjects will be declared as scheduledIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/students-years-being-stolen-says-rahul-gandhi-as-nta-orders-ugc-net-re-exam-for-3-subjects-697388.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fire-breaks-out-at-commercial-building-in-mumbais-kandivali-west-11-rescued-safely-697394.html Mumbai Aug 17 IANS A LevelI fire broke out in a commercial building on Kandiwali Station Road in Mumbais Kandivali West early Monday morning with 11 people safely rescued from a lodging house on the second floor according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations BMC Mumbai Fire BrigadeThe incident was reported to the Mumbai Fire Brigade Control at around 414 am The fire broke out at Abhirai Hotel on Kandiwali Station RoadAccording to the fire brigades update the blaze was confined to electrical wiring electrical installations wooden furniture tarpaulin bamboo and plastic materials at an adjacent temporary fruit stallThe fire also affected clothes wooden furniture and a false ceiling over an area of approximately 50 square feet on the fourth floor Aluminium and plastic decorative sheets on the exterior side of the building were also affectedThe building is a commercial structure comprising a basement ground floor and four upper floors The entire building was smokelogged during the incidentFirefighters rescued 11 people safely through the staircase from the secondfloor lodging house No injuries were reported in the fire brigades updateThe Mumbai Fire Brigade said it received the information from the BMCs Municipal Fire Brigade Control The fire was classified as a LevelI incident and it was brought under control and extinguished at 607 am The situation was subsequently brought under control after quick firefighting and rescue operations at the siteThe fire brigade has not reported any injuries in connection with the incident Further details regarding the cause of the fire were not provided in the update issued by the civic fire control authoritiesIn a similar inicident earlier this month two people including a toddler were killed while six others were injured after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in Mumbais Vile Parle West officials saidAccording to the Mumbai Fire Brigade the fire which was initially assumed to be Level1 escalated to Level2However after continuous efforts the fire was brought under control at aroundDFO R V Bhosle mentioned that eight fire tenders were deployed along with other special equipment to bring the blaze under controlIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fire-breaks-out-at-commercial-building-in-mumbais-kandivali-west-11-rescued-safely-697394.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-protest-4th-round-of-govt-students-talk-today-agitators-express-hope-for-agreement-697403.html Ranchi Aug 17 IANS The protest over irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC entered its 24th day on MondayGathered in large numbers at Ranchis Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium students have been continuously demonstrating to press for their demands over strict action against examination irregularities They have also called for a siege of the Chief Ministers residence on August 20Meanwhile a fourth round of talks between government representatives and the protesting students is scheduled for Monday The future direction of the movement will become clear only after the dialogue between the government and the studentsThree rounds of talks had not resulted in any resolutionStudent leader Devendra Nath Mahto who entered his 15th day of hunger strike said that the students movement has received support from the entire state as well as from the countrySpeaking to IANS Mahto said The students work very hard they should not have to face paper leaks they should not have to face cheating and they should not have to face selling of jobs There should be such a system such reforms and the government should give a guarantee that there will never be a paper leak in the future I hope there is agreement on all these points because I have seen many times in my life cancellations and many times I have seen CID investigations however nothing substantial came out of it We need reforms a complete transformation of the education systemPrem Nayak who is on a hunger strike told IANS that while the government had invited them for talks several times previously the discussions were evasive and inconclusive adding that this time too they had little hope of resolutionThis is the 14th day of my hunger strike and the 24th day of the sitin Our health is steadily deteriorating we are unable to sit walk or sleep It does not seem likely that we will be able to hold out for much longer he saidNayak stated that the government needs to take the matter seriously as the students demands are legitimateTherefore the government should take immediate action and fulfil these demands It is not too late yet the protest has been conducted in a Gandhian manner so far If the demands are not met students could become aggressive in the future and the government would have to bear the consequences The government cannot be greater than the people he addedMeanwhile student leader Ravindra Paswan said We have high hopes for todays meeting all our demands should be met We remain firm on our demands We will continue our agitation until our demands are fulfilled We received the invitation for talks through the CDO We are going for the dialogue again today but our demands remain nonnegotiable we will not compromise on themThis is the 24th day of our indefinite sitin protest Four of our colleagues have been on a hunger strike for the past 1213 days two are hospitalised while the other two are present at the protest site he statedRahul Kranti who is admitted at Sadar Hospital after his condition worsened due to the hunger strike criticised the Hemant Soren government and said that due to its incompetence students are suffering in JharkhandSpeaking to IANS Kranti said Given the governments attitude and the statements coming from it we do not think the talks will be successful Our demands include a CBI investigation cancellation of the 1113 JPSC examinations cancellation of the CGL examination and an investigation into all examinations conducted since 2019 We believe corruption has been found in all these examinations under both the Hemant1 and Hemant2 governmentsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-protest-4th-round-of-govt-students-talk-today-agitators-express-hope-for-agreement-697403.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/high-level-panel-on-banking-to-be-formed-soon-fm-sitharaman-697409.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that the government will soon announce the composition of a highpowered committee to recommend how the banking sector should play its role in supporting the countrys transformation into a developed economy by 2047nbspAddressing the inauguration of the twoday conclave of heads of public sector banks and financial institutions here Sitharaman said Once the committee gives its report we will move fast on the recommendations she saidFinance Minister Sitharaman first proposed the setting up of a highlevel committee on banking during the presentation of the Union Budget for 202627 to review the sectors alignment with Indias growth goalsnbspThe committee will look at the role of banks towards Viksit Bharat as 2047 is not too far away as we are in 2026 so less than 20 years is what we have before us the Finance Minister remarkedShe also highlighted the banking sectors markedly improved asset quality as providing an ideal opportunity for pushing ahead with reforms nowShe urged public sector banks to leverage their strengthened balance sheets to support the next phase of economic growth and prepare for banking reforms aimed at building a financial system aligned with the governments Viksit Bharat 2047 visionThe Finance Minister said the banking sector was entering the next phase from a position of strength with nonperforming assets NPAs at their lowest levelsWith NPAs at the lowest ever Indian banking has seen there cannot be a better position of strength with which banks can take on reforms she pointed outShe said the ideas emerging from the banking leadership could provide substantive inputs to the committee and help the government move rapidly on its recommendationsSitharaman emphasised the need for banks to focus particularly on the countrys young population noting that 29 per cent of Indians are in the 1529 age group Banks need to expand access to financial services for young people including education loans entrepreneurship finance and investment products Sitharaman observedShe also called for the banking sector to generate practical and implementable ideas to meet emerging financing needs saying the sector should be ready to rev up the Indian economy once the banking committee gives its recommendationsDepartment of Financial Services Secretary Sanjay Lohiya said the asset quality of public sector banks had registered a dramatic improvement with gross NPAs declining from a peak of 146 per cent in March 2018 to a record low of 193 per cent in March 2026 while net NPAs fell from 8 per cent to 239 per cent during this periodThe improvement has strengthened the balance sheets of public sector banks and enhanced their capacity to support growth he saidHowever he said banks would need to sharpen their competitiveness as technology reshapes business models customer expectations evolve and new areas of economic activity emergeLohiya identified deposit mobilisation as a key priority as household savings preferences change Banks would need to strengthen their deposit base through better service convenience product innovation and sustained customer relationshipsHe also highlighted opportunities in financing global capability centres agriculture and horticulture value chains and prioritysector lending OnIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/high-level-panel-on-banking-to-be-formed-soon-fm-sitharaman-697409.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-asks-allahabad-hc-to-defer-hearing-in-disproportionate-assets-case-linked-to-rahul-gandhi-697416.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Allahabad High Court to defer proceedings in a disproportionate assets case linked to Rahul Gandhinbsp the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LoPnbspA Bench of Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also ordered the CBI or any other authority not to submit any report to the High CourtThe Apex Court hearing the petition filed by the Congress MP against Allahabad High Courts direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to verify the allegations restrained both the Central agencies CBI and ED from submitting any reportThe Allahabad High Court in its order issued in May observed that if the complaint had indeed been received by the concerned agencies the allegations contained in it should be verified in accordance with lawThe Congress MP approached the Supreme Court last week challenging orders of the Allahabad High Court that directed the CBI and ED to verify allegations that he possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of incomeThe Apex Court further noted that the CBI and the ED were at liberty to take appropriate action as warranted under the legal frameworkSuppose somebody commits murders etc police does not need permission But what appears to us is subject to the assistance provided to us from both sides if the Court wants to issue a direction the courts are expected to follow the principle of natural justice the CJI remarked in his observationThe Bench also said that if any agency has knowledge of any disproportionate assets belonging to any individual it can proceed on its own and the same does not require court ordersSenior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Rahul Gandhi submitted that the proceedings amounted to witchhunt through a process not recognised by law He also questioned the locus standi and bona fide of the petitioner before the High Court stating that he has repeatedly filed petitions against Rahul GandhiThe matter pertains to a case filed by Karnatakabased BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir who sought CBI and ED probes alleging that Rahul Gandhi possessed assets disproportionate to his incomeIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-asks-allahabad-hc-to-defer-hearing-in-disproportionate-assets-case-linked-to-rahul-gandhi-697416.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pained-by-loss-of-lives-due-to-stampede-in-lakhisarai-my-thoughts-with-bereaved-families-says-pm-modi-697417.html Patna Aug 17 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in a stampede at the Ashok Dham temple in Bihars Lakhisarai which claimed seven lives on MondaynbspThe Prime Ministers Office PMO said on social media X Pained by the loss of lives due to a stampede in Lakhisarai Bihar My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief May the injured recover at the earliest The local administration is assisting those affected PM Narendra ModiEarlier in the day the Bihar government announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of those who died in the stampede at the Ashok Dham Temple in LakhisaraiAt least seven people were killed and more than 12 were injured in a stampede The incident triggered chaos at the temple premises as a large number of devotees had gathered to offer prayers and perform rituals on the third Monday of the holy month of SawanAn electric wire reportedly fell triggering panic among the crowd Rumours then spread among the devotees causing panic Many devotees rushed in different directions in an attempt to escape A stampede ensued leaving several devotees trapped and crushed under one anotherThe incident led to chaos at the temple while locals and fellow devotees immediately began efforts to rescue those caught in the crowdSoon after receiving information about the incident police and administrative officials rushed to the spot Rescue operations were initiated and arrangements were made to transport the injured to nearby hospitals for treatmentAdministrative officials have reached the site and are overseeing rescue efforts and crowd management Authorities are also continuing to monitor the situationLakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said that an unprecedented surge of devotees intensified by the arrival of two trains around 630645 am led to a barricade collapse outside the templeThe incident occurred as thousands of devotees had gathered at the Ashok Dham Temple to mark the third Monday of the holy Shravan month and perform JalabhishekBihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief on Monday over the Ashok Dham temple stampede which claimed seven lives and offered condolences to the victims families He described it as extremely tragic and heartwrenchingCM Choudhary took to his social media X and said The incident at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai is extremely tragic and heartwrenchingThe news of the deaths of devotees in the accident has left my heart deeply distressed My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families he saidNecessary instructions have been issued to the administration for the proper and expeditious treatment of the injured May God grant peace to the departed souls and a swift recovery to the injured the Bihar CM saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pained-by-loss-of-lives-due-to-stampede-in-lakhisarai-my-thoughts-with-bereaved-families-says-pm-modi-697417.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/--697431.html नय दलल 17 अगसत भष उचचतम नययलय समवर क बगलर सथत हर कषण मदर क सवमतव स जड ममल म 16 मई 2025 क फसल क समकष क अनरध वल यचक पर सनवई क लए एक नय पठ गठत पर वचर करन क तयर ह गय शरष नययलय न अपन फसल म कह थ क बगलर सथत हर कषण मदर इसकन बगलर क ह उचचतम नययलय न करनटक उचच नययलय क उस फसल क चनत दन वल इसकन बगलर क यचक सवकर क थ जसम बगलर क परसदध मदर और शकषणक परसर क नयतरण क ममल म इसकन मबई क पकष म फसल दय गय थ बद म नवबर 2025 म नययमरत ज क महशवर ज अब सवनवतत ह चक ह और नययमरत ए ज मसह क पठ न 16 मई क फसल क समकष क अनरध वल इसकन मबई क यचक पर खडत फसल सनय समवर क इसकन मबई क वकल न भरत क परधन नययधश सजआई सरयकत नययमरत जयमलय बगच तथ नययमरत व महन क पठ स लब समय स चल रह इस ववद पर फसल करन क लए नय पठ गठत करन क अनरध कय वकल न बतय क समकष यचक क पहल नययमरत एम एम सदरश और नययमरत दपकर दतत क अधयकषत वल द अलगअलग पठ क समकष सचबदध कय गय थ इसक बद स समकष यचक सनवई क लए सचबदध नह हई ह परधन नययधश न कह हम इस पर वचर करग उललखनय ह क 16 मई 2025 क नययमरत अभय एस ओक ज अब सवनवतत ह चक ह और नययमरत ऑगसटन जरज मसह क पठ न करनटक उचच नययलय क फसल क रदद करत हए कह थ क यह सपतत इसकन बगलर क ह पठ न कह थ क नचल अदलत न भ पय थ क इसकन मबई न शडयल ए सपतत पर अपन कबज क सबध म कई सबत पश नह कय और उसक दव क समरथन म बलकल कई परमण नह थ बद म नययमरत महशवर और नययमरत मसह न 16 मई क फसल क समकष क अनरध वल इसकन मबई क यचक पर अलगअलग रय द नययमरत महशवर न मन क इसकन मबई न फसल क समकष क लए परयपत आधर परसतत कय ह उनहन अपन द वकय क आदश म कह क समकष यचकओ क खल अदलत म सनवई क लए सचबदध करन क अनमत द जत ह और सबधत पकष क नटस जर कय जए इसक अरथ थ क नययमरत महशवर क अनसर मबई शख क खल अदलत म अपन पकष रखन क अवसर दय जन चहए कयक फसल म सपषट तरट हन क सवल उठत ह वह नययमरत मसह न कह क समकष यचकओ फसल और उसस जड दसतवज क धयन स दखन क बद उनह फसल म ऐस कई सपषट तरट नह मल जसक आधर पर पनरवचर कय ज सक इसलए उनहन समकष यचकए खरज कर द दन नययधश क अलगअलग रय क करण पठ न नरदश दय क समकष यचकओ क परधन नययधश क समकष आवशयक नरदश क लए रख जए इसकन बगलर न द जन 2011 क करनटक उचच नययलय क 23 मई 2011 क फसल क खलफ उचचतम नययलय क रख कय थ ससथ क ओर स उसक पदधकर कदडरम दस न परव क थ उचच नययलय न बगलर क सथनय अदलत क 2009 क फसल क पलट दय थ नचल अदलत न इसकन बगलर क पकष म फसल दत हए उसक कनन सवमतव क मनयत द थ और इसकन मबई क खलफ सथय नषधजञ जर क थ हलक उचच नययलय न इस फसल क पलटत हए इसकन मबई क परतदव क सवकर कर लय थ और परभव रप स उस मदर क नयतरण द दय थ समन नम और आधयतमक उददशय वल दन ससथए इस लब कनन ववद म आमनसमन थ करनटक म पजकत इसकन बगलर क दव थ क वह सवततर रप स कम कर रह ह और कई दशक स बगलर क मदर क परबधन कर रह ह वह ससइटज पजकरण अधनयम 1860 और बबई सरवजनक नयस अधनयम 1950 क तहत पजकत इसकन मबई न सपतत पर अधकर क दव करत हए कह थ क इसकन बगलर वसतव म उसक एक शख मतर ह भषnbspnbsp https://dailyworld.in/national/--697431.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/destroyed-isi-backed-shahzad-bhatti-network-ahead-of-i-day-arrested-200-operatives-hm-amit-shah-697435.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday announced that the Indian security forces dismantled the ISIbacked Shahzad Bhatti Network SBN ahead of Independence Day by thwarting the terror groups plan of carrying out attacksnbspThe Home Minister mentioned that 200 operatives of the Shahzad Bhatti gang were arrested by the security forcesTaking to X HM Shah said Modi govt destroyed the ISIbacked terror group Shahzad Bhatti Network ahead of Independence Day and thwarted its plans for subversive attacks by arresting more than 200 operativesIndian security forces ripped apart the network by launching coordinated operations across different locations in 14 states upholding a brilliant example of Indias zerotolerance towards terrorism he saidThe Home Minister also mentioned that substantial recoveries were made from the ISIfunded group during the operations which included IEDs grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings pistols live cartridges and CCTV cameras used for espionageThe network was involved in several terrorist activities he addedThis comes against the backdrop of recent arrests made in the Shahzad Bhatti caseIn late July the West Bengal Special Task Force STF initially arrested two primary suspects in this specific Pakistanlinked terror and espionage module suspected JaisheMohammed operative Mohammad Hamim Mondal and his associategirlfriend Arpita SarkarAccording to officials the SBN targeted the family members of at least six current members of the West Bengal Cabinet through Arpita Sarkar The SBN handlers used to maintain regular contact with Arpita Sarkar through encrypted messages on different social media platformsThe STF has continued widening its net into connected surveillance and espionage networks across the region examining seized digital devices and international communication linksFurther details are awaitedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/destroyed-isi-backed-shahzad-bhatti-network-ahead-of-i-day-arrested-200-operatives-hm-amit-shah-697435.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-extends-interim-protection-to-abhishek-banerjee-in-mla-signature-mismatch-case-697436.html Kolkata Aug 17 IANS A singlejudge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday extended the interim protection from coercive police action including arrest for the Trinamool Congress general secretary and the partys Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee in the ongoing CID investigation into the legislators signature mismatch casenbspThe matter was heard at the singlejudge bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda At the end of the hearing Justice Chanda extended the current interim protection till November 30The state Criminal Investigation Department CID of the state police is investigating allegations of forged signatures of multiple party MLAs on an official document submitted to the Assembly SpeakerWhile arguing the matter on behalf of the police the states Additional Advocate General AAG Rajdeep Majumdar informed the court that forensic examination has revealed that the signatures of three MLAs were forgedMajumdar also informed the court that the document carried signatures of 70 legislators out of which the complaints were about forged signatures of five legislators Of the five legislators the signatures of three have been forged as revealed in the forensic report Majumdar informed the courtHe also informed the court that the signature forgery was done in the presence of Abhishek BanerjeeNo resolution was made on May 6 Yet it was written that the resolution was made on that day The MLAs were not even asked to sign the resolution on that day It was signed on May 19 in reality But the resolution written on the General Secretarys pad on May 6 was sent to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly In view of which five MLAs gave statements and stated that their signatures were forged The truth of that forgery has come to light in the forensic report the AAG arguedHowever even after his argument the court observed that preliminarily it was not feeling that Abhishek was involved in the signature forgeryIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-extends-interim-protection-to-abhishek-banerjee-in-mla-signature-mismatch-case-697436.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/education-minister-holds-nta-review-meet-orders-comprehensive-audit-of-exam-system-697439.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS After renewed issues surfaced over some examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency NTA Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held a highlevel review meeting on Monday over its functioning and directed it to conduct a comprehensive audit of all examination processesnbspThe agency is required to review every stage of the examination system identify any shortcomings and prepare a report on the measures taken to rectify them the Ministry of Education said in a statementThe Secretary of the Department of Higher Education Director General of the NTA and other senior officials were present in the meetingDuring the meeting the Education Minister directed that established examination rules be strictly adhered to Furthermore he ordered the implementation of complete overhauls on a war footing regarding the confidential operations architecture the use of separate rooms airgapped systems and protocols for the deposit of electronic devicesThe NTA has been ordered to conduct a thorough audit of all exam processes and submit a report on corrective action takenDuring the meeting the Education Minister was informed that over 50 staff have been removed from NTA ten new professional leadership positions Chief Technology Officer Chief Finance Officer CISO GM Test Security GM RampampD and Psychometrics and others have been advertised and are being onboarded and domain specialists are being brought in from the private sector for cybersecurity psychometrics questionpaper design and other specialised areasThis comes as the NTA on Sunday announced that it will reconduct the University Grants CommissionNational Eligibility Test UGCNET for English Sociology and Commerce after several errors were found in the question papers This added to the growing criticism over the testing agencys handling of competitive examsDuring Mondays review meeting emphasis was placed on strengthening security arrangements at various levels to safeguard question papers and other sensitive examination materialsThe risk of unauthorised access to sensitive exam content will be mitigated through the use of computer systems isolated from external networksMeanwhile the NTA has commenced recruitment for 10 new professional leadership roles including key positions like Chief Technology Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Information Security Officer and General Managers for Examination Security as well as for Research ampamp Development and Psychometric AssessmentThe process of appointing experts to these roles is underway Experts from the private sector are also being brought on board to technically and professionally strengthen the examination systemThe services of these experts will primarily be utilised in areas such as cybersecurity psychometric assessment question paper setting and other specialised technical domains This initiative aims to enhance expertise in processes related to question paper creation and exam security while also helping to address potential shortcomingsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/education-minister-holds-nta-review-meet-orders-comprehensive-audit-of-exam-system-697439.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nitin-nabins-bjp-team-a-blend-of-youth-women-and-experience-697444.html New Delhi Aug 17 IANS The Bharatiya Janata Partys new organisational team under national president Nitin Nabin reflects a deliberate blend of youth womens representation and political experience With crucial Assembly elections ahead including in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab the reshuffle signals an attempt to create a more energetic and representative leadership structure say analystsThe most striking feature is the emphasis on younger leaders Six officebearers are below 40 while 15 are between 40 and 49 Another 21 fall in the 5059 age groupThe lower average age indicates a conscious effort to strengthen the BJPs second generation of leadership says a BJP leader adding Younger officebearers can bring fresh ideas greater organisational energy and a closer connection with young voters At the same time their presence creates a stronger leadership pipeline for the future he addsWomens representation is another important highlight Women have secured 12 of the 65 organisational positions including six of the 13 national vicepresident posts The inclusion of prominent leaders such as Vasundhara Raje Smriti Irani and D Purandeswari strengthens the visibility of women within the partys senior decisionmaking structure Greater representation of women is also strategically significant because women voters have become an increasingly important electoral constituency say political observersAt the same time experienced leaders also remain central to the new structure Former Union minister Smriti Irani has returned to a prominent organisational role as a national general secretary while Ram Madhav has been appointed a national vicepresident Raje Piyush Goyal and BL Santosh will be guiding the party using their long political experience The combination of veterans and younger leaders gives the team institutional experience while allowing room for generational renewalThe BJP has also focused on regional and social diversity Phangnon Konyak and Biplab Deb bring greater representation from the Northeast while D Purandeswari and M Venkatesan strengthen the partys presence in southern India Around 40 per cent of the officebearers reportedly belong to marginalised communities while new leadership has been appointed for the OBC SC ST and Minority Morchas The inclusion of academics and professionals further broadens the leadership poolIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nitin-nabins-bjp-team-a-blend-of-youth-women-and-experience-697444.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-to-hear-tomorrow-tamil-nadu-plea-seeking-26954-tmcft-cauvery-water-from-karnataka-697372.html New Delhi Aug 16 The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday Tamil Naduâs plea seeking directions to Karnataka to release 26954 tmcft of Cauvery water amid a continuing dispute between the two neighbouring states over sharing of the river water As per the causelist published by the apex court a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta is scheduled to take up the matter for hearing on August 17The Tamil Nadu government had approached the apex court seeking directions to Karnataka to release 26954 tmcft of Cauvery water alleging that the neighbouring state had failed to comply with directions issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee CWRC and the Cauvery Water Management Authority CWMAThe plea followed a decision of the CWRC at its 139th meeting held on July 28 when it reviewed the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin and directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3500 cusecs at Biligundlu for 15 days from July 29 to August 12The committee had also instructed Karnataka to regulate releases from the Krishnaraja Sagar KRS and Kabini reservoirs to maintain the stipulated flowThe CWMA during its 54th emergency meeting held on July 30 examined the basin conditions and endorsed the CWRCs recommendationHowever Tamil Nadu alleged that the quantity of water received at Biligundlu after the order was far below its rightful share According to the state government as of August 3 Karnatakas four major Cauvery basin reservoirs together held 77537 tmcft of waterThe KRS reservoir had storage of 23078 tmcft Kabini 18610 tmcft Harangi 7827 tmcft and Hemavathi 28022 tmcft with the total utilisable storage stated to be 67517 tmcftTamil Nadu argued that with such storage levels Karnataka would have no difficulty in releasing its proportionate share of water It also pointed out that heavy rainfall had been recorded in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs resulting in a significant improvement in inflows The state government maintained that based on the prevailing hydrological conditions and the prescribed sharing formula Tamil Nadu should receive 26954 tmcft of water at BiligundluBy contrast the release directed by the CWMA 3500 cusecs for 15 days would amount to only about 4536 tmcft which Tamil Nadu described as grossly inadequateThe matter had earlier been deferred to August 17 after Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant informed the parties that Justice Vikram Nath who was scheduled to hear the matter on August 13 had fallen illSenior advocate P Wilson had also mentioned an application filed by farmers in connection with the Cauvery water dispute The CJI agreed to tag the farmers application along with the state governments petitionKarnatakas Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Saturday accused the state government of secretly releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu despite its public claim that not even a drop would be released to the neighbouring stateAshoka alleged that the government was releasing water from the KRS reservoir at night while farmers in Karnataka were facing shortages and people were struggling even for drinking waterTargeting Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Water Resources Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy Ashoka questioned the governmentâs twofaced approach to the Cauvery water issue accusing it of betraying the interests of Kannadigas He warned that the BJP would intensify its protest across Karnataka if the government failed to stop the release of water IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-to-hear-tomorrow-tamil-nadu-plea-seeking-26954-tmcft-cauvery-water-from-karnataka-697372.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/commercial-flight-operations-set-to-commence-from-andhras-bhogapuram-airport-697374.html Visakhapatnam Aug 16 Commercial flight operations are set to commence from the newly developed Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradeshs Vizianagaram district from Sunday midnight The Ministry of Civil Aviation has already announced that all commercial operations at the Civil Enclave at Visakhapatnam Airport INS Dega will be closed with the commissioning of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport Bhogapuram with effect from 1201 am on August 17All airlines are shifting their services from Visakhapatnam Airport to Bhogapuram Airport from midnightOn the first day 31 services are set to be operated to destinations like Hyderabad Delhi Mumbai Chennai Bengaluru Kolkata and TirupatiThe notification issued by the ministry says that the commercial operations at the Civil Enclave at Visakhapatnam Airport INS Dega will cease except for airport activity at time of national emergency or by aircraft owned or operated by or for the Indian Air Force or other Armed Forces of India or police or any such other authorities or for transportation of dignitaries by special government owned leased or hired VIP aircraftThe International Air Transport Code VTZ for the existing Visakhapatnam Airport will be transferred to Bhogapuram International Greenfield Airport from 1201 am on August 17Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new airport on August 1Built at a cost of nearly Rs 4727 crore Bhogapuram is among the fastestcompleted Greenfield international airports in India completed within 31 months nearly five months ahead of scheduleThe airport has already secured the DGCA aerodrome licence along with all required safety fire and environmental clearancesIt has been designed to handle 6 million passengers annually in the first phase with a master plan to expand capacity to 40 million passengers annually in the futureThe project is expected to play a pivotal role in boosting economic growth tourism industrial investment exports logistics and the aerospace and defence sectors across the erstwhile Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districtsThe integrated project spans 270326 acres including 220332 acres for the airport 500 acres for the aviation hub and 13663 acres for Aviation UniversityEduCity The project includes comprehensive airside infrastructure commercial development residential zones and approach roadsThe airportâs 3800metre CodeE runway is capable of handling widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 The airport is also equipped with advanced airfield lighting navigation aids and CNSATM infrastructure to support both domestic and international operations IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/commercial-flight-operations-set-to-commence-from-andhras-bhogapuram-airport-697374.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/people-wont-forget-the-sin-you-have-committed-hm-shah-hits-out-at-congress-over-vande-mataram-row-697381.html Chittorgarh Aug 16 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday came down heavily on Congress and demanded an apology for disrespecting the national song Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations at the party headquartersnbspHe stated the country would not forgive the Congress party for committing the sin of stopping the national song midwayAddressing a gathering in Rajasthans Chittorgarh HM Shah mentioned the Independence Day celebrations of the Congress party at their headquarters where the senior party leaders were seen interacting even as Vande Mataram was being played and criticised the party for disrespecting the national songThe BJP has claimed that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was objecting to the full version of Vande Mataram being played and stated that Gandhi had gestured to stop the national songThe Home Minister said that after 80 years of Independence the full version of Vande Mataram was played across all the events on August 15Slamming the Congress Amit Shah said Congress forgot Vande Mataram Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyays immortal creation those two words of the song Vande Mataram meaning I bow to thee Mother India while chanting these words thousands and lakhs of freedom fighters went to the gallows faced bullets and lathis and spent years in prison However for its vote bank politics Congress forgot the Vande MataramLook at their Congress shamefulness While Vande Mataram was being played at Congress headquarters their leader Sonia ji asked the Congress President to stop the song We all saw it on TV After 80 years when Bankim Babus immortal song is being accorded respect Sonia ji is not finding it to her liking Sonia ji 140 crore people are watching you The people of this country will never forgive this sin you have committed he saidThe Home Minister said that Congress should be ashamed for this actHow could anyone even think of leaving the singing of Vande Mataram incomplete If there is even a shred of shame left one should fold ones hands and apologise to the immortal soul of Bankim Babu and to the people he addedHe made these remarks during the inauguration and foundationlaying ceremony of various development projects in Rajasthans Chittorgarh districtChief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma welcomed him by presenting a traditional turban safa at the event The Home Minister also unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his death anniversaryIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/people-wont-forget-the-sin-you-have-committed-hm-shah-hits-out-at-congress-over-vande-mataram-row-697381.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cec-gyanesh-kumar-begins-2-day-bihar-visit-credits-sir-for-record-turnout-in-2025-polls-697382.html Patna Aug 16 IANS Chief Election Commissioner CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday credited the special intensive revision SIR of electoral rolls for a significant rise in voter turnout in Bihar electionsnbspAddressing media persons on arrival in Patna on a twoday visit to Bihar CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the turnout in Bihar elections was even higher than that in the US the UK France Spain and JapanMy greetings to all the voters of Bihar I have come to pay obeisance to the sacred land of Bihar The most successful initiative across the country for the purification and updating of the electoral roll started from Bihar itself he addedAnd the voting percentage in the peaceful Bihar Legislative Assembly elections held in 2025 was not only the highest in Bihar from Independence but was also higher than the voting percentage in the general elections of America England France Spain and Japan he saidWith 745 crore eligible electors Bihar clocked a historic highest ever voter turnout of 6691 per cent in the Legislative Assembly election last yearOn arrival at the Patna airport on Sunday the CEC was welcomed by Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal and other officialsDuring his twoday visit to the state the CEC is going to visit Sitamarhi Madhubani and Vaishali He will be accompanied by state election officials during these visitsOn Sunday CEC Gyanesh Kumar interacted with the state election officialsThe SIR of electoral rolls which began in phases from Bihar in 2025 involved doortodoor enumeration by Booth Level Officers using prefilled forms It aimed to clean up electoral rolls by removing deceased shifted duplicate or ineligible entries while protecting the rights of genuine votersDuring the SIR in Bihar the poll body introduced the mandatory provisions for new applicants seeking inclusion in electoral rolls to provide details of their parents status from the previous SIR is a new exerciseThis requirement applied not only to existing voters missed in earlier SIR exercises but also to fresh applicants filling Form6It was aimed at streamlining verification mapping family linkages and reducing the need for extensive documentation by linking new voters to legacy electoral dataIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cec-gyanesh-kumar-begins-2-day-bihar-visit-credits-sir-for-record-turnout-in-2025-polls-697382.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/punjab-governor-flags-off-lake-to-lake-ultra-2026--697385.html DW Bureau Chandigarh August 16 2026 Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday flagged off the GB Legends Lake to Lake Ultra2026 from New Lake Sector 42 Organised around the Independence Day celebrations the event promoted the message of a Fit Healthy and United IndiaMore than 500 runners from across India participated in the 30 km 50 km and 75 km races covering the scenic Shivalik foothills before finishing at Tikkar Taal in MorniJatinder Bajwa Vice President GB Realty said the strong participation reflected the spirit of national pride and the role of sport in promoting fitness Amit Sood CEO GB Legends said the event encouraged runners to push their limits while promoting discipline resilience and active lifestylesIn the 75 km Open Mens category Prateek Verma won with a timing of 64035 Anirban Sengupta topped the 50 km Open Mens category in 45533 while Vaishnavi Kaup won the 50 km Open Womens category in 63656Sandeep Madaan won the 30 km Open Mens category in 24211 while Shivangi Sarda topped the 30 km Open Womens category in 30955The organisers said the event highlighted the potential of Chandigarh and the MorniShivalik region for sports adventure and ecotourism and expressed confidence that the ultra would develop into a prominent annual endurance event https://dailyworld.in/national/punjab-governor-flags-off-lake-to-lake-ultra-2026--697385.html Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/prez-murmu-pm-modi-extend-navroz-greetings-hail-parsi-communitys-contributions-697234.html New Delhi Aug 15 President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings to the countrymen on the occasion of Parsi New Year while hailing the Parsi communitys contributions across sectors and wishing good health and prosperity for everyone Taking to X President Murmu said On the auspicious occasion of Parsi New Year Navroz I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens living in India and abroad especially Parsi brothers and sistersNavroz symbolises new beginnings and renewed hope This festival of joy and harmony reminds us of the values of coexistence and service to humanity The Parsi community has made significant contributions to Indias development through its spirit of enterprise and philanthropy she saidI am confident that this sacred festival will inspire all citizens to work together towards building an inclusive and developed India May this festival bring happiness peace and prosperity to all the President addedPrime Minister Modi also took to social media to extend greetings on the occasionGreetings on the start of the Parsi New Year The Parsi communitys remarkable contribution across sectors has enriched our nation in countless ways May the year ahead be filled with peace joy prosperity and good health for everyone Navroz Mubarak PM Modi said in a post on XParsi New Year also known as Navroz or Nowruz signifies the arrival of spring and the rejuvenation of natureThe term itself is derived from Persian where Nav means new and Roz means day together signifying a new day While traditionally linked to the March equinox Parsis in India follow the Shahenshahi calendar which places the celebration in July or AugustThe origins of Navroz trace back to the time of Prophet Zarathustra the founder of Zoroastrianism one of the earliest known monotheistic religionsRooted in Persia now modernday Iran Zoroastrianism was a major faith of the ancient world before the rise of Islam in the seventh centuryToday the festival continues to be celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm by Parsis across India embodying the values of renewal unity and cultural heritage while reminding the nation of the communitys remarkable legacy and contributions IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/prez-murmu-pm-modi-extend-navroz-greetings-hail-parsi-communitys-contributions-697234.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/many-people-forces-working-against-indias-goal-of-becoming-vishwaguru-mohan-bhagwat-697237.html Nagpur Aug 15 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asserted that many people and internalexternal forces are actively working against Indias goal of becoming a global leader and are creating hurdles He urged citizens to confront these challenges headon and gave a call to strengthen Indias independence by making the nation happy prosperous and secureAddressing a gathering at the Sangh headquarters in Nagpur after hoisting the Tricolour on the occasion of the countrys 80th Independence Day Bhagwat said that India has attained independence and will remain independent but the ongoing task is to make the nation happy prosperous and secure He noted that India must work towards becoming a global teacher Vishwaguru that contributes meaningfully to humanity without deviating from its core principlesHe highlighted the freedom struggle since 1857 and paid homage to ancestors who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the nation He reminded citizens that preserving freedom requires continuous dedication He invoked Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar to remind citizens that it is their fundamental duty to preserve this hardwon freedom and integrate its progressive values into societyHe explained that saffron colour in the National Flag represents action knowledge dutifulness and the necessity of sacrifice to keep the nation secure and prosperous white denotes purity of mind peace and living a life driven by duty and sacrifice and green the nations overall prosperityHe remarked that while individuals naturally hold different viewpoints and thoughts this diversity is the true expression of national unity He urged all citizens to confront modern challenges directly without compromising on foundational principles ensuring India serves as a guiding light to the world IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/many-people-forces-working-against-indias-goal-of-becoming-vishwaguru-mohan-bhagwat-697237.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/vijay-vows-to-defend-tns-rights-ensure-corruption-free-governance-697238.html Chennai Aug 15 Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday pledged to firmly protect Tamil Nadus interests and constitutional rights while building a transparent peoplefriendly and corruptionfree administration Delivering his maiden Independence Day address from the ramparts of Fort St George after hoisting the national flag Vijay said his government would cooperate with the Union government on administrative matters that benefited the people of Tamil Nadu However it would strongly oppose any action that undermined the Stateâs interests or infringed upon its rightsPaying homage to the freedom fighters and national heroes who sacrificed their lives for Indiaâs independence Vijay said the true spirit of freedom could be realised only when people united against oppression and overcame divisions based on caste religion language and raceThe Chief Minister said transparency truthfulness and honesty would remain the guiding principles of his administration The government had initiated measures to prevent public revenue from being diverted into private hands and to eliminate bribery and corruption at every levelHighlighting his governmentâs welfare initiatives Vijay said the Amma Unavagam network and the breakfast scheme were being strengthened and expanded to benefit more peopleHe said funds had also been allocated for croploan waivers and the kuruvai cultivation package to support farmersVijay announced that 717 TASMAC liquor outlets had been closed and that steps were underway to computerise the corporationâs administration The move was intended to improve transparency and ensure better monitoring of its operationsThe Chief Minister said the lawandorder situation was being closely monitored Government officials had been directed to treat citizens approaching public offices with dignity and courtesy People should not be forced to run from pillar to post to obtain services or resolve grievances he saidReiterating his governmentâs development vision Vijay said sustained efforts would be made to transform Tamil Nadu into a model State and raise its standards to those of developed countriesEarlier the Chief Minister left his Neelankarai residence around 8 am and arrived at Fort St George for the official ceremony He received the ceremonial guard of honour and inspected the police parade from an open jeepCM Vijay hoisted the tricolour at around 845 am marking his first Independence Day flaghoisting ceremony after assuming office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/vijay-vows-to-defend-tns-rights-ensure-corruption-free-governance-697238.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-satheesan-takes-salute-as-kerala-turns-a-new-page-697239.html Thiruvananthapuram Aug 15 Kerala entered a new political chapter on Saturday as Chief Minister VD Satheesan took the Independence Day salute at the Central Stadium here becoming the first Chief Minister in a decade other than Pinarayi Vijayan to preside over the states main August 15 celebrations Satheesan who assumed office after the Congressled UDFs victory in the April Assembly elections ended Vijayans long tenure hoisted the Tricolour to the strains of the National Anthem and reviewed the ceremonial paradeThe ceremony however had a striking omission Vande Mataram was not sung at the statelevel function The song was also absent from governmentorganised Independence Day programmes and school functions across the stateThe contrast was particularly pronounced barely a stoneâs throw away from the Central Stadium At the BJPruled Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Vande Mataram was sung as part of the Independence Day celebrations highlighting the different political tones of the two ceremonies unfolding almost simultaneously in the state capitalA similar contrast emerged in Kozhikode While Congressled UDF councillors participated in the singing of the National Anthem BJP members sang Vande Mataram providing another unusual Independence Day tableau in a state where the political contest between the two fronts and the BJP has increasingly sharpenedAt the Central Stadium Satheesanâs first Independence Day address as Chief Minister was more than a ceremonial speech It was an assertion of the political and constitutional values that the new government says will guide KeralaBeginning with a tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent disaster Satheesan announced that his government would implement a scientific system to address and prevent floods promising that the government would support the victims familiesCalling for Kerala to move forward by abandoning caste religious and gender discrimination political blindness and hatred Satheesan said welfare measures were not charity but a right in a democratic systemHe invoked Jawaharlal Nehruâs famous Independence Day message of 1947 particularly the pledge that the countryâs work could not end as long as people continued to suffer Satheesan linked that message to Keralaâs continuing challenges unemployment poverty disease the agrarian crisis the problems confronting workers and coastal communities and the difficulties faced by marginalised sectionsIn an apparent reference to the recent controversy involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Satheesan warned against the return of caste prejudice and untouchability saying even a senior national leader who had held constitutional positions had been humiliated on caste groundsHe also placed considerable emphasis on the younger generation saying Keralaâs youth were politically aware capable of recognising what was happening around them and strong enough to become a corrective force for the countryAcross the remaining 13 district headquarters Satheesanâs Cabinet colleagues took the salute at Independence Day parades marking the first statewide celebrations under the new UDF government IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-satheesan-takes-salute-as-kerala-turns-a-new-page-697239.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/no-one-can-stop-resolve-of-140-crore-indians-top-quotes-from-pm-modis-i-day-address-697242.html New Delhi Aug 15 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid out his vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat calling for renewed momentum towards the goal of making India a Viksit Bharatâ by 2047 Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day PM Modi spoke about Indias economic growth womenâs representation selfreliance national security and the need to maintain the countrys development momentumAs âVande Mataramâ echoed from the Red Fort calling it a historic moment PM Modi said âIt is a historic day After Independence this is the first time when Vande Mataram has echoed from the ramparts of Red Fort Today the chant of Vande Mataram resonates in every heart Today the Tricolour flies in every home and dwells in every mindâPM Modi pitched the Viksit Bharat vision for 2047 Highlighting Indias development journey he said the country was now progressing at an unprecedented paceâAfter Independence India had big dreams but progress often fell short of the pace we aspired to achieve Today India is moving ahead with unprecedented speed and confidence And now no force can stop the resolve of 140 crore Indiansâ he saidâIndia has dreamed a big dream to touch new heights The dream is that when we complete 100 years of Independence we will make Viksit Bharat in 2047 with the contribution efforts and participation of 140 crore people of our nation It changes the way the world sees us when we dream bigâ he addedIndia is no longer among the âFragile Fiveâ said the Prime MinisterâWe were once counted among the Fragile Five However India has within just 12 years emerged as the worlds fastestgrowing major economyâ he saidâEveryone over the past 12 years with determination and dedication has made every possible effort to take the country to new heightsâ PM Modi addedHe stated that âAtmanirbhar Bharatâ is crucial for Indias futureâBecoming an Atmanirbhar Bharat is crucial That is why over the past few years our conviction has been that India should no longer live in dependence on other nations we must become selfreliantâ he saidâWe must enhance our own capacities and safeguard our interests ourselvesâ the Prime Minister addedâWe cannot afford to pause nowâ said PM ModiâOnefourth of the century has already elapsed and the upcoming onefourth is exceptionally crucial for us We cannot afford to pause now Our momentum must not slow down Our trajectory is already set and we are determined to achieve our objectiveâ he saidHe mentioned that India is emerging as a respected global powerâToday India is emerging in the eyes of the world as a widely accepted and respected nation India possesses a stable political mandate a stable government a vibrant democracy a robust judiciary and guiding all of us is the Constitution of Indiaâ PM Modi saidâThe world has now truly begun to recognise these intrinsic strengths of oursâ he addedPM Modi invoked âSapta Dharaâ for Viksit Bharat drawing on Indias historical reference to the âSapta SindhuââToday I would also like to recall that era when the nation when we knew understood and heard of Indias prowess in the form of the Sapta Sindhu Seven Rivers Now to build a Viksit Bharat we need a new current Today from the ramparts of the Red Fort I invoke the Sapta Dhara of strength before the nationâ he saidThe Prime Minister urged parties to ensure womens representation in politicsâToday from the ramparts of the Red Fort standing under the shadow of the Tricolour I earnestly appeal to and urge all political parties of our nation Come forward and celebrate the strength and capability of our women Step forward in honour of our women and as swiftly as possible ensure our mothers and sisters receive their due representation in the State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha so that they can actively contribute to shaping Indias policiesâ he addedHe warned against âdimagi Naxalsâ and said âWe have succeeded in getting rid of armed Naxals in the jungles but dimagi Naxals those with Naxal mindset are looking for opportunities to create violence unrest They want to drag society on the wrong path These dimagi Naxals have to be identified and isolated and we must connect the youth with the mainstreamâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/no-one-can-stop-resolve-of-140-crore-indians-top-quotes-from-pm-modis-i-day-address-697242.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modis-vision-provides-strong-confidence-to-indian-industry-biz-community-assocham-697246.html New Delhi Aug 15 Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs Independence Day vision provides strong confidence to Indian industry and the wider business community leading industry chamber Assocham said on Saturday The emphasis on selfreliance âVocal for Localâ domestic manufacturing and strategic capabilities is highly significant for strengthening Indiaâs economic resilience said Assocham President Nirmal Kumar MindaMinda appreciated the Prime Ministerâs clear and ambitious vision of transforming India into a developed economy by 2047 saying that the sevenstream âSapta Dharaâ framework provides a broadbased approach to inclusive sustainable and accelerated developmentâAssocham welcomes the focus on critical minerals semiconductors and reducing import dependence The announcement of a 200 GW nuclear energy target and five new nuclear reactors marks an important step towards ensuring longterm energy security A reliable and affordable energy ecosystem will be crucial for Indiaâs industrial expansion and competitivenessâ said Minda in a statementMoreover the focus on free online coaching and AI skilling for one crore young Indians is particularly welcome he saidMinda noted that Indiaâs greatest strength is its young population and equipping youth with emergingtechnology skills can significantly enhance productivity employability and innovationThe Prime Ministerâs call for 50 Indian companies to enter the Fortune Global 500 and an Indian bank to enter the worldâs top five reflects a welcome shift towards creating globally competitive Indian enterprises âThis will require deeper innovation scale capital access and ease of doing businessâ said MindaThe industry chamber also welcomed the emphasis on free trade agreements FTAs global trade deepsea exploration and expanding Indiaâs presence in strategic sectors Greater market access and stronger global valuechain integration can create new opportunities for Indian industry MSMEs and exporters it addedMinda particularly appreciated the Prime Ministerâs call for modernising outdated laws accelerating economic growth and transforming work culture through greater efficiency responsibility and commitment These reforms can provide the foundation for a more competitive innovative and investmentfriendly India IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modis-vision-provides-strong-confidence-to-indian-industry-biz-community-assocham-697246.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/80th-i-day-gajendra-shekhawat-hails-indias-journey-697247.html New Delhi Aug 15 Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday said it was a matter of immense joy that the nation was celebrating the 80th Independence Day achieved through the sacrifices of lakhs of people He added that the occasion had become even more significant as the country was also commemorating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataramâ Speaking to IANS Shekhawat said âIt is a matter of immense joy that as our nation celebrates the 80th anniversary of Independence earned through the sacrifices of lakhs of people this day becomes even more special as we also celebrate the 150th anniversary of âVande Mataramâ We have now entered the fifth year of Amrit KaalâThe Union Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had consistently emphasised the empowerment of different sections of society as India moved towards becoming a developed nationâThe Prime Minister has always said that we will work on âSapta Dharaâ The youth power of the country the farmers women and the poor have always been among PM Modiâs priorities Once again as the country moves forward on the path of becoming developed under his guidance the Prime Minister has made new announcements to empower them furtherâ he saidShekhawat also highlighted the need for greater participation of women in lawmaking and called for a focus on womenled developmentâHe has also called for greater participation of women in lawmaking We should work in the direction of womenled development He has called upon all political parties to come together in this effortâ he told IANSShekhawat also questioned the absence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi from the Independence Day celebrations at the Red FortâI think coming on Independence Day is about what they feel and how proud they are of the country Now that the country has completed 80 years how much faith and belief do you have in democratic values and institutions I dont know why they did not comeâ he saidKharge and Rahul Gandhi remained absent from the 80th Independence Day for the second consecutive year as they had skipped the ceremony last year owing to a controversy over seating protocol of the Leader of OppositionDespite being the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and holding Cabinet ministerial status Gandhi was seated in the secondlast row contrary to the usual protocolUnder established protocol the Leader of Opposition is generally seated in the front row during important ceremonial functionsThe Opposition had strongly objected to the seating arrangement at the time stating that it was disrespectful to the Congress leader and contrary to established protocol IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/80th-i-day-gajendra-shekhawat-hails-indias-journey-697247.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/minister-zameer-seeks-exemption-from-hoisting-tricolour-on-i-day-bjp-seeks-dismissal-from-ktaka-cabinet-696965.html Bengaluru Aug 14  Karnataka Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has sought exemption from hoisting the national flag at the Independence Day celebrations in Vijayanagara district on August 15 citing his inability to attend the programme triggering criticism from the Opposition BJP on Friday The BJP has urged the Chief Minister to dismiss him from the cabinet for ignoring a sacred duty such as hoisting the Tricolour Zameer in a letter to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he had been assigned the responsibility of hoisting the national flag in Vijayanagara district in North Karnataka on the occasion of Independence Day However he said the upcoming Bengaluru civic polls other local body elections Assembly bypolls and party organisational responsibilities had left him with limited timeHe also requested the Chief Minister not to assign him the responsibility of District Incharge Minister for Vijayanagara or any other districtIn the state in the coming days including Bengaluru civic polls various local body elections bypolls of Assembly segments and also in view of organisation of the party there is shortage of time to take on the responsibility of district incharge minister of Vijayanagara district Zameer said in the letterHe further said that he had been assigned the responsibility of hoisting the national flag on August 15 but was unable to attend the programme and therefore sought exemption from the dutyZameer also referred to the drought situation in Vijayanagara district stating that he had already submitted the report assigned to him in this regardThe request comes just two days after portfolios were allocated to ministers in the Karnataka government following the recent Cabinet expansionReacting sharply to the development senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R Ashoka accused the Congress government of putting party politics ahead of national interestsCongress shamelessly puts party politics above the nation Ashoka said in a statement on FridayHe alleged that Zameers decision to seek exemption from hoisting the Tricolour showed total disrespect for the country and criticised the minister for citing electionrelated and party organisational responsibilities as the reason for being unable to attend the Independence Day programmeAshoka said hoisting the national flag on Independence Day was a sacred duty and accused Zameer and the Congress government of giving greater importance to electoral calculations and party activitiesHe also demanded that CM Shivakumar dismiss Zameer from the Cabinet alleging that the ministers decision had brought shame upon the state and disrespected the national flagThe BJP leader further targeted the Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi and demanded an apology over the issueThe controversy comes as Karnataka gears up for Independence Day celebrations across the state on August 15 IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/minister-zameer-seeks-exemption-from-hoisting-tricolour-on-i-day-bjp-seeks-dismissal-from-ktaka-cabinet-696965.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/messi-and-the-massive-mess-that-the-left-has-left-behind-696971.html Thiruvananthapuram Aug 14 For Keralaâs footballmad fans Lionel Messi was supposed to be more than a footballer He was almost a demigod who would descend on the State pull on the Argentina shirt and turn Kerala into a little slice of Buenos Aires For the then Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2025 the Messi dream also appeared to carry a useful political dividend particularly with the local body elections approaching in December and later the Assembly pollsWhat began as an attempt to woo Keralaâs soccer faithful has now turned into an administrative and political mess with the new VD Satheesan government examining how government machinery was allegedly deployed in pursuit of a private companyâs a media organisation interestsThe Left government had first raised the expectations of millions by holding out the prospect of an ArgentinaMessi spectacle in KeralaWhen the muchhyped event failed to materialise the government and then Sports Minister V Abdurahiman did not exactly blow the final whistleInstead came a new narrative Messi and Argentina would definitely come and the event was only a matter of timeKerala waited Fans waited Messi however remained firmly elsewhereThe governmentâs assurances kept the football fever alive even as the promised spectacle repeatedly failed to take shapeWhat was projected as a grand sporting extravaganza gradually began looking like a match in which the spectators had bought tickets but nobody could say where the stadium wasNow the political bill appears to have landed on the tableThe Satheesan government has already flagged serious lapses on the basis of a preliminary report prepared by the Sports SecretaryThe report has raised questions over the manner in which the deal was pursued including the alleged selection of a private sponsor without a tender and the decision to proceed without the required scrutiny of the Finance and Law DepartmentsThe Satheesan government is also examining whether rules were bypassed and whether official authority was used in a manner that could have benefited a private companyThe role of Abdurahiman who was Sports Minister when the Argentina project was pursued is also expected to come under scrutiny and perhaps even Vijayan himselfFor a government that hoped Messi could deliver a political goal before the local body polls the scoreline now looks rather differentThe Messi moment never cameThe votes did not produce the expected miracle either which has left Vijayan and the Left limping badlyAnd Messi the man who was supposed to bring football glory to Kerala has ironically left behind something far less glamorous a messy administrative mess IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/messi-and-the-massive-mess-that-the-left-has-left-behind-696971.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pawan-kalyan-calls-for-strengthening-commitment-to-unity-harmony-696974.html Amaravati Aug 14 On Partition Horrors Remembrance Day Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said that memories of those who suffered should strengthen the commitment to unity and harmony âOn Partition Horrors Remembrance Day we pause to remember the millions whose lives were profoundly changed by the Partition of 1947 Homes were left behind families were separated communities were displaced and countless lives were marked by pain and uncertainty Yet through those darkest moments people displayed extraordinary courage resilience and humanityâ the Jana Sena leader said in a post on âXââRemembering this chapter of our history is not about carrying its divisions forward It is about carrying its lessons forward Let the memories of those who suffered strengthen our commitment to unity harmony peace and the shared spirit of Bharat We remember the past with respect We honour those who endured it And we build tomorrow togetherâ he saidUnion minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy stated Indiaâs strengthen remains in unity peace and brotherhoodâMillions uprooted Families separated Countless lives lost in the tragedy of Partition Today on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day we pause to honour the untold sacrifices silent tears and extraordinary resilience of those who lived through the horrors of Partition Their memory remains a solemn reminder that the strength of India lies in our unbreakable unity peace and brotherhoodâ the Central minister saidâRemembering the countless lives lost families displaced and millions who endured unimaginable suffering during the Partition of our country We pay solemn tribute to the victims and honour the courage and resilience of those who despite immense loss and hardship rebuilt their lives and moved forward with strengthâ said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay KumarOn Partition Horrors Remembrance Day Telangana BJP President Ramchander Rao paid tributes to all those who lost their lives and to every family that endured unimaginable pain displacement and sufferingâWhile leaving our country British wanted to weaken us hence divided it They achieved what they wanted The Muslim League wanted a separate country They achieved what they wanted The Congress wanted power They achieved what they wanted The only one that truly lost was our Motherland torn apart with millions displaced and countless lives lost in the horrors of Partitionâ the BJP leader said IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pawan-kalyan-calls-for-strengthening-commitment-to-unity-harmony-696974.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cji-surya-kant-calls-bcis-intervention-unnecessary-backs-students-right-to-protest-in-nalsar-row-696979.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant on Friday termed the Bar Council of Indias BCI intervention in the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University of Law NALSAR controversy as completely unnecessary and reaffirmed that students have a fundamental right to protest even if their views may be mistakennbspThe issue arose during a hearing before the Supreme Court concerning letters issued by the BCI to NALSAR University of Law following a student protest over the invitation extended to CJI Kant as the chief guest at the universitys convocationSenior Advocate K Parameshwar appearing in the matter submitted that the BCI had no business interfering in the affairs of a universityResponding to the submission CJI Kant observed that the matter was essentially between the students and the Court and did not warrant intervention by the statutory bodyThis is a dialogue between the students and me Who are they to raise this issue It is completely unnecessary the CJI remarkedJustice Kant said he had actively participated in student activities and stressed that young people must be allowed space to express dissent Even if students are wrong they have a right to protest The BCI has no role in this matter he saidThe Supreme Court issued notice in the case and by way of an interim order directed that no punitive action be taken against any student or faculty member of NALSAR or any other National Law University in connection with the controversyDuring the hearing the BCI accepted notice and informed the Court that the impugned circular had already been withdrawn The apex court nevertheless granted the regulatory body two weeks to file its responseClarifying its interim protection the top court directed that no adverse action be taken against NALSAR students over the incidents referred to in the letters under challengeEmphasising the importance of democratic engagement CJI Kant observed Just because a person makes an incorrect statement in their youth does not mean they lose the right to protestIn a conciliatory gesture the Chief Justice encouraged the students to enrol with and join the Supreme Court Bar adding that they would also be included in panels for legal aid programmes and coursesThe controversy stems from a letter written by a group of NALSAR students protesting the invitation extended to CJI Kant for the convocation ceremony The students cited what they described as his alleged inaction over claims of police excesses during recent protests at Delhis Jantar MantarIn their letter the students said they were uncomfortable receiving degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct appeared dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizensIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cji-surya-kant-calls-bcis-intervention-unnecessary-backs-students-right-to-protest-in-nalsar-row-696979.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/read-constitution-dont-just-carry-it-arjun-ram-meghwal-to-oppn-over-delimitation-concerns-696983.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal has taken a sharp swipe at the Opposition over its apprehensions over delimitation saying that Opposition leaders should read what is written in the Constitution instead of merely carrying copies of itnbspSpeaking to IANS in an interview Meghwal was asked about the debate over delimitation and the Oppositions repeated warnings that the ruling party should exercise caution while dealing with the issueResponding to that the Union minister said that the constitutional position on delimitation was already clear and that the Opposition should be awareThe Opposition knows that 2026 is written in the Constitution and that delimitation will have to be done It is written in the Constitution Meghwal saidHe then targeted Opposition leaders over their frequent display of copies of the Constitution accusing them of not reading its provisions carefullyThey carry the book of the Constitution but what is written in the Constitution They do not read it he saidMeghwals remarks were aimed at countering the Oppositions criticism and apprehensions over the delimitation exercise He sought to underline that the issue was rooted in constitutional provisions and should not be projected merely as a political move by the governmentThe Centre has already brought the Delimitation Bill 2026 along with a related Constitution Amendment Bill The package was discussed in the Lok Sabha on April 1617 for more than 21 hours with 131 MPs participating but the Constitution Amendment Bill was not passed by the HouseMeanwhile Meghwal also rejected the Oppositions allegation that its members were not being given the freedom to speak in ParliamentOn one hand they say we do not have the freedom to speak and on the other hand they speak disrespectfully If the Opposition is saying that they do not have freedom how can they speak he saidHe added On one hand they say that they are not even allowed to protest So how are they protesting disrespectfully This means that they are lying Meghwal further alleged that Opposition members themselves wanted to use disrespectful language adding that because of this the new MPs are also not happyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/read-constitution-dont-just-carry-it-arjun-ram-meghwal-to-oppn-over-delimitation-concerns-696983.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-quashes-criminal-defamation-case-against-rahul-gandhi-over-savarkar-remarks-696985.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the criminal defamation proceedings initiated against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Hindutva ideologue VD SavarkarnbspThe apex court held that the prosecution could not proceed as the Uttar Pradesh government had not given the requisite sanction to go aheadA Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu allowed his plea after noting that the criminal case lacked the particular sanction required under the law to prosecute Gandhi in the caseA Bench of the top court granted relief to the Congress leader after being informed that the mandatory approval from the Uttar Pradesh government for prosecution in the case had not been obtainedConsequently the Court set aside the summons issued to Gandhi by a lower courtThe case stems from remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during the Congress partys Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra in 2022 During one of his public addresses Gandhi described Savarkar as a servant of the British and alleged that the freedom fighter used to receive a pension from the BritishThe comments had triggered controversy with lawyer Nripendra Pandey filing a complaint before a lower court alleging that the statements were defamatory and promoted disharmonyAfter examining the complaint the lower court had found a prima facie case issuing summons to Gandhi under Sections 153A promoting enmity between different groups and 505 statements conducing to public mischief of the Indian Penal CodeHowever during the proceedings before the Supreme Court it was brought to the Courts notice that the prosecution had not secured the necessary sanction from the Uttar Pradesh government a legal requirement for proceeding with such offencesTaking note of this procedural lapse the apex court quashed the criminal proceedings and the summons issued against the Congress leaderThe ruling marks a significant legal relief for Gandhi who has faced multiple criminal and civil proceedings arising from his political speeches and public remarks in recent years The Supreme Courts decision effectively brings an end to the case linked to his comments on SavarkarIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-quashes-criminal-defamation-case-against-rahul-gandhi-over-savarkar-remarks-696985.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-cm-joins-tiranga-yatra-in-mungers-haveli-kharagpur-696987.html Patna Aug 14 Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary reached Haveli Kharagpur in Munger district on Friday to participate in a special Tiranga Yatra organised ahead of Independence Day His arrival sparked enthusiasm among BJP workers NDA supporters and local residentsThe streets of Kharagpur were filled with people carrying the Tricolour and raising slogans of âBharat Mata Ki JaiâA large number of workers and residents had gathered since morning to welcome the Chief Minister and participate in the processionThe Tiranga Yatra passed through the citys main roads with the Tricolour being prominently displayed along the routeThe participation of local youth and residents added to the festive and patriotic atmosphereSeveral prominent leaders and representatives of the ruling alliance participated in the programme including MinisterinCharge Sanjay Kumar local MLA Kumar Prannoy Nachiketa Mandal Legislative Councilor Lalmohan Gupta BJP district president Arun Kumar Poddar JDU district president Saurabh Nidhi and LJP Ram Vilas national secretary Mithlesh SinghGiven the Chief Ministers participation and the large gathering the local administration made extensive security arrangementsPolice personnel were deployed along the procession route to regulate traffic and maintain law and orderThe Tiranga Yatra turned Haveli Kharagpur into a vibrant display of national pride while also drawing significant political participation from leaders and workers of the ruling allianceEarlier in the day Samrat Choudhary took to social media to share his participation in the âHar Ghar Tirangaâ campaignResponding to Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs call Choudhary hoisted the national flag at his official residence in Patna and paid tribute to the immortal martyrs who sacrificed their lives during Indiaâs freedom struggleIn his post Choudhary urged citizens to join the nationwide campaign by hoisting the Tricolour at their homes and sharing their photographs on social media with the hashtag HarGharTirangaHe appealed to people to turn the campaign into a movement of public participation and spread the spirit of patriotism among every citizen IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bihar-cm-joins-tiranga-yatra-in-mungers-haveli-kharagpur-696987.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/kerala-police-opens-its-doors-wider-with-launch-of-my-police-station-696988.html Thiruvananthapuram Aug 14 Keralaâs 484 police stations will undergo a transformation where people can walk in without hesitation Chief Minister VD Satheesan said on Friday while launching the My Police Station initiative at the Peroorkada police station The initiative seeks to change not merely the appearance of police stations but more importantly the way they function and interact with the publicHome Minister Ramesh Chennithala local MLA and Health Minister K Muraleedharan and senior police officials attended the inaugurationâThe colour of police stations may become uniform across Kerala but the real change should be in the way they functionâ said Chennithala and stressed that police stations should be places where people feel comfortable seeking help and where their grievances receive due attentionUnder the initiative police stations will have dedicated complaint womenâs childrenâs senior citizensâ transgender persons with disabilities cybercrime and legalaid help desksAssistance for applications online services RTIrelated information and obtaining FIR copies will also be made availableOver the years Kerala Police had consistently adapted itself to technological and social changes and recalled that Indiaâs first womenâs police station was established in KozhikodeâEvery citizen should feel free to visit a police station and extend support and cooperation to the policeâ he said pointing to the success of Operation Toofan one of the Stateâs major antinarcotics drives as evidence of what could be achieved through public participationThe CM Satheesan governmentâs objective is to build a peoplefriendly technologydriven accountable and professionally equipped police force that meets international standardsChennithala also stressed the need for strict adherence to Supreme Court directives on arrests and other police proceduresReferring to custodial deaths that had brought disrepute to the force he said the government was determined to ensure that such incidents did not occur in future CCTV cameras have been installed in all police stations to strengthen transparency and accountabilityA major change taking effect from Friday is the appointment of young SubInspectors as Station House Officers with 63 women SubInspectors taking charge as SHOsChennithala said the government would give greater attention to the mental wellbeing of police personnel including training programmes aimed at preventing suicidal tendencies among officersâThe transformation has already begunâ Chennithala said underlining that Kerala Police must evolve continuously to meet the changing expectations of society IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/kerala-police-opens-its-doors-wider-with-launch-of-my-police-station-696988.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/gs-patil-elected-ktaka-assembly-speaker-saleem-ahmed-new-council-chairman-amid-oppn-protest-696989.html Bengaluru Aug 14 Congress MLA GS Patil was elected as the new Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday in the absence of the opposition while Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed was elected Chairman of the Legislative Council defeating NDA candidate PH Pujar by eight votes The BJP boycotted the Assembly Speaker election alleging that the Congress government had undermined the sanctity of the constitutional post by announcing Patils candidature on the partys letterhead The opposition argued that the move had reduced the Speakers election to a mere formalityChief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the governments decision saying the Congress had not dishonoured the sanctity of constitutional posts and accused the BJP of politicising the issueSenior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka while congratulating GS Patil said the Speakers post was not a party post and urged the newly elected Speaker to uphold the dignity and independence of the ChairThe Speaker post is not a party post In the coming days the party should learn to respect the sanctity of the Chair The whole Assembly has to be taken into confidence Ashoka saidAddressing Patil Ashoka said the newly elected Speaker may have aspired to become a minister but had instead been given the responsibility of presiding over the Assembly He also referred to the work completed by former Speaker UT Khader including arrangements relating to doors and lightingAshoka urged Patil to ensure that the Assembly is convened at the appropriate time and said the Speakers Chair should remain a symbol of justiceThe Chair is a seat of justice and justice should be protected The Chair should never have the shadow of a party letterhead there should be the shadow of the Constitution The term is short let the conduct be sweet We will give complete cooperation he saidMeanwhile Saleem Ahmed secured 38 votes against 30 polled by NDA candidate PH Pujar in the Legislative Council electionLeader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy congratulated Saleem Ahmed and said they were friends personally but would continue to fight politically on ideological issuesSaleem Ahmed and I are friends on a personal level But politically we will fight over ideology Narayanaswamy saidHe urged Saleem Ahmed to function above party caste and creed and ensure justice for all members of the Council He also criticised Congress for announcing Saleem Ahmeds candidature on the party letterheadNarayanaswamy said the opposition would not have objected had the AICC communicated the list of candidates to the KPCC president instead of announcing it through the party letterheadThe election to the Council Chairmans post also witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and NDA members Opposition members questioned the circumstances under which former Chairman Basavaraj Horatti had resigned from the post and sought an explanation from Pro Tem Speaker PuttannaNarayanaswamy demanded that Puttanna explain to the House why Horatti had allegedly been forced to step downSenior BJP MLC N Ravikumar questioned whether it was constitutionally tenable for the Congress government to force Horatti to resign and also objected to the manner in which the election was being conductedPuttanna however said the proceedings had been scheduled for the election and that there was no scope for discussing other matters during the processCongress members insisted that the House should proceed according to the agenda and that the election should be conductedAfter Saleem Ahmed was elected Pro Tem Speaker Puttanna handed over the charge of the Council to him House Leader and Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy KPCC President BK Hariprasad and other senior leaders came to the Chair during the formal handingover ceremonyDuring the proceedings BJP member Keshavaprasad also objected to the absence of women leaders near the Chair while escorting Saleem Ahmed pointing out that the arrangement was entirely maledominatedWith the election of GS Patil and Saleem Ahmed both Houses of the Karnataka Legislature now have new presiding officers even as the opposition has raised questions over the process adopted by the ruling Congress in selecting and announcing the nominees IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/gs-patil-elected-ktaka-assembly-speaker-saleem-ahmed-new-council-chairman-amid-oppn-protest-696989.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/two-bangladeshi-nationals-held-in-delhi-for-visa-violations-under-operation-vista-10-696992.html New Delhi Aug 14 As part of its ongoing drive against foreign nationals violating visa norms the Foreigner Cell of the Special Staff Central District Delhi Police on Friday has apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals for overstaying beyond the period permitted under their visas during Operation VISTA 10 The operation launched to verify the visa status of foreign nationals residing in the national Capital and to initiate legal action against those violating immigration regulations involved extensive checks at hotels and guest houses across Central DelhiDuring a verification drive conducted at a hotel on Arakashan Road in the Nabi Karim area police officials found two Bangladeshi nationals staying at the premises Upon examining their travel documents including passports and visas officials discovered that both individuals had exceeded the maximum duration of stay permitted under their visa conditionsAccording to Delhi Police the two foreign nationals had entered India on June 23 on doubleentry visas While their passports remained valid until September 3 the visa conditions allowed them to stay in India for only 15 days per visit Detailed scrutiny of their documents revealed that both had continued to remain in the country beyond the authorised period thereby violating visa regulationsThe apprehended individuals were identified as 23yearold MD Anharul Islam Sourob Khan a resident of Habiganj Bangladesh and 27yearold Tarikul Islam Sujan a resident of Cumilla BangladeshFollowing the verification process both were taken into custody and produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office FRRO for further legal proceedingsPolice said that during questioning the two individuals were asked about their entry into India purpose of visit visa conditions and duration of stay Verification of their travel records confirmed that they had overstayed beyond the permissible limit specified in their visasA dedicated team of the Foreigner Cell Special Staff Central District carried out the operation under the leadership of Inspector Sandeep Yadav InCharge of Special Staff Central District and under the overall supervision of ACP Operations Padam Singh RanaThe team included Head Constables Narender Mohit Vikas Rajbir and Manish along with Constable Jayant and Women Constables Garima and Amit KumariAs part of the operation the team conducted systematic inspections at several hotels and guest houses across the district checking the identities passport details visa status and travel records of foreign nationals staying at these establishmentsAfter examining the documents of the two Bangladeshi nationals police established that the permissible period of stay granted under their visas had expired Consequently action was initiated against them for violating visa conditionsThe FRRO subsequently issued Restriction Orders against both individuals and directed that they be lodged at the Detention Centre located at Sewa Dham Shahzada Bagh Sarai Rohilla Delhi pending further proceedingsOfficials said deportation proceedings have now been initiated against the two foreign nationals in accordance with the provisions of immigration and foreignerrelated lawsDuring the course of the enquiry authorities examined and verified the passports visas and other travelrelated documents of both individuals No previous criminal involvement or adverse record was found against either of the apprehended foreign nationalsDelhi Police stated that the action forms part of Operation VISTA 10 an ongoing initiative aimed at identifying foreign nationals who violate visa conditions overstay their authorised period of residence or otherwise breach immigration norms The operation seeks to ensure strict compliance with visa regulations and strengthen monitoring of foreign nationals residing in the national Capital IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/two-bangladeshi-nationals-held-in-delhi-for-visa-violations-under-operation-vista-10-696992.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/five-places-in-delhi-receive-bomb-threats-on-eve-of-independence-day-696993.html New Delhi Aug 14 Five places in the national Capital received bomb threats a day before the nation celebrates its 80th Independence Day officials of the Delhi Fire Service DFS said on Friday According to the DFS the locations in Delhi which received calls alleging bomb blasts are Jamnagar House Jhandewalan Flatted Factory Complex District Magistrate Office in Saket Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport and SDM Office at Delhi CanttFire tenders have been dispatched to all these locations However nothing suspicious has been found during the investigation so far officials saidSimilarly an email sent to the Delhi Mayorâs office on August 3 threatened multiple bomb blasts at the Red Fort on August 15 prompting security agencies in the capital city to spring into action to comb the entire area around the iconic monumentAs soon as the Mayors office received the bomb threat by email it alerted the Delhi Police and other security agenciesSoon after receiving the alert police personnel bomb disposal squads and other security teams rushed to the historic Red Fort and carried out extensive sanitisation and inspection of the premises an official saidDelhi Police sources said that after receiving the information about the bomb threat the security of the area was beefed up and an investigation was launchedOn July 11 a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort had also triggered a major security response prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive combing exercise at the monument before declaring the threat to be a hoaxAccording to Delhi Police last monthâs threat originated from a phone call made to the Mumbai Police Control Room during which the caller allegedly claimed that the historic Red Fort would be blown up Mumbai Police immediately relayed the information to the Delhi Police Control Room which alerted the North District Police to initiate security measuresAfter thoroughly checking the area police officials found no suspicious object or explosive material and confirmed that the threat was falsePrime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on August 15 Saturday The event is expected to draw large crowds and involve extensive restrictions on movement in the capital city IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/five-places-in-delhi-receive-bomb-threats-on-eve-of-independence-day-696993.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nadda-hits-back-at-rahul-says-unfortunate-to-have-such-lop-696994.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday hit out at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modis foreign policy saying it was unfortunate for the countrys democracy to have such an LoPnbspTaking to social media platform X Nadda criticised Gandhi for his comments and said All that was left now was to witness such a Leader of Opposition this is the misfortune of the countrys democracy For the Congress too what a source of sorrow it must be that they have to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leaderNaddaas remarks came after Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Modis foreign policy during the Rachnatmak Congress Organising National Convention in New Delhi on Thursday Using a mock hug with senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit Gandhi sought to ridicule what he described as the Prime Ministers style of engaging with foreign leadersnbspThe Congress leader also referred to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS as a bunch of jokers who according to him have no understanding of IndiaAddressing the gathering Gandhi said he would demonstrate what foreign policy meant for PM Modi He then stretched out his arms and walked towards Dikshit for a hugnbspI dont know where he PM Modi got this idea from Strange ideas get into peoples heads He thinks this is foreign policy Gandhi saidnbspDikshit joined in the exchange by bringing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the jokeYou werent hugging me thinking I was Meloni Dikshit quipped drawing laughter from the audiencenbspResponding to the remark Gandhi said I havent reached that stage yetnbspThe exchange was a reference to PM Modis public interactions with several world leaders including Meloni with whom he shared a viral Melodi momentnbspGandhi used the gesture to mock what he portrayed as the Prime Ministers approach to diplomacy making the act of hugging the central theme of his criticism of the governments foreign policyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nadda-hits-back-at-rahul-says-unfortunate-to-have-such-lop-696994.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/middle-east-conflict-disruptions-show-imec-is-an-urgent-need-report-697001.html New Delhi Aug 14 The plan for an IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor IMEC presented at the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023 is widely seen as the democratic worldâs answer to Chinaâs Belt and Road Initiative according to an article published by Jewish Telegraphic Agency Envisioned as a network of ports railways energy infrastructure fiberoptic cables and logistics links connecting India to Europe through the Gulf and Israel the original vision was elegantly simple Goods would move from India across the Arabian Peninsula through Saudi Arabia and Jordan into Israel and onward through Haifa to Europe bypassing both dangerous maritime bottlenecks and unstable countries such as Iraq Syria and Lebanon the article points out The article further states that while the Middle East conflict has put the IMEC project in cold storage the disruption to maritime trade in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea have also made it more urgently needed by all partiesThe article highlights that if IMEC succeeds with Israel at its centre the countryâs Haifa port could evolve into the eastern Mediterraneanâs principal logistics hub while Israelâs strengths in artificial intelligence cybersecurity semiconductors desalination and energy technology would become integrated into supply chains stretching from Bengaluru to Berlin The corridor would export not only goods through Israel but Israeli services innovation and capital says the articleIt underscores that India is emerging as the worldâs principal engine of economic growth Europe increasingly wary of its reliance on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022 is trying to diversify critical economic and energy relationships And governments increasingly view supply chains not merely as instruments of commerce but as matters of national securityThe article also highlights recent studies which estimate that a completed corridor could reduce transit times between India and Europe by as much as 40 per cent while cutting logistics costs by roughly 30 per cent lowering the cost of shipping a standard container to roughly 4200 from around 6000 This would save approximately 27 billion every year in freight costs alone even at modest volumes of 15 million containers annually apart from creating an ecosystem for new businesses to thrive the article added IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/middle-east-conflict-disruptions-show-imec-is-an-urgent-need-report-697001.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/i-day-delhi-police-deploys-massive-security-imposes-traffic-curbs-screens-over-20-000-people-697003.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS Security has been significantly heightened around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15 with extensive traffic diversions restrictions on heavy vehicles and the deployment of thousands of security personnel while new antidrone measures have been introduced and largescale verification drives carried out to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of the national eventSpeaking to IANS DCP Traffic Central Range Nishant Gupta said special traffic arrangements have been put in place as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the Red Fort and a large number of VIP guests are expected to attend the ceremonynbspOn August 15 the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort and a large number of VIP guests arrive Therefore roads surrounding the Red Fort including Netaji Subhash Marg Lothian Road Nishadraj Marg Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg Esplanade Road Qila Ghat Road and Ring RoadMoat Road will remain restricted for general traffic from 4 am to 11 am he saidGupta further said that heavy vehicles would not be allowed on Delhi roads from 10 pm on August 14 until 11 am on August 15nbspNo DTC buses or any other buses will operate on the affected routes during this period There will be diversions for DTC buses and their termination points will be shifted to Ramlila Maidan and Tees Hazari Court he saidnbspGupta added that parking arrangements for invited guests have been integrated with Google Maps for easier accessnbspThe designated parking locations for invited guests have been marked on Google Maps People can also follow the Delhi Traffic Polices official X account for updates regarding parking and traffic arrangements he saidReferring to restrictions for the general public Gupta said traffic diversions around the Red Fort would remain in force from 4 am to 11 am and would be lifted thereafternbspRoads in the Chandni Chowk area will remain closed during the restricted hours However there are no restrictions on shops markets or shopping malls he addednbspMeanwhile DCP Central Rohit Rajbir Singh said extensive security measures have been implemented in and around the Red Fort which is considered one of the most sensitive locations during Independence Day celebrationsWe have deployed a large number of security personnel on the ground Not only Delhi Police but forces from other agencies have also been deployed Apart from manpower we have made several technological upgrades We introduce new measures every year and this year we have added new features to the antidrone system Singh told IANSnbspHe further revealed that more than 20000 people living or working in and around the sensitive zone have been screened and verified as part of the security exerciseIn this highly sensitive area and its surroundings we have screened and verified more than 20000 people Necessary precautionary measures have also been taken against those suspected of involvement in criminal activities he saidnbspSecurity has also been tightened in other parts of the country In Assams Dibrugarh police and CRPF personnel conducted a special motorcycle rally ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations to enhance public awareness and preparednessnbspIn Jammu and Kashmir security has been intensified along the NarbalGulmarg Highway with strict checking of vehicles and passengers being carried out at multiple checkpointsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/i-day-delhi-police-deploys-massive-security-imposes-traffic-curbs-screens-over-20-000-people-697003.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/technology-driven-faster-logistics-key-to-viksit-bharat-piyush-goyal-697004.html New Delhi Aug 14 IANS Technology is helping make Indias logistics ecosystem simpler faster and more efficient strengthening the competitiveness of domestic industry and supporting the countrys manufacturing and export ambitions Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday as the Logistics Data Bank LDB achieved the milestone of tracking 10 crore EXIM containersnbspHe said efficient logistics would play a crucial role in strengthening manufacturing expanding Indias presence in global markets and realising the Prime Ministers vision of a Viksit BharatThe tracking of 10 crore containers through the Logistics Data Bank is an important milestone in Indias logistics journey Technology is helping us make logistics simpler faster and more efficient while improving the competitiveness of Indian industry Goyal saidnbspEfficient logistics will be central to strengthening manufacturing expanding our presence in global markets and realising the Prime Ministers vision of a Viksit Bharat Goyal addednbspThe Logistics Data Bank provides endtoend visibility of EXIM container movement across India through RFIDbased tracking technologyThe platform currently offers visibility into 100 per cent of the countrys EXIM container movement covering 19 ports and 32 container terminalsnbspIts network spans 103 Inland Container Depots ICDs 439 Container Freight Stations CFSs empty yards parking plazas and industrial zones along with 89 manufacturing Special Economic Zones SEZs 5569 railway stations 269 toll plazas and three Integrated Check PostsThe platform enables stakeholders to monitor container movement across the logistics chain and generates analytics related to dwell time transit time and port and terminal performanceThe data helps logistics operators exporters importers and policymakers identify bottlenecks and improve operational efficiencynbspIn September 2025 Piyush Goyal launched LDB 20 which significantly enhanced the platforms capabilitiesnbspThe upgraded version introduced highseas tracking of Indias export containers and provided multimodal shipment visibility allowing users to monitor cargo movements more comprehensivelyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/technology-driven-faster-logistics-key-to-viksit-bharat-piyush-goyal-697004.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/some-forces-want-to-disturb-peace-in-punjab-and-country-but-i-wont-let-it-happen-badal-on-attack--697005.html Nanded Aug 14 A day after being injured in a kirpan attack here former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday alleged that some forces do not want peace to prevail in Punjab and the country and consider his party Shiromani Akali Dal SAD as a hindrance to their missionnbspHe also said that just like his late father and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal he would not allow such forces to take control of the state as he was committed to maintaining brotherhoodBadal president of SAD was attacked with a kirpan ceremonial dagger by a member of the Nihang order inside the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat on the outskirts of Nanded city on Thursday Following the attack he underwent surgery at a local hospital and was discharged on Friday afternoonTalking to reporters after the discharge Badal said A lot of forces do not want peace in Punjab and this country They feel that the Shiromani Akali Dal is a hindrance to their mission My father Parkash Singh Badal never compromised against these forces He always stood for the idea that all communities and religions should live together happilynbspMy father was a CM He maintained communal harmony and respect for religions These forces tried to attack me a year back Their mission is to take control of the situation in Punjab and disturb the peace which as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal I will never allow My father also did not allow it he saidHe noted that attempts had been made to target him at two of Sikhisms holiest shrines But despite the attacks he would continue to stand firm against any attempt to create unrestBoth times they attacked me in the holiest places First in the Golden Temple and second time in Takht Hazur Sahib Mata Sahib he saidnbspQuoting a Punjabi saying Badal said Jihde sir te Guru Sahib da hath hoye ohnu koi aanch nahi aundi one who has the Gurus blessings remains unharmed I thank Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj as this is his land The enemies of Punjabs peace tried a lot but He saved me I am not afraid and I am committed to Punjabs brotherhood Shiromani Akali Dal can make every kind of sacrifice because the development of Punjab is the development of the country for us he saidIn December 2024 Badal survived an assassination attempt while he was performing sewadar duty at the Golden Temple in Amritsar after the Akal Takht pronounced the tankhah religious punishment for mistakes committed during the partys rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017nbspHe reiterated that the SAD was committed to communal harmony religious brotherhood and peace in Punjab and would not be deterred by threats or attacksPolice have arrested the alleged attacker Jaspal Singh and launched an investigation into the incidentAccording to police they are yet to find out the motive behind the attack PTI COR AWnbsp NP 08141528Agencies https://dailyworld.in/national/some-forces-want-to-disturb-peace-in-punjab-and-country-but-i-wont-let-it-happen-badal-on-attack--697005.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sukhbir-singh-badal-attacked-by-nihang-in-nanded-security-personnel-also-injured-696839.html Nanded Maharashtra Aug 13 IANS Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was injured in an attack at a gurudwara in Maharashtras Nanded on ThursdaynbspAccording to preliminary information the incident took place when Badal visited the Mata Sahib Gurdwara in the Hazur Sahib area on the outskirts of the city at around 11 amnbspThe Akali Dal chief was attacked by a Nihang armed with a kirpan sources said adding that the assailant has been taken into custody by the policeAccording to sources the attacker allegedly attempted to stab Badal in the stomach However security personnel intervened in time and prevented the attacker from causing more serious injuriesnbspA video recorded after the incident showed Badal walking with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right handnbspFollowing the attack Badal was rushed to a private hospital in Nanded for treatment A security personnel deployed for his protection was also injured while trying to prevent the assaultEarlier in the day he had visited Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded along with his family His wife and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was present when the attack occurrednbspMaharashtra Police confirmed to IANS that the attack took place inside the gurdwara premises A senior police official stated that Badal sustained an injury to his hand Preliminary reports indicate that he may have suffered injuries to other areas as wellnbspOfficials said that Badals injuries are not lifethreatening He has received stitches on his hand and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in NandedInspector Santosh Kendre who was deployed on special security duty was also injured during the attacknbspPolice have confirmed that one attacker has been detained and further investigation is underwayBadal had arrived in Nanded from PunjabnbspThis is not the first attack on the Akali Dal leader On December 4 2024 he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar He escaped unharmed while the gunman was quickly overpowered and arrestedAt the time Badal was performing sewadar duties at the Golden Temple after the Akal Takht had pronounced tankhah religious punishment on him and several other Akali Dal leaders for alleged mistakes committed during the partys rule in Punjab between 2007 and 2017IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sukhbir-singh-badal-attacked-by-nihang-in-nanded-security-personnel-also-injured-696839.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/parliament-12-bills-passed-19-pc-productivity-in-ls-39-pc-in-rs-says-kiren-rijiju-696845.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS The Monsoon Session of Parliament which concluded on Thursday was successful in terms of legislative business but remained unsatisfactory in terms of productivity Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the medianbspAddressing the media after both Houses were adjourned sine die Rijiju said We view the Monsoon Session from two angles In terms of business it was a very successful session we passed a total of 12 bills However from the perspective of debate and discussion it was not as successfulIn the Lok Sabha only 19 per cent productivity was achieved in relation to the total time allotted In the Rajya Sabha productivity stood at 39 per cent as the Opposition parties created ruckus and occasionally staged walkouts he addedThe Lower House saw debate only on one Bill pertaining to paper leaks and their preventionThe Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act was passed through both the Houses after due deliberations and discussion he saidA lot of political watchers and constitutional experts have expressed considerable concern over the passage of key legislations without any debate or discussion with some MPs also raising alarm over the gravity of the issueThe Parliamentary Affairs Minister held the Opposition responsible for the washout of the Monsoon Session and blamed it on the latters disruption and derailment tactics accusing them of running away from debateAdmitting that the Monsoon Session didnt live up to peoples expectations he said it was the Oppositions conduct and behaviour that led to constant stalling and adjournments of both the HousesThis is the first time I have seen the Opposition shying away from debate In a democracy they seek answers from the government and the government is bound to provide them Yet we witnessed a scenario where the government itself was forthcoming on discussion but the Opposition kept making excuses to avoid This is not healthy for the parliamentary democracy he statedFurther tearing into the Opposition over its defiance he said the government and the minister concerned offered to reply but they would neither participate in debate nor would they listen to the Ministers replyLamenting the Congress partys disruptive behaviour Rijiju said that he genuinely felt sorry for the grand old party MPs particularly for the new ones who failed to find an opportunity to speak and rather became victims of the uproar created by their own partyHe said that Congress has adopted a mindset under which the members see their role as waking up early grabbing a pillow heading to the Parliament complex and engaging in namecalling and sloganeeringHe said that it was to be seen that the grand old party MPs have been reduced to raising slogans waving placards and creating ruckus and hoped that the attitude would change when the Parliament meets again for the Winter SessionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/parliament-12-bills-passed-19-pc-productivity-in-ls-39-pc-in-rs-says-kiren-rijiju-696845.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/indias-total-goods-and-services-exports-post-133-pc-growth-to-cross-80-billion-in-july-696854.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS Indias total exports of merchandise and services for July this year clocked a double digit growth of 1331 per cent at 8014 billion compared to the same month of the previous year according to data released by the Commerce Ministry on ThursdaynbspThe total imports of merchandise and services also rose by 1583 per cent at 9516 billion during the month compared to July 2025Indias merchandise exports during July this year increased to 4424 billion from 3698 billion in the same month of the previous year the data showedThe major drivers of merchandise exports growth in July include petroleum products electronic goods engineering goods chemicals and textiles including handloom productsnbspPetroleum products exports increased by 6764 per cent to 692 billion while electronic goods shipments increased by 574 per cent to 592 billion during the month compared to July 2025Similarly engineering goods exports increased by 1771 per cent to 1224 billion during the month while organic and inorganic chemicals exports increased by 1439 per cent to 28 billionThe labourintensive textile segment comprising cotton yarn fabrics madeups and handloom products recorded an 84 per cent increase in exports to 102 billion in July this year compared to the same month of the previous yearThe estimated value of services export for July 2026 is 3589 billion as compared to 3374 billion in the same month last year while the estimated value of services imports for the month is 1894 billion as compared to 1730 billion in July 2025Meanwhile the countrys total exports of merchandise and services during AprilJuly of the current financial year are estimated at 31642 billion which represents a 1316 per cent growth from the corresponding figure of 27963 billion in the same fourmonth period of 202526The cumulative value of merchandise exports during AprilJuly 202627 was 17378 billion up 1704 per cent from 4848 billion during the same period of the previous financial yearIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/indias-total-goods-and-services-exports-post-133-pc-growth-to-cross-80-billion-in-july-696854.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/har-ghar-tiranga-campaign-strengthening-sentiment-of-patriotism-pride-in-heart-of-every-indian-hm-shah-696855.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday hoisted the Tricolour as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign at his residence in the national capital and said that this strengthens the sentiment of patriotism and pride in the heart of every IndiannbspAmit Shah took to social media platform X and said Today at my residence in New Delhi I hoisted the Tricolour under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign This campaign launched under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji is today further strengthening the sentiment of patriotism and pride in the heart of every Indian Today crores of countrymen are connecting with the Tricolour and empowering the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha BharatThe Har Ghar Tiranga campaign was launched under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage citizens to bring the national flag into their homes and hoist the Tiranga as part of the celebrations marking Indias IndependenceThe campaign was based on the idea that peoples relationship with the national flag had traditionally remained more formal and institutional rather than becoming a personal expression of national prideBy encouraging citizens to bring the national flag home the initiative sought to transform the Tiranga into a symbol of a personal connection with the nation while also representing a collective commitment towards nationbuilding and national unityThis year Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 is being dedicated to the spirit of 150 Years of Vande Mataram celebrating patriotism pride in the Tiranga and the deep love for the motherland reflected in Indias National SongPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to the countrymen to actively participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to mark Independence Day on August 15 and pay tributes to the freedom fightersSharing a reel on Instagram PM Modi said Celebrate August 15 with pride pay tribute to freedom fighters take a pledge for Viksit Bharat Har Ghar Tiranga Ghar Ghar Tiranga Har Man TirangaCome lets make Har Ghar Tiranga a celebration in every home the Prime Minister captioned the post on X as the nation prepares to celebrate the 80th Independence DayEarlier this week PM Modi calling upon the citizens to participate in the campaign termed the Tricolour as pride and source of motivationTaking to his official X account PM Modi had said Our Tricolour is our pride and a constant source of inspiration to always give our best for the nationLet us participate enthusiastically in the Har Ghar Tiranga movement and renew our collective resolve to contribute towards building a Viksit Bharat he said while underlining this years theme as that of the national song Vande MataramThe Prime Minister mentioned Glad that this years efforts are dedicated to Vande Mataram and that too at a time when we are marking its 150th anniversaryIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/har-ghar-tiranga-campaign-strengthening-sentiment-of-patriotism-pride-in-heart-of-every-indian-hm-shah-696855.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/-punjab-governor-unveils-branding-for-lake-to-lake-ultra-2026-696863.html DW Bureua Chandigarh August 13 Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday unveiled the official Tshirt medal and poster for the GB Legends Lake to Lake Ultra 2026 formally launching the upcoming endurance running eventnbspThe ultrarunning event scheduled for August 16 will feature 30 km 55 km and 75 km categories and is expected to attract nearly 550 runners and endurance enthusiasts from across India A special 50plus age category has also been introducedThe race will start at 4 am from New Lake Sector 42 Chandigarh and take participants through the Shivalik foothills before concluding at Tikkar Taal in MorninbspJatinder Bajwa Vice President GB Realty said the event was being held around Independence Day with the vision of making it an annual event promoting a Fit Healthy and United IndianbspHarpreet Singh Sandhu State Information Commissioner Punjab who was also present at the unveiling ceremony said the event would promote sporting excellence while the association with GB Legends as Event Partner would further strengthen its visionAmit Sood CEO GB Legends said ultrarunning promotes discipline resilience and determination and expressed hope that the event would encourage endurance sports active lifestyles and a culture of fitnessnbspAmit Chauhan Chairman Organising Committee said the Lake to Lake Ultra was more than a race and represented a celebration of endurance determination and the spirit of IndianbspThe organisers said the event also aims to promote Chandigarh and the MorniShivalik region as destinations for sports adventure and ecotourism while encouraging healthier lifestylesnbspThe Bib Expo will be held on August 15 a day ahead of the main race https://dailyworld.in/national/-punjab-governor-unveils-branding-for-lake-to-lake-ultra-2026-696863.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fresh-complaint-filed-against-abhishek-banerjee-in-diamond-harbour-over-2020-attack-case-696864.html Kolkata Aug 13 IANS Another police complaint has been filed against Diamond Harbour Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on ThursdaynbspBharatiya Janata Party BJP leader Abhijit Das alias Bobby has filed this written complaint at the Diamond Harbour police stationAlong with Abhishek Banerjee a total of 79 people including his executive assistant Sumit Roy have been named in the complaintThe BJP leader claimed that on October 6 2020 an attack took place in Diamond Harbour of South 24 Parganas district focusing on the BJPs political programmeIn that incident an attempt was made to fatally attack the West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya and his car was vandalisedAt the same time Abhijit Das alleged that several BJP workers and supporters were also injured in the attackNearly six years after that incident a new complaint was filed at the Diamond Harbour police station on ThursdayBJP leader Abhijit Das alleged that despite a police investigation after the incident proper action was not taken against the accusedHe also questioned the role of the police at that timeHe claimed that the investigation did not progress in the right direction due to political influenceThe BJP leader also alleged that justice has not been done to the victims of the incident even after a long time Therefore after the BJP government came to power in the state Abhijit Das has brought the old incident to the fore and filed a new written complaintAbhijit Das said While we were going to a political programme our State BJP President Samik Bhattacharyas car was attacked and vandalised Several BJP workers and supporters were injured in that incident The incident cannot be seen just as a political clash It is also necessary to investigate whether there was a larger conspiracy behind it Therefore I have filed a complaint against a total of 79 people including Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee and his close aide Sumit RoyAfter filing the complaint the BJP leader demanded an impartial investigation from the policeAbhijit Das said The incident should be investigated without any political pressure and the role of those named in the complaint should be investigatedHe also demanded that necessary action be taken as per the law if the investigation proves the truth of the complaintThe BJP leader has already filed several police complaints against Abhishek Banerjee in Diamond Harbour alleging corruption and irregularities over the MPs medical camp SebaashrayIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fresh-complaint-filed-against-abhishek-banerjee-in-diamond-harbour-over-2020-attack-case-696864.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-continue-to-protest-demand-reforms-accountability-in-jpsc-jssc-696806.html Ranchi Aug 13 IANS The ongoing agitation by students in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC continued on Thursday with protesters reiterating that their movement will not end until concrete action is taken on their demandsnbspSeveral students participating in the protest said their primary objective is to secure meaningful reforms in the recruitment process and ensure accountability for any wrongdoing They urged the government to approach the issue with seriousness and respond to students concerns in a fair and transparent mannerOne student said the focus of the protest is not merely on cancelling examinations but on addressing the root causes of the alleged irregularitiesSo the main demand of those protesting there is reforms We are also suffering because they have demanded that our examinations be cancelled But cancelling the examinations does not in any way mean that everything will be set right It would only allow those responsible for the irregularities to escape because there would be no investigation a student told IANSAnother protester said governments may change over time but accountability must remain a priorityHe said The government should address the students issues with sensitivity and seriousness and take proper cognisance of them Governments will come and go and change with time but accountability must be fixed The government should sincerely address and fulfil the issues currently being raised The students primary demand is that the CGL examination be cancelled reforms be introduced and accountability be fixed so that students do not have to wander from one place to another in the futureStudents also claimed that some protesters have required medical attention and were taken to hospitals due to deteriorating health conditions Despite this they maintained that the agitation would continue until their demands are addressedAnother student said Some of the students have gone to freshen up Today marks the 20th dayMany people are also on hunger strike and several of them have had to be taken to hospitals But the point is that 20 days have passed and the government has still not fulfilled our demands That is why we have been here for 20 days We will remain here until all our demands are fulfilledStudent leader Ravindra told IANS We had a meeting with the SSP yesterday but he did not mention that FIRs were being registered against students Our protest was historic with students strengthening and raising their voice for their rights If the administration feels that some antisocial elements were present who were trying to divert the students movement the government should identify them But while doing so it should keep in mind that around 50000 students were present there If one or two per cent were such unwanted or antisocial elements only those people should be identified and students should not be harassed in any wayIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-continue-to-protest-demand-reforms-accountability-in-jpsc-jssc-696806.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/eam-jaishankar-joins-har-ghar-tiranga-campaign-ahead-of-i-day-celebrations-696807.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS External Affairs Minister EAM S Jaishankar on Thursday joined the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign sharing a photograph of himself with the national flag flying at his residence ahead of the countrys 80th Independence Day celebrationsEAM Jaishankar shared the photograph on X with the caption Har Ghar TirangaResharing EAMs post on its social media platform X the Ministry of External Affairs MEA wrote Tiranga in every heart every homeThe Har Ghar Tiranga campaign was launched under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage citizens to bring the national flag into their homes and hoist the Tiranga as part of the celebrations marking Indias IndependenceThe campaign was based on the idea that peoples relationship with the national flag had traditionally remained more formal and institutional rather than becoming a personal expression of national prideBy encouraging citizens to bring the flag home the initiative sought to transform the Tiranga into a symbol of a personal connection with the nation while also representing a collective commitment towards nationbuilding and national unityThis year Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 is being dedicated to the spirit of 150 Years of Vande Mataram celebrating patriotism pride in the Tiranga and the deep love for the motherland reflected in Indias National SongPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to the countrymen to actively participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to mark Independence Day on August 15 and pay tributes to the freedom fightersSharing a reel on Instagram PM Modi said Celebrate August 15 with pride pay tribute to freedom fighters take a pledge for Viskit Bharat Har Ghar Tiranga Ghar Ghar Tiranga Har Man TirangaCome lets make Har Ghar Tiranga a celebration in every home the Prime Minister captioned the post as the nation prepares to celebrate the 80th Independence DayEarlier this week PM Modi calling upon the citizens to participate in the campaign termed the Tricolour as pride and source of motivationTaking to X PM Modi had said Our Tricolour is our pride and a constant source of inspiration to always give our best for the nationLet us participate enthusiastically in the Har Ghar Tiranga movement and renew our collective resolve to contribute towards building a Viksit Bharat he said while underlining this years theme as that of the national song Vande MataramThe Prime Minister mentioned Glad that this years efforts are dedicated to Vande Mataram and that too at a time when we are marking its 150th anniversaryIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/eam-jaishankar-joins-har-ghar-tiranga-campaign-ahead-of-i-day-celebrations-696807.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/inspiring-example-of-dedication-amit-shah-pays-tribute-to-ahilyabai-holkar-on-her-death-anniversary-696811.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday paid tribute to Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar on her death anniversary saying that her life remains an inspiring example of faith culture public service and unwavering dedication to the welfare of the nationnbspHome Minister Shah took to social media X and said I remember Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar ji on her death anniversary and pay my respects to her Lokmata made an incomparable contribution in the conservation and restoration of heritage from the renovation and reconstruction of temples to the development of pilgrimagesAhilyabai Holkar ji who empowered women by promoting womens education and widow remarriage established the ideal of public welfare justice and good governance Her life is an inspiring example of dedication towards religion culture public service and national interest Remembering Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar on her death anniversary I pay my respects to her he saidAmit Shah said that Ahilyabai Holkar empowered women by encouraging womens education and widow remarriage and proposed an ideal of public welfare justice and good governanceBy renovating and reconstructing temples and developing pilgrimage areas he made unprecedented contributions to the preservation and revival of cultural heritage Ahilyabai Holkar who empowered women by encouraging womens education and widow remarriage proposed an ideal of public welfare justice and good governance Her life is an inspiring example of religion culture public service and dedication towards the welfare of the nation he saidUttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also paid humble tribute to Holkar and said A humble tribute on the death anniversary of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar a revered figure a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva and the embodiment of womens empowerment justice statesmanship and public welfare She upheld the banner of cultural nationalism by establishing new benchmarks for prosperity social harmony and religious renaissance not only within her own kingdom but across the entire nationShe transformed justice into policy service into a spiritual calling and good governance into a way of life Every decision she made was inspired by Dharma and a spirit of service She will forever remain a beacon of inspiration for us all he saidMaharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also took to social media X and said Humble tributes to an exemplary ruler whose vision compassion and commitment to public welfare remain a timeless inspiration Punyashlok Rajmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar on her SmrutiDinIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/inspiring-example-of-dedication-amit-shah-pays-tribute-to-ahilyabai-holkar-on-her-death-anniversary-696811.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-protest-day-20-security-tightened-as-students-prepare-to-lay-siege-to-cms-residence-on-aug-20-696815.html Ranchi Aug 13 IANS The Ranchi district administration on Thursday stepped up security arrangements in anticipation of the next phase of the ongoing students protest against alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinationsAgitating students are preparing to lay siege to the Chief Ministers residence on August 20 Although no formal announcement has been made by the protesters police deployment has been significantly increased around the Chief Ministers residence on Kanke Road and adjoining areas following Intelligence inputs Security agencies have been placed on high alertMore than 100 additional armed personnel have been deployed to strengthen security at the Chief Ministers residence The deployment includes personnel from the Jharkhand Jaguar and the Jharkhand Armed Police Authorities have created a security perimeter with barricades stretching from Suchna Bhawan Chowk to Ram Mandir ChowkSecurity measures have been intensified within a radius of around 500 metres of the Chief Ministers residence As part of the arrangements the road connecting Suchna Bhawan to ATI has been closed The entire area is reportedly under surveillance through drone cameras and other monitoring systemsThe heightened security has also affected traffic movement on Kanke Road Vehicles arriving from the Morabadi and Kutchery Chowk sides are being diverted through alternative routes to prevent congestion and ensure securityThe student agitation has been continuing at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium for nearly 20 days though the state government has been repeatedly engaging in talks with them Protesters are demanding comprehensive reforms in the examination system and an impartial investigation into the controversial JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinationsThough the Jharkhand government has met nearly 90 per cent of their demands one of their key demands ie a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and paper leaks in the JPSC Civil Services Examination and the JSSCCGL examination is yet to be metOn August 10 students had laid siege to the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly leading to a confrontation with police personnelTo disperse the crowd police used water cannons and tear gas and later carried out a lathicharge Following the incident student groups announced plans to intensify their agitationThe protesters have maintained that their movement will continue until the government takes a concrete decision on their major demandsMeanwhile political parties including the Congress and the BJP have extended support to the students and have been mounting pressure on the government over the issueBJP leaders had earlier staged a protest outside the Chief Ministers residence and were subsequently detained by policeIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-protest-day-20-security-tightened-as-students-prepare-to-lay-siege-to-cms-residence-on-aug-20-696815.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-sine-die-after-vande-mataram-recitation-696817.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS The Lok Sabha on its last working day of the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on Thursday The adjournment followed the recitation of Vande Mataram in the House with all Parliamentarians from Treasury to Opposition benches standing in respect for the National SongnbspThe House proceedings started on a stormy note with the Opposition members engaging in sloganeering and holding placards while trying to corner the government over jawab do jawab do chantsLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made a brief appeal to maintain order and urged all the members to stand up for the recitation of the National SongAs the 310minutelong National Song was recited all the MPs stood in rapt attention while some sang alongWhat made the moment remarkable was the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the House a grouse held by the Opposition throughout the stretch of the Monsoon Session particularly after the passage of the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill last month aimed at tackling widespread cheating and paper leaksThe recitation of the full National Song in the Lower House comes days after the Presidential assent to the Vande Mataram Bill which brought it on equal footing with the National AnthemAs per the Home Ministry guidelines issued in February this year the recitation of all six stanzas of the National Song has been made mandatory at all official functions and gatherings with all protocols to be followed as accorded to the National AnthemParliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill 2026 last month The legislation gave Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as that of the National Anthem Jana Gana Mana After the Presidents assent the bill has become law and offences will be punishable with imprisonment up to three years a fine or bothThe Lok Sabha proceedings of the Monsoon Session from July 20 to August 13 remained marred by the GovernmentOpposition faceoff with little legislative business conducted in the HouseAmong the key legislations cleared by the House were the NEET Amendment Bill some Taxation bills and the recommendation of the FCRA amendment bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee JPCIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-sine-die-after-vande-mataram-recitation-696817.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/i-day-celebration-full-dress-rehearsal-held-at-red-fort-amid-heavy-security-696819.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS As part of preparations for the 80th Independence Day celebrations a full dress rehearsal was held at the national Capitals historic Red Fort on ThursdaynbspThe rehearsals were conducted amid heightened security deployment in the national Capital as well as tight traffic arrangementsPrime Minister Narendra Modis address from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on August 15 is expected to draw large crowds and involve extensive restrictions on movement in the capital citySpeaking to IANS about the security measures Shahdara DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena said Today was the full dress rehearsal The Shahdara district is a very sensitive area From a border point of view we have seven border points adjoining Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh Traffic at these points was completely shut from 1000 pm last nightApart from our regular checkpoints and check posts across the district we have also deployed temporary pickets at several additional points We have also ensured that all Emergency Response Vehicles patrol vehicles continue patrolling in their respective areas he addedThe senior police official said that special security arrangements have been made at the Khadar side area of the Yamuna River behind the Red Fort complexWe have been doing continuous patrolling in that area which will continue till the main event on August 15 he mentionedTraffic Police Zone2 Additional Commissioner of Police CP Dinesh Kumar Gupta also mentioned that restrictions on all borders areas of the national Capital were put in place by 10 pm yesterday nightNo commercial vehicles were allowed from there Only vehicles carrying essential commodities were permitted We coordinated with the concerned authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana so that vehicles could be stopped from coming towards the borders and diverted earlier preventing heavy congestion at the borders he told IANSHe added that apart from this several diversion points have been created for the trafficRoutes such as CHexagon Tilak Marg and routes in the Lutyens Zone and VIP areas have restrictions due to VIP movement Our staff have been deployed at all the concerned intersectionsWe have issued a public advisory including through print media mentioning the affected routes and have suggested alternative routes for the public Dinesh Kumar Gupta saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/i-day-celebration-full-dress-rehearsal-held-at-red-fort-amid-heavy-security-696819.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rahul-gandhi-moves-sc-against-allahabad-hc-order-on-disproportionate-assets-allegations-696831.html New Delhi Aug 13 IANS Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has approached the Supreme Court challenging the orders of the Allahabad High Court that directed the CBI and ED to verify allegations that he possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of incomenbspRahul Gandhis petition is scheduled to be heard on August 17 by a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya KantThe Congress leader has challenged the Allahabad High Courts orders passed in connection with a complaint filed by Vignesh Shishir a BJP worker from Karnataka alleging disproportionate assets against GandhiIn its order issued in May the Allahabad High Court had observed that if the complaint had indeed been received by the concerned agencies the allegations contained in it should be verified in accordance with lawThe court had further noted that the CBI and the ED were at liberty to take appropriate action as warranted under the legal frameworkSubsequently during a hearing on July 20 the High Court expressed dissatisfaction with an affidavit filed by the CBI stating that it did not adequately comply with the directions issued earlier by the courtAt the same time the High Court took note of the steps initiated by the Enforcement Directorate and observed that the agency could proceed in accordance with law if any actionable information emerged during the verification or investigationBesides CBI and ED the Allahabad High Court bench also directed the Department of Personnel and Training DoPT the revenue department the Ministry of Finance the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office to file responses to the petitioners allegationsApart from challenging the High Courts directions Rahul Gandhi has also filed a separate transfer petition before the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the proceedings from the Allahabad High Court to the Delhi High CourtThe Allahabad High Court is scheduled to hear the matter on August 20IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rahul-gandhi-moves-sc-against-allahabad-hc-order-on-disproportionate-assets-allegations-696831.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-bank-account-freeze-calcutta-hc-to-hear-petition-by-mamata-banerjee-led-faction-today-696651.html Kolkata Aug 12 IANS A crucial hearing is scheduled before the singlejudge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday on a petition by the Mamata Banerjeeled faction in the Trinamool Congress challenging West Bengal Polices decision to freeze four bank accounts of the partynbspThe state police ordered the freezing of these four bank accounts held at the public sector Indian Bank based on an FIR related to cybercrime However the Mamata Banerjeeled faction has claimed in its petition that there was no evidence of any illegal transactions through these four bank accountsThe matter will come up for hearing at the singlejudge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya later in the day In the petition the counsels for the petitioner had pleaded for permission to withdraw from the frozen accounts for essential expenses of the partyThe petitioners counsel has also made it clear that if the permission is given through a courtappointed special officer as was done previously in the case of three other bank accounts held with a private sector bank on which debit restrictions were first imposed following instructions from the state police and subsequently following similar instructions from the Enforcement Directorate EDIncidentally thenbsp Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with the Enforcement Directorates ED freezing of three bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress in connection with an alleged money laundering probe while allowing the existing interim arrangement for the party to meet its daytoday expenses under the supervision of a courtappointed Special OfficerThe apex court Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale also disposed of a separate petition filed by rebel Trinamool Congress leader Biswanath Das who had challenged the Calcutta High Courts order contending that he represented the real partyThe Justice Sundreshled Bench observed that the order of the High Court was a balanced arrangement as it ensured that the partys daytoday operations were not stalled while keeping the operation of the accounts under judicial supervisionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-bank-account-freeze-calcutta-hc-to-hear-petition-by-mamata-banerjee-led-faction-today-696651.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/fm-sitharaman-in-jaipur-for-brics-meet-today-finance-ministers-central-bank-governors-to-discuss-key-issues-696653.html Jaipur Aug 12 IANS Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is in Jaipur to attend the twoday meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors being held under Indias BRICS presidencynbspnbspThe twoday meeting will begin at 1115 am on Wednesday at Hotel Rambagh in the state capital with finance ministers and central bank governors from the 11 BRICS member countries deliberating on key economic and financial issuesRBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra also arrived in Jaipur late Tuesday nightFM Sitharaman and Malhotra are scheduled to address the inaugural session which will focus on financial and central banking issues of importance to BRICS economiesFM Sitharaman was welcomed in Jaipur on her arrival late Tuesday night by Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and Chief Secretary V Srinivas BJP state president Madan Rathore was also present The twoday meeting will discuss several issues related to the economic and financial interests of BRICS nations including economic growth financial liberalisation and risk management The meeting is scheduled to conclude at 1230 pm on ThursdayAs part of the programme representatives of BRICS nations will visit City Palace Jaipur at 5 pm where a special cultural programme showcasing Rajasthans rich heritage has been organised for the delegates This is the second time that the annual meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors is being held in JaipurThe annual gathering was established 18 years ago amid the global financial crisis and has since emerged as an important platform for discussions on global economic and financial challengesJaipur previously hosted the meeting in 2021 during the Covid19 pandemic Discussions at that time focused on economic recovery vaccination policy support digital health social infrastructure and financial inclusion Representatives of Brazil Russia India China and South Africa also discussed the implications of the European Unions Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism during the 2021 deliberationsThe current meeting comes as India holds the BRICS presidency with participating countries expected to deliberate on strengthening economic cooperation and addressing emerging challenges facing the global economyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/fm-sitharaman-in-jaipur-for-brics-meet-today-finance-ministers-central-bank-governors-to-discuss-key-issues-696653.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jpsc-jssc-recruitment-row-student-protest-continues-for-19th-day-in-jharkhand-696656.html Ranchi Aug 12 IANS Student protests over alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC recruitment examinations continued for the 19th consecutive day in Ranchi on Wednesday with protesters maintaining that candidates from both examinations have been facing problems for a prolonged periodnbspA protester alleged that senior police and administrative officials visited the protest site late on Tuesday nightLast night the SP DC SSP and other officials came here They arrived at around 1230 at night and stayed for around one and a half hours They were separating all the students of JPSC and JSSC We did not understand their intention or why they were separating us We are protesting together because both groups are affected and have been suffering for a long time It is not something that has been happening for one or two years We feel that we have been suffering since this government came to power the protester told IANSAnother protester said a large number of people had joined the demonstration and expressed concern over the deteriorating health of students staying at the protest siteMany people have come a lot of people have come here Early in the morning Babulal Marandi came here A lot of discussions took place and he spoke in front of the media about the students So many people are sitting here and their health is deteriorating the protester saidThe agitation has also become a major political issue in the state with the Opposition raising the recruitment examination controversy inside the Jharkhand Assembly BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi visited the protesting students and spoke about their concernsMeanwhile the Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly was adjourned sine die earlier on Tuesday a day ahead of schedule following continuous disruptions sloganeering and confrontations between ruling coalition and Opposition members over alleged irregularities in the JPSCJSSC recruitment examinations police action against students and the statewide bandh called by the BJPThe Assembly proceedings failed to function smoothly as members from both sides repeatedly engaged in protests and sloganshouting During the commotion Minister Irfan Ansari raised slogans against BJP legislators escalating tensions inside the House Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi attempted to address the House but the uproar intensified with several legislators from both the ruling alliance and the Opposition moving into the well of the HouseIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jpsc-jssc-recruitment-row-student-protest-continues-for-19th-day-in-jharkhand-696656.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-urges-youth-to-read-autobiographies-warns-against-shortcut-culture-696658.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the youth of the country to draw inspiration from the lives of accomplished personalities and read their autobiographies instead of seeking shortcuts in lifePM Modi made the remarks while addressing an event at New Delhis Vigyan Bhavan where he released the autobiography of former President Ram Nath Kovind titled Triumph of the Indian Republic My Life My StrugglesAddressing the gathering PM Modi said that Kovinds life was an example of how a person from a humble background could overcome difficulties and contribute to the nations development He said Kovind had not only brought honour to his own life but had also played an important role in fulfilling a longstanding vision of building an India where even the poorest and most deprived sections of society could aspire to reach the highest positionsA person like Kovindji has not only brought honour to his own life but has also played a pivotal role in realising dreams cherished for centuries the vision of Indias new construction an India where the poorest of the poor and the most deprived had the opportunity to reach the top We are still working in this direction the Prime Minister saidPM Modi called upon young people to take inspiration from Kovinds journey particularly his ability to remain determined despite challenges and his willingness to make difficult tasks easier through perseveranceWe want the youth of the country to take inspiration from Kovind ji who are not defeated by problems but those who have the courage to make the work easier he saidThe Prime Minister said Kovinds autobiography could become an important source of inspiration for the younger generation and contribute to strengthening the countrys youth powerMaking a direct appeal to young people PM Modi cautioned them against becoming overly influenced by the culture of quick success social media trends and shortcutsIts the age of reels social media influencers take you away but in this age of shortcuts we must remember one thing written on railway stations Shortcuts will cut you short If you want to take a shortcut he saidI would urge the youth to read the autobiography of anyone they admire An autobiography offers a different perspective on the historical events the period covered in a biography brings one very close to history That is why I sincerely hope that the hard work put in by Kovind ji proves beneficial to future generations and especially to the youth he addedHe noted that the book contains detailed accounts of Kovinds experiences with former Prime Minister Morarji Desai and highlighted how those experiences influenced Kovinds approach towards public service and politicsHe further said Kovinds life carried several lessons for people who come from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged backgrounds as his journey demonstrated how simplicity honesty and commitment could become the foundation for a meaningful lifeKovind ji has done this work for all of us because there is so much in his life where many people coming from poor and deprived backgrounds can see the shadow of their own lives he saidHow an ordinary family even in difficult situations does not compromise the simplicity and honesty of life and how those ideals later become the foundation of our lives how the value of difficult times gives us light in life and how we get the strength of national service from that purity fulfilling the responsibilities of different positions the Prime Minister addedThe Prime Minister said Kovinds life had consistently conveyed the importance of perseverance public service and dedication to society He highlighted Kovinds commitment to his responsibilities across various positions he held during his public careerThe Prime Minister added that Kovind continued to remain engaged with issues of national importance even after completing his tenure as PresidentEven now he is working on important issues like One Nation One Election and awakening the country PM Modi addedPM Modi said Kovinds tenure in Parliament and his service as Governor demonstrated his strong sense of duty adding that the same commitment continued when he became the President of IndiaParliament has witnessed his tenure He set an example as a Governor and as President too we have seen the same sense of duty in him Even after being relieved from the highest post like the President he has not rested PM Modi saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-urges-youth-to-read-autobiographies-warns-against-shortcut-culture-696658.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-calls-for-fair-trade-and-recycling-as-india-eyes-30-trillion-economy-by-2047-696664.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Wednesday called upon Indian businesses and citizens to adopt fair trading practices promote recycling and reuse and embrace a circular economy as the country seeks to become a 30 trillion economy by 2047nbspAddressing the inaugural ceremony of Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav here Goyal said Indias growing global economic engagement and expanding market access provide a major opportunity for domestic businesses to take Indian products and services to the worldHe said India has opened markets for its businesses through nine free trade agreements providing preferential access to international marketsThe minister highlighted the contribution of MSMEs farmers fishermen entrepreneurs workers and the services sector in strengthening Indias exportsGoyal said Indias economy is currently around 4 trillion and the country is aiming to become a 30 trillion economy by 2047He said Indias goods and services exports have reached a record level and the government has set a target of 1 trillion in exports for the current yearExports have grown around 73 per cent over the last six years while exports during the AprilJuly period of the current year registered nearly 15 per cent growth he saidGoyal called for collective efforts to strengthen the Make in India brand by focusing on quality design and innovationHe said Indian businesses should move beyond limited domestic markets and take their products and services to global marketsGreater participation by Indian consumers in domestic products would help increase production and trade create economies of scale and make Indian businesses more competitive globally he addedThe minister also urged businesses and entrepreneurs to digitise their operations adopt good manufacturing practices and follow fair trading practicesEmphasising the need for sustainable growth Goyal called for greater focus on recycling reuse and the circular economy in view of climate changeHe said selfreliance and national development go hand in hand and called upon citizens to become active participants in Indias journey towards selfrelianceGoyal also highlighted initiatives such as Digital India Startup India and StandUp India along with infrastructure development which he said have strengthened industry and created opportunities for the countrys youthMoreover he expressed confidence that collective efforts by businesses MSMEs farmers fishermen workers and entrepreneurs would help India emerge as a stronger participant in the global economyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/piyush-goyal-calls-for-fair-trade-and-recycling-as-india-eyes-30-trillion-economy-by-2047-696664.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-court-takes-cognisance-of-cbi-chargesheet-in-neet-ug-paper-leak-case-696665.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS A Delhi court on Wednesday took cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI against 13 accused in the alleged NEETUG 2026 question paper leak case and said it would commence hearing on framing of charges from ThursdaynbspThe development came before the specially designated Fast Track Court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex which has been constituted to exclusively deal with offences under the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 and connected casesThe CBI had on July 28 filed its chargesheet against all 13 arrested accused alleging that confidential NEETUG question papers were leaked before the May 3 examination through a network involving NTA subject experts middlemen coaching operators and othersThe chargesheet has claimed that three NTA subject experts entrusted with translation backtranslation and proofreading of question papers managed to take confidential examination questions out of the NTAs office in Delhi by exploiting security lapsesAccording to the probe agency one of the accused PV Kulkarni allegedly wrote down all 135 Chemistry questions and their answer options on small slips of paper and concealed them while leaving the confidential sectionThe CBI said that there was no practice of checking or frisking experts while entering or exiting the confidential section of the NTAThe Central agency further alleged that another accused Manisha Gurunath Mandhare used her familiarity with NCERT textbooks to reconstruct questions after returning to her hotel room while Manisha Sanjay Havaldar allegedly noted down Physics questions in brief after returning to her accommodationThe CBI has also flagged shortcomings in CCTV surveillance at the NTA office stating that only 2025 days of CCTV backup was available and that there was no dedicated livefeed monitoring control room for the confidential sectionThe agency has cited 360 witnesses 422 documents and 43 material objects in support of its caseThe 13 accused have been chargesheeted under Sections 3155 3184 612 238 and 3032 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS 2023 besides provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024The CBI had registered the case on May 12 following a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education over alleged irregularities and leakage of confidential NEETUG question papersThe original NEETUG 2026 examination held on May 3 was subsequently cancelled and a reexamination was conducted on June 21 under heightened security arrangementsAll 13 chargesheeted accused are presently in judicial custodyThe case is among the first major matters to come before the specially designated Fast Track Court constituted by the Delhi High Court last month following Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement of fasttrack courts for speedy and stringent punishment in examination paper leak casesOn July 23 the Delhi High Court constituted the specially designated Fast Track Court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex and appointed judicial officer Anu Grover Baliga as Special CBI Judge Prevention of Corruption Act to preside over the courtThe High Court had directed that all pending cases registered under the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 and connected offences be transferred to the newly created court with immediate effectIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-court-takes-cognisance-of-cbi-chargesheet-in-neet-ug-paper-leak-case-696665.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/hm-shah-requests-ls-speaker-to-consult-oppn-for-students-protest-debate--696667.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging him to consult with the Opposition parties for a discussion on the NEET students protest stating that in a democratic nation solutions emerge only through discussion and dialoguenbspHe also reaffirmed his commitment to remain present in the Lok Sabha when the debate is scheduled and is willing to answer every question raised by the OppositionIn his letter HM Shah said You are aware that the Honble Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju has agreed on behalf of the Government during the Business Advisory Committee meeting to a discussion in Parliament regarding the student protests concerning the NEET examinationHe mentioned that even before the Oppositions request the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill 2026 was discussed in the Parliament however no Honble Member of Parliament from the Opposition expressed any views regarding the NEET examination in the House at that timeNevertheless he said that the Centre is ready to discuss this issue againI request you to consult with the Opposition and based on mutual agreement allocate as much time whether in terms of days or hours as you deem appropriate starting today I intend to remain present in the House during the scheduled time to participate in the discussion on this matter and am prepared to answer all questions raised by the Opposition the Home Minister saidIn a democracy solutions emerge only through discussion and dialogue I have unwavering faith in democracy and democratic institutions and I believe that this House exists precisely for the purpose of discussion and dialogue he addedTherefore I urge you to consult with Opposition leaders and facilitate a discussion on this important subject in a constructive atmosphere so that all Honble Members from both the Treasury and Opposition benches may present their valuable opinions and views HM Shah addedThis comes against the backdrop of the Oppositions questions over the Home Ministers absence from the House The Opposition has sought a statement on the police action against students who participated in the protest march The standoff has led to repeated disruptionsEarlier in the day speaking to reporters on the Parliament premises Home Minister Shah hit back at the Opposition over allegations that he was avoiding the Parliament and said that he had been regularly attending the ongoing Monsoon SessionHM Shah said that Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju had already made it clear that the government was prepared to hold a detailed discussion on the protests by students He said the government had accepted the Oppositions original demand for a discussion and maintained that he himself had made it clear that he was prepared to answer questions on the matter in the ParliamentIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/hm-shah-requests-ls-speaker-to-consult-oppn-for-students-protest-debate--696667.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/millions-of-young-indians-at-adani-group-sites-reminds-me-of-my-own-journey-gautam-adani-696668.html Ahmedabad Aug 12 IANS Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Wednesday reflected on his early struggles saying that the millions of young people working at various Adani Group project sites across the country reminds him of his own journey as a smalltown teenager who left home in search of opportunitiesnbspIn a post on social media platform X Gautam Adani said that whenever he sees young people arriving at the groups project sites from different parts of the country with aspirations in their eyes he is reminded of the path he took at the age of 16 when he left for MumbaiFrom every corner of the country when young people leave behind their homes their families arriving at our Project Sites with dreams in their eyes I see my own journey reflected in them the Adani Group Chairman said16 years of age The first step toward Mumbai Gautam Adani notedRecalling his early years Gautam Adani said he stepped into an unfamiliar city without the comfort of his mothers homecooked meals the protection of his father or a clearly defined futureThe Adani Group Chairman noted that all he possessed at the time was the courage to work hard and a willingness to learn something new every dayThe billionaire businessman said he now sees his own story reflected in millions of young Indians who live far away from their homes and loved ones while striving to build a better future for themselves and the countryNo mothers homecooked meals No sense of a fathers protection No predetermined path Just the courage of hard work and the desire to learn something new every day Today in those millions of young people I see my own story those who are far from home far from loved ones but are shaping their future and Indias future with the sweat of their brow Gautam Adani statedThe Adani Group Chairmans remarks were shared as part of the second episode of My Words With My Loved Ones a series in which he reflects on personal memories life experiences and lessons learned over the yearsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/millions-of-young-indians-at-adani-group-sites-reminds-me-of-my-own-journey-gautam-adani-696668.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/mines-and-minerals-amendment-bill-passed-in-ls-without-debate-house-adjourned-for-the-day-696669.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS The Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Amendment Bill 2026 was passed in the Lok Sabha without debate on WednesdaynbspThe Opposition MPs continued to protest in the Well of the House as the Bill was being introducedJagdambika Pal who was in the Chair began the proceedings by advising the Opposition to maintain decorum of the House however the din did not fade Subsequently the House was adjourned for the dayThe Opposition was demanding complete withdrawal of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026 Pal stated that if any Bill is referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee JPC it is a score for the OppositionThis came as earlier the Central governments resolution to refer the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026 to a JPC was accepted by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday amid massive uproar by the Opposition membersThe JPC will consist of 21 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members The Committee will submit a report to this House by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session 2026Meanwhile the Chair also suggested that the Opposition MPs go back to their seats and discuss the NEET students protest issueReferring to Union Home Minister Amit Shahs latest letter to Speaker Om Birla Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said We are ready and so is 80 per cent of the House to start a discussion on the students protests right awayHe also urged the Opposition MPs to go back to their seats and cooperate so that the discussion can take place on the students issuesPal in the Chair said I will get the discussion started but I request you to clear the Well of the House Government and the Home Minister are ready to answer all your questionsHowever the Opposition benches continued to protest and hence the proceedings of the House were adjourned for the dayIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/mines-and-minerals-amendment-bill-passed-in-ls-without-debate-house-adjourned-for-the-day-696669.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/yashwant-varma-unable-to-explain-cash-found-at-residence-house-panel-finds-696717.html New Delhi Aug 12 IANS A parliamentary committee constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to investigate the recovery of cash from the official residence of former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma has held him responsible in the matter concluding that he failed to explain the presence of the money satisfactorilynbspAccording to details of the committees report accessed by IANS and tabled in Parliament on Wednesday the panel found that large quantities of unexplained Rs 500 currency notes were discovered in a storeroom at Justice Varmas official residence at 30 Tughlak Crescent in New DelhiThe controversy arose after a fire broke out at the residence on the night of March 14 2025 Firefighters responding to the blaze allegedly found substantial amounts of partially burnt cash in the storeroomIn its report the committee said Justice Varma could not provide a credible explanation regarding the source ownership or presence of the currency notesThe panel also raised concerns over the handling of the subsequent investigation noting that key evidence was neither properly secured nor preserved It observed that the condition of the storeroom was altered before it could be lawfully sealed and examinedFurther the report pointed to the unexplained disappearance or unavailability of the recovered currency notes It attributed the loss of material evidence to failures in preserving the scene and to the disturbance of the storeroom by personnel attached to the residenceAt the same time the committee said it found no evidence to establish that Justice Varma personally removed the cashCriticising the former judges response including his March 22 2025 written explanation the panel said it was unsatisfactory and lacked candour transparency and institutional accountabilityThe report comprises two volumes and includes oral testimonies as well as documentary evidence gathered during the inquiryEarlier an inhouse panel set up by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had concluded that Justice Varma exercised active or tacit control over the storeroom where the cash was foundJustice Varma who was serving in the Delhi High Court at the time was later transferred back to his parent court the Allahabad High Court following the controversyParliament subsequently initiated proceedings for his removal However after Justice Varma resigned from office the removal process effectively became infructuousIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/yashwant-varma-unable-to-explain-cash-found-at-residence-house-panel-finds-696717.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-bust-rs-1571-crore-cyber-scam-arrest-nine-in-kerala-gujarat-maharashtra-punjab-696481.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS Delhi Police have busted a panIndia cyber investment fraud and mule account syndicate operating across multiple states leading to the arrest of nine accused persons from Kerala Maharashtra Gujarat and Punjab Investigators have linked the network to 34 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal NCRP involving fraudulent transactions worth more than Rs 1571 croreAccording to Delhi Police the operation by the Cyber Police Station in SouthWest District uncovered an organised cyber fraud network with alleged links extending beyond India During the investigation foreign connections linked to Qatar were unearthed while digital evidence and disclosures indicated that operational coordination of the racket was allegedly being carried out through associates based in Dubai Police have also worked out seven cyber fraud cases registered in Delhi involving a cheated amount of approximately Rs 270 croreThe case originated from a complaint lodged by a resident of Palam Colony in New Delhi The complainant alleged that he was added to several WhatsApp groups that projected themselves as investment learning platformsMembers of the syndicate impersonated market analysts and investment professionals and gained his confidence by conducting fabricated trading sessions sharing fake success stories and circulating screenshots showing substantial profitsThe accused persuaded the complainant to invest through a fraudulent trading application Believing the platform to be genuine the victim transferred Rs 482 lakh through multiple banking channels Initially he was allowed to make a small withdrawal which was intended to build trustSubsequently the accused demanded additional payments on the pretext of an IPO allotment worth approximately Rs 781 lakh Suspecting foul play the complainant reported the matter through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal leading to the registration of FIR No 7526 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS at Police Station Cyber SouthWest DistrictGiven the gravity complexity and interstate nature of the offence a dedicated team comprising SubInspector Girdhari Lal SI Neeraj Head Constable Sandeep HC Lokesh HC Manoj HC Virender and HC Meenakshi was constituted The operation was conducted under the close supervision of Inspector Pravesh Kaushik SHO of PS Cyber SouthWest District and under the overall supervision of ACP Operations SanghamitraInvestigators focused on tracing the money trail through the beneficiary bank accounts and analysing the digital footprint of suspects Examination of financial records transaction details mobile data and digital communications revealed the existence of an interstate network involving account holders facilitators and individuals responsible for arranging and supplying mule bank accountsDuring the probe the money trail led investigators to Maharashtra where accused Shoeb Dilavar Saiyyad was traced and arrested in Nandurbar Examination of his mobile phone revealed incriminating chats and digital evidence Investigators found that he had allegedly travelled to Kerala with four other individuals where purported business entities were created and current bank accounts were opened in their namesPolice further said that the accused were connected through a WhatsApp group named Brotherhood where bank account details were shared The investigation also highlighted the alleged roles of individuals identified as Riya and Sam alias Sameer who reportedly facilitated the creation of firms and current accounts coordinated travel arrangements and managed accountrelated operationsFurther investigation led to the arrest of four Gujaratbased accused Shaikh R Imtiyaz Kamalsha Kadarshah Siddiki M Mufidbhai and Hamza Humayu With the assistance of local police from Bardoli Town in Surat the accused were traced and apprehendedPolice alleged that they were persuaded by Riya to provide current bank accounts in exchange for money and subsequently travelled to Kerala with Shoeb Dilavar SaiyyadAccording to investigators the accused met Riya Sam and Jamal in Kerala where shell business entities were allegedly established and mule current accounts opened in their names The account credentials and banking kits were then allegedly handed over to the operators of the cyber fraud network in exchange for monetary benefitsThe probe also resulted in the arrest of Muzamil Thaib from Manjeshwar in Kerala He was involved in coordinating with account holders arranging accommodation and sharing bank account details and transactionrelated OTPs through WhatsApp groups Another key accused Jamaluddin Faisal was also arrestedPolice said that he played a central role in facilitating the establishment of shell firms and coordinating the opening and operation of bank accounts used in the fraudThe money trail further extended to Punjab where Sarabjit Singh and Sonia Sharma were identified during the investigation Both were associated with bank accounts and the movement of proceeds linked to the cyber fraud network and were subsequently arrestedInvestigators stated that Jamaluddin Faisal disclosed during interrogation that he had previously been associated with individuals connected to the network while staying in Qatar The investigation also revealed that Sam believed to be a principal coordinator of the operation was allegedly managing activities from DubaiThe roles of Riya Sam Farhaz and a bank employee have emerged during the investigation and are currently being verified through financial records documentary evidence and digital analysisPolice said detailed scrutiny of beneficiary accounts established their connection to 34 NCRP complaints involving fraudulent transactions exceeding Rs 1571 crore The seven Delhi cases worked out during the investigation include complaints registered with the Crime Branch IFSO Cyber Police Stations in Outer North and South districts the Special Cell and SouthWest DistrictThe accused have been identified as Jamaluddin Faisal 30 of Kasargod Kerala Sarabjit Singh 43 of Amritsar Punjab Shoeb Dilavar Saiyyad 26 of Nandurbar Maharashtra Siddiki Mahamadsiddik Mufidbhai 30 of Surat Gujarat Shaikh Riyazuddin Imtiyaz 29 of Surat Gujarat Hamza Humayu 26 of Fort Songarh Gujarat Kamalsha Kadarshah 30 of Surat Gujarat Muzamil Thaib 20 of Kasargod Kerala and Sonia Sharma 42 of Amritsar Punjab Police said Jamaluddin Faisal has two previous criminal involvements in Kerala including one case under the NDPS Act and another related to stalkingAccording to investigators the syndicate targeted victims through WhatsApp investment groups and convinced them that they were participating in exclusive institutional investment programmes Fake trading applications displayed fabricated profits to encourage repeated investmentsWhen victims attempted to withdraw funds they were allegedly asked to deposit additional amounts under various pretexts including taxes brokerage charges IPO allotments account verification processing fees and margin requirements The cheated money was then layered through multiple current accounts opened in the names of shell firms before being transferred further to conceal its originDuring the operation police recovered eight mobile phones containing WhatsApp chats banking records KYC documents accountopening forms digital credentials transaction records and other electronic evidence believed to be linked to the fraudDelhi Police said further investigation into the case including its international links and the involvement of other suspected facilitators is underwayIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-bust-rs-1571-crore-cyber-scam-arrest-nine-in-kerala-gujarat-maharashtra-punjab-696481.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ruthless-cong-jmm-regime-nda-leaders-attack-jharkhand-govts-crackdown-on-student-protest-696483.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS NDA leaders on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Hemant Sorenled Jharkhand government over the ongoing student protests in the state alleging that authorities used indiscriminate force against demonstrators demanding action on issues concerning recruitment and their futurenbspBJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan compared the Jharkhand government to the Emergencyera Congress government and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of failing to hold his alliance partner accountableThe ruthless CongressJMM regime in Jharkhand is a carbon copy of Indira Gandhis brutal Emergency and Rahul Gandhi is a spineless opportunist who doesnt have the courage to hold accountable his own government in Jharkhand Kesavan saidHe alleged that students were being oppressed and suppressed for raising their concerns and condemned the reported use of lathis and tear gas during the protestsKesavan also questioned Rahul Gandhis criticism of the use of force against protesters asking why despite his remarks the Jharkhand government allegedly resorted to a lathicharge against students later that nightIts very clear that nobody even his allies takes Rahul Gandhi seriously and they are not bothered about what he says he saidJDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan also targeted the Hemant Soren government alleging that the protests reflected growing insecurity among students over employment opportunities and recruitment processesNow you can see that the Hemant Soren government has been completely exposed Ranjan said alleging that students had repeatedly raised accusations that government jobs could be secured through money or political influenceHe said ordinary students worried about their future were therefore protesting on the streets of Ranchi leading to what he described as an intense confrontationIn West Bengal BJP leader and Minister Dilip Ghosh said the student agitation in Jharkhand had continued with students taking to the streets to raise issues concerning their futureStudents have the right to fight for their future and the government that is unable to protect their rights and interests will have to answer Ghosh saidMeanwhile BJP chief spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo alleged irregularities in competitive examinations in Ranchi and claimed that around two lakh students had gathered on the streetsReferring to Chief Minister Hemant Sorens birthday Shahdeo said students had sarcastically wished him and alleged that the government responded with water cannons tear gas and lathichargeHappy birthday CM sahib may you live for thousands of years and what did the Chief Minister give them in return Shahdeo said alleging that protesters were hit with water cannons tear gas and batonsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ruthless-cong-jmm-regime-nda-leaders-attack-jharkhand-govts-crackdown-on-student-protest-696483.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/school-bus-catches-fire-in-jaisalmer-all-25-children-escape-safely-696485.html Jaipur Aug 11 IANS A private school bus carrying around 25 children caught fire near Dhauva village in Rajasthans Jaisalmer on Tuesday said officials adding that all were saved and there were no casualties or injuriesnbspAccording to the officials the bus was travelling through the area to pick up students from nearby rural areas when smoke suddenly began billowing from the engine compartment Within seconds flames erupted triggering panic among the children and staffThe driver immediately pulled the bus over to the roadside and along with the bus staff evacuated all 25 children to safetyTheir prompt action helped avert what could have been a major tragedy The fire spread rapidly and within minutes the entire bus was engulfed in flames and reduced to a charred wreckThe bus was reportedly approaching Dhauva village when smoke was first noticed coming from the engine area As soon as the fire was detected the driver stopped the vehicle and ensured that every child was safely evacuated Just minutes after the children were moved away from the bus the flames engulfed the entire vehicle Families and local residents breathed a sigh of relief after learning that all the children had escaped unharmedVillagers immediately informed the local administration and fire department about the incident Fire tenders from the Jaisalmer Municipal Council reached the spot and firefighters began efforts to bring the blaze under controlAfter sustained efforts the fire was extinguished However by then the bus had been completely guttedA short circuit in the vehicles electrical system is suspected to be the initial cause of the fireThe exact cause is yet to be confirmed Police and the relevant departments are investigating the incident Fortunately no children or staff members sustained physical injuriesThe incident has once again raised concerns about fire safety equipment vehicle maintenance and mandatory fitness inspections for school busesParents have called for stricter mechanical and electrical inspections of school vehicles in the district to help prevent similar incidents in the futureIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/school-bus-catches-fire-in-jaisalmer-all-25-children-escape-safely-696485.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ndas-mangal-milan-meet-begins-with-vande-mataram-slogans-696488.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS The NDA Parliamentary Partys Mangal Milan meeting is underway at the Parliament Library Building PLB This comes as the ruling alliance chalks out a strategy for the remaining two days of the ongoing Monsoon SessionnbspAll the members of the ruling NDA arrived at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium for the meeting The Nationalist Citizens Party of India NCPI MPs who were earlier with the Trinamool Congress also attended the meetingnbspPrime Minister Narendra Modi Home Minister Amit Shah BJP National President Nitin Nabin Union Health Minister JP Nadda Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal along with other NDA MPs attended the meetingThe meeting began with the Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogans and the tricolour in the hands of all the MPs including the Prime MinisterThe meeting comes as the Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to end on Thursday The NDAled Centre prepares to pass several pending Bills even as disruptions from the Opposition are expected to continue over a range of contentious issuesThe Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated protests and interruptions as Opposition parties raise issues including examination paper leaks police action against protesters during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and the Ram Mandir donation theft casenbspEarlier on Monday amid the heavy sloganeering from the Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the House that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will make a statement about the students protest and called upon the Opposition not to run away during the discussionnbspThe Monsoon Session entered its last week on Monday However the Opposition continued its protest over the NEET paper leak issue and the police action against the protestors on July 20The issue relates to the police action against the protesters at Delhis Jantar Mantar during the Sansad Chalo march on July 20 over the NEET paper leak and other examinationrelated irregularities The Opposition has been demanding the Home Ministers answer over the police brutality against the students during the protestIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/ndas-mangal-milan-meet-begins-with-vande-mataram-slogans-696488.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/gautam-adani-welcomes-us-courts-decision-says-will-continue-to-build-for-our-nation-696490.html WashingtonNew Delhi Aug 11 IANS Gautam Adani Chairman of the Adani Group has welcomed the US courts decision with humility and deep respect for the judicial process as the court dismissed all criminal charges against Gautam Adani Sagar Adani and their associate Vneet JaainnbspJudge Nicholas Garaufis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed criminal charges against the Adani Group on Monday related to securities and wire fraud with prejudiceThroughout this challenging period our faith in truth fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering the Adani Group Chairman said in a post on XMy deepest gratitude to those who never lost faith in us in the system and in Indias capacity for justice said Gautam AdaniSeparately the court finalised a settlement between the Adanis and the US Securities and Exchange Commission SEC which will see the former pay the US government 18 million and formally settle the civil securities fraud charges against themWe will continue doing what matters building for our nation creating value that outlasts us and serving a purpose larger than ourselves That is our commitment Gautam Adani mentioned in the X postLast month the US Department of Justice told a federal court that investors suffered no financial losses in the securities at the centre of the case against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani arguing that the absence of investor losses further undermined the governments own prosecution and reinforced its decision to seek dismissal of all criminal chargesIn a detailed filing before the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York the Department said one of the central weaknesses in the securities fraud case was that investors had not suffered any financial harmNot a single penny has ever been lost on the securities at issue the filing states It adds that two of the notes involved in the case are fully paid back while the other two notes are currently paid up with no indication of any change aheadIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/gautam-adani-welcomes-us-courts-decision-says-will-continue-to-build-for-our-nation-696490.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-till-2-pm-amid-opposition-protest-696495.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday amid heavy sloganeering from the Opposition Benches during the Question HournbspLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged the parliamentarians to stop the sloganeering and allow the proceedings to run smoothlyDisruptions in the House are against the spirit of democracy We must have debates and discussions in the House The government has assured that the Home Minister is ready to discuss the students protest issue Speaker Birla said while asking both the Treasury and Opposition Benches to maintain the decorum of the HouseHowever the Opposition demanded Home Minister Amit Shahs presence in the House for the discussion on the police action against the NEET protesters during the July 20 Parliament marchWhen the din did not fade the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pmThe Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated protests and interruptions as Opposition parties raise issues including examination paper leaks police action against protesters during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and the Ram Mandir donation theft caseEarlier in the day the Bharatiya Janata Partyled NDA MPs staged a protest march towards the Parliaments Makar Dwar carrying placards reading Grah Mantri ki charcha se Rahul Gandhi bhago mat Rahul Gandhi dont run away from Home Ministers replyThe BJP claimed that the Opposition and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi are running away from the discussion on the police action against students protest even as the government confirmed that Home Minister Amit Shah is ready to give a statement on the issueThe Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to end on Thursday The NDAled Centre prepares to pass several pending Bills even as disruptions from the Opposition are expected to continue over a range of contentious issuesEarlier on Monday amid the heavy sloganeering from the Opposition Benches in the Lok Sabha Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the House that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will make a statement about the students protest and called upon the Opposition not to run away during the discussionThe issue relates to the police action against the protesters at Delhis Jantar Mantar during the Sansad Chalo march on July 20 over the NEET paper leak and other examinationrelated irregularities The Opposition has been demanding the Home Ministers answer over the police brutality against the students during the protestIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-till-2-pm-amid-opposition-protest-696495.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-grants-interim-protection-to-abhishek-banerjee-in-remaining-3-cases-696526.html Kolkata Aug 11 IANS A singlejudge Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from coercive police action including arrests to Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the partys Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee in three more cases registered against him by the West Bengal PolicenbspThe state police had registered a total of 16 cases against Abhishek also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Out of these 16 cases interim protection was granted to the Diamond Harbour MP earlier in 13 casesAnd now on Tuesday the interim protection was granted in the remaining three cases which will be effective till August 31 by the singlejudge Bench of Justice Saugata BhattacharyyaTwo of the three cases in which the court granted interim protection to the Diamond Harbour MP were registered at Kalitala Police Station and Bishnupur Police Station under Diamond Harbour Police district and one was registered at Bhabanipur Police under Kolkata PoliceIncidentally on Monday the Supreme Courts Division Bench of Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana allowed Abhishek to travel abroad for three weeks for medical treatment of his eye setting aside the Calcutta High Courts refusal to relax the restriction on his foreign travelHowever the permission was subject to certain conditions including that he would travel only on his diplomatic passport and share his itinerary and place of stay abroad with the investigating agencyNow with the Calcutta High Court granting him interim protection in the remaining three cases registered against him by the state police the pressure is off to a great extent on the Diamond Harbour MPHowever on Tuesday both the state government counsel and the counsel for the petitioner on the basis of whose complaints the FIRs were registered against Abhishek tried their best to oppose the granting of interim protectionBoth the counsels questioned the admissibility of the petitions seeking interim protection instead of seeking anticipatory bailHowever Justice Bhattacharyya dismissed their arguments stating that if interim protection is not granted in these cases then the previous interim protections granted in other cases would become meaninglessFinally at the end of the hearing Justice Bhattacharyya granted interim protection to the Diamond Harbour MP till August 31IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/calcutta-hc-grants-interim-protection-to-abhishek-banerjee-in-remaining-3-cases-696526.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/landslides-on-busy-road-in-darjeeling-district-stall-traffic-movement-in-bengal-hill-areas-more-rains-predicted-696531.html Kolkata Aug 11 IANS Although the weather improved in north Bengal heavy landslides occurred on a busy road in Darjeeling district causing great inconvenience to the people On Monday morning a heavy landslide occurred on the important hill road from Jorebungalow to Teesta Bazar via Peshok A part of the road has practically disappeared at the moment As a result traffic movement on the DarjeelingTeesta route was disrupted till TuesdaynbspVehicles ply between Darjeeling Kalimpong and Gangtok in Sikkim on this route Due to this public life has also been affected considerablyMany passenger and goods vehicles were stuck On receiving the news of the incident officials of the Public Works Department and the local administration reached the spot with rescue teamsRoad clearing work started on a war footing Arrangements have been made for oneway traffic to avoid danger until the road is repaired Police and rescue workers are trying to move the stuck vehicles in a controlled manner Goods trucks have been advised to use alternative routesMeanwhile the 20th Mile area has been opened for light vehicles after almost a month The roads in the area have been opened since Monday morningResidents of Bardang and Singtam in neighbouring Sikkim have found relief in such a move The daily lives of the residents of Bardang Singtam Rangpo and adjacent areas were severely disrupted due to the longstanding road closureMeanwhile a low pressure area is forming again in Bay of Bengal which will bring more rain across south and north Bengal for the next few days The Met office said that due to its influence there is a possibility of heavy rain in several districts from midweek The sea will remain rough therefore fishermen have also been banned from going to sea from today Tuesday to next FridayToday there is a possibility of light to moderate rain and thundershowers in many places in all districts of south BengalOn Wednesday the amount of rain will increase further Light to moderate rain will occur in most districts of south Bengal on that day On Thursday rain is likely to occur in all districts of south Bengal with heavy rain predicted at one or two places in South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districtsThe same situation will continue on Friday August 14 There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in South 24 Parganas East Midnapore and West Midnapore districtsAt the same time the rain will continue in the north as well On Wednesday there will be rain in most areas of North Bengal Among them heavy rain is likely at one or two places in Darjeeling Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districtsOn August 13 and 14 ie Thursday and Friday there is a possibility of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at most areas in all districts of north BengalMeanwhile the maximum temperature of the day in Kolkata and its surrounding areas on Monday was 3302 degrees Celsius which is 0008 degrees higher than normal The minimum temperature was 2707 degrees Celsius which is 0009 degrees higher than normalIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/landslides-on-busy-road-in-darjeeling-district-stall-traffic-movement-in-bengal-hill-areas-more-rains-predicted-696531.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/former-irctc-official-gets-three-year-jail-term-rs-1475-lakh-fine-in-da-case-696536.html Lucknow Aug 11 IANS A CBI court in Lucknow has convicted and sentenced a former senior Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation IRCTC official to three years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1475 lakh in a disproportionate assets DA case following an investigation against himnbspThe Central Bureau of Investigation CBI court Lucknow on Monday convicted Krishna Mohan Tripathi the then Chief Regional Manager of IRCTCs Regional Office in Lucknow after finding him guilty of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of incomeThe case dates back to a trap operation conducted on October 31 2009 when Tripathi was allegedly caught redhanded while demanding and accepting Rs 70000 as illegal gratificationThe subsequent investigation into the case revealed evidence suggesting that he had accumulated assets beyond his known sources of incomeThe CBI registered the DA case on February 24 2010 After completing its investigation the agency filed a charge sheet against Tripathi on December 13 2011During the trial the prosecution established that Tripathi was in possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 144 croreThe assets were assessed to be 10253 per cent higher than his total known income during the relevant periodThe court after examining the evidence presented during the trial convicted him and awarded the sentenceThe conviction comes amid continued CBI action in cases involving public servants accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to their legitimate incomeIn January last year a CBI court in Ahmedabad sentenced one Anil Kumar Singh a former Employees State Insurance Corporation inspector to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh in a DA case The agency had alleged that Singh possessed assets 314 per cent higher than his known sources of incomeIn another DArelated development in March 2026 a CBI court in Ahmedabad sentenced a private person Jashodaben Rameshbhai Vadadia to two years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20000 for abetting the acquisition of disproportionate assets by her husband a former Income Tax officerThe assets involved in the case were found to be substantially higher than the couples known sources of incomeThe CBI has also continued registering fresh DA cases against serving officials In February 2026 the agency booked a Pondicherry University deputy registrar over alleged disproportionate assets of around Rs 54 lakh accumulated during a period of about two and a half yearsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/former-irctc-official-gets-three-year-jail-term-rs-1475-lakh-fine-in-da-case-696536.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-accuses-lop-gandhi-of-running-away-from-discussion-in-parl-cong-hits-back-696540.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS NDA leaders on Tuesday alleged that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi was running away from the Oppositiondemanded discussion on the police action against student agitators in the national Capital even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to respond Meanwhile the Congress stuck to its demand seeking HM Shahs response to the alleged use of pellet guns during the July 20 march to ParliamentnbspMoreover the NDA also targeted the Congress for the alleged lathicharge on protesters in JharkhandSpeaking to IANS BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said We are ready to listen to everything the Opposition has to say and respond to every pointRahul Gandhi you keep creating a ruckus but the Jharkhand government is running with your support Jobs are being sold in every examination there students are on hunger strikes facing lathicharges and tear gas Dont you have to answer for this This cannot continue and we want to make that clearRahul Gandhi will have to respond to our questionsnow he is running away from the debate in Parliament he addedUnion Minister and RPI A chief Ramdas Athawale alleged that LoP Gandhis only job is to demand everyones resignationRahul Gandhi is afraid of Amit Shah that is why he keeps losing elections he further told IANSShiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde echoed saying Home Minister is prepared to respond The government has agreed to discuss the issue for which the Opposition did not allow Parliament to function but the Opposition is still not ready to accept it This shows that they dont want to discuss anything and neither do they want the House to functionBJP MP K Laxman also accused LoP Gandhi of avoiding the discussionThe demands you raised in the House are now being accepted and the Home Minister is ready for a discussion yet you are backing out Rahul Gandhi do not run away come and participate in the discussion The entire country should know what happened in Jharkhand and how students are being subjected to lathicharges in states governed by you he told IANSFurther he urged LoP Gandhi to apologise adding Congress representatives in the Jharkhand government should resignThe Congress is in alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM in the stateAdding to the critique BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accused the LoP of encouraging brutalityThe truth is that Rahul Gandhi is encouraging brutalityThe people of the country as well as the people of Jharkhand are watching this policy of Rahul Gandhi that encourages brutality he told IANSHowever sticking to the Oppositions demands Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asked for the Home Ministers response to the alleged use of pellet guns during the July 20 march to ParliamentTalking to IANS he said For the past 15 days the Opposition has been demanding that the Home Minister be present There was a twoday discussion on education in the Lok Sabha yet the Home Minister was absent Our clear demand is that he should clarify whether he ordered the use of pellet guns or whether he was unaware of it Whatever it is he should make a statement take responsibility and resignnow he Amit Shah has woken up to give his opinionAs Rahul Gandhi has already said he Shah should speak about who gave orders for the use of pellet guns and resign Gogoi addedSimilarly Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said Let us see whether they fulfil their constitutional responsibilities The Home Minister should come prepared and first answer who ordered the lathicharge on these innocent students who ordered the use of nailstudded batons and who authorised the firing of pellet guns Such force was used against them as if they were terroristsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-accuses-lop-gandhi-of-running-away-from-discussion-in-parl-cong-hits-back-696540.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-notice-on-pil-raising-concerns-over-viral-cockroach-janta-party-campaign-696543.html New Delhi Aug 11 IANS The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation PIL seeking safeguards against the alleged commercial exploitation and monetisation of oral observations made during judicial proceedings through social media campaigns and digital contentnbspA Bench of Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana sought responses from the Union of India the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology the Bar Council of India and the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI and posted the matter for further hearing on September 10nbspThe PIL filed through advocateonrecord Rajesh Singh Chauhan has raised concerns over the alleged transformation of courtroom exchanges and oral observations of constitutional courts into viral digital content memes political symbolism and monetised online campaigns detached from their judicial and procedural contextnbspThe petition specifically refers to the rise of the satirical social media campaign titled Cockroach Janta Party CJP alleging that the controversy surrounding oral observations made during a Supreme Court hearing was converted into digitally marketable content political symbolism viral commodities and monetised spectaclenbspAccording to the plea the campaign rapidly developed into a largescale digital movement with courtroom remarks allegedly being selectively clipped circulated and transformed into memes and viral contentnbspThe PIL contends that the issue is not criticism of the judiciary or democratic dissent protected under Article 191a of the Constitution but the alleged organised commercial exploitation and monetisation of judicial proceedingsnbspIt has sought safeguards against organised commercial exploitation trademarkcommercialisation monetised viral circulation memebased distortion and algorithmically amplified digital commodification of oral courtroom proceedings and institutional constitutional discoursenbspThe plea further seeks appropriate directions for an investigation into activities allegedly involving monetisation branding and digital propagation of controversies arising from oral observations made during court proceedingsnbspThe controversy traces back to oral observations made during a hearing on May 15 when expressions including references to parasites and youngsters like cockroaches were reportedly used in the context of persons allegedly entering professions on the basis of fake degreesnbspThe controversy subsequently triggered the CJP campaign on social media which the petitioner claimed rapidly developed into a largescale digital movement and a form of online branding and political symbolismnbspThe petition had alleged that the courtroom interaction was selectively clipped memeified mimicked commercially circulated and transformed into viral digital content The PIL had alleged that the campaign and subsequent branding activities reflected organised digital exploitation of a judicial controversy and raised concerns over the manner in which courtroom proceedings were being converted into online entertainment and monetised contentnbspFollowing the controversy CJI Surya Kant had clarified that the remarks were directed specifically at persons obtaining fake and bogus degrees and were not aimed at the youth of the countrynbspThe plea contends that constitutional courts derive legitimacy from public confidence institutional neutrality constitutional trust and procedural seriousness rather than algorithmic popularity or approvalnbspIt has further raised concerns over the growing influence of outrage algorithms trolling cultures meme warfare emotional mobilisation and monetised virality on public discourse surrounding judicial proceedingsnbspAccording to the petitioner the increasing transformation of solemn courtroom interactions into viral spectacles could undermine the institutional dignity of constitutional courts and public confidence in the judicial processnbspThe PIL has urged the Supreme Court to formulate safeguards governing the commercial use and monetisation of judicial proceedings and to ensure that oral observations are not selectively distorted or commercially exploited in a manner detached from the context in which they were madenbspIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-notice-on-pil-raising-concerns-over-viral-cockroach-janta-party-campaign-696543.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-row-ed-files-ecir-to-begin-probe-into-suspected-financial-transactions-696331.html New Delhi Aug 10 IANS The Enforcement Directorate ED has entered the investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commissions JPSC 14th Preliminary Examination PT and other examinations registering an Enforcement Case Information Report ECIR to examine the financial aspects of the casenbspThe ED has registered the ECIR on the basis of an FIR lodged by the Crime Investigation Department CID in connection with the alleged examination irregularities The development brings the financial transactions and possible money trail linked to the alleged examination scam under the agencys scrutinyThe agency is suspected to be examining whether largescale financial transactions took place in connection with the alleged irregularities in the examinations The investigation may cover the financial transactions associated with the case the sources of funds and the possible movement of moneyThe ED is expected to ascertain whether money changed hands in connection with the alleged examination irregularities and if financial transactions are established identify the individuals who may have been involved and determine the nature of their alleged rolesA fivemember team from the EDs Ranchi unit has arrived to investigate the financial aspects of the case The team comprises one Assistant Director and four inspectors The officials may question people connected with the case and examine relevant documents and financial records as required during the course of the investigationThe alleged irregularities in the JPSC 14th Preliminary Examination have already led to 19 arrests according to the information available in the case The broader investigation into the alleged examination irregularities is being conducted by the Jharkhand CIDThe EDs entry comes amid the continuing controversy surrounding the examination process and demands from students for action against alleged irregularities Before the development the state government and students held marathon discussions over three consecutive days in an effort to avert student agitationAccording to the government several demands raised by the students were agreed to during the discussions However the talks could not reach a final resolutionAmong the key demands raised by the students were an investigation into the alleged examination irregularities cancellation of examinations suspected of being affected by irregularities and reforms in the examination systemIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-row-ed-files-ecir-to-begin-probe-into-suspected-financial-transactions-696331.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/kanwar-yatra-is-festival-of-harmony-make-it-occasion-for-social-responsibility-service-cm-yogi--696334.html Lucknow Aug 10 IANS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people to make the annual Kanwar Yatra a festival of social responsibility service and cooperation saying the pilgrimage is not merely a religious ritual but also a living expression of social harmony discipline and Indias cultural traditionsnbspIn a message to the people of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi said some journeys in Indian tradition go beyond religious observances and become a living school of society culture discipline and public lifeHe described the Kanwar Yatra held during the holy month of Shravan as one such unique tradition that brings crores of devotees together through their devotion to Lord ShivaIn this journey every Shiva devotee has one identity Kanwariya the chief minister said referring to the saffron attire the kanwar carried on the shoulder and the unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva that unite the pilgrims He said their walking pace may differ but their destination remains the same offering holy water to MahadevHe said distinctions of caste class language region and economic status become secondary during the pilgrimage Kanwar Yatra is a great festival of harmony and a living example of the principle of equality in Sanatan culture he saidReferring to the traditional belief associated with the pilgrimage the chief minister said Lord Shiva consumed the deadly poison during the churning of the cosmic ocean to protect creation and came to be known as Neelkanth To soothe the heat of the poison the gods performed his abhishek with Ganga water he said adding that the tradition of offering Ganga water during Shravan has since been regarded as particularly sacredThe Kanwar Yatra CM Yogi said carries messages of austerity service selfrestraint and mutual cooperation Austerity strengthens character service improves society and unity makes the nation stronger he saidThe chief minister also expressed admiration for devotees including persons with disabilities who undertake the arduous pilgrimage without being deterred by difficulties Their unwavering faith and dedication he said are the greatest strengths of the Kanwar YatraHe said the state government is committed to ensuring that every devotee completes the journey safely and with dignity Arrangements include floral showers to welcome Kanwariyas cleanliness along the routes organised camps safe drinking water medical assistance toilets lighting traffic management and continuous monitoring through control roomsAdityanath appealed to people to turn the pilgrimage into an occasion for social responsibility and service He urged devotees to adopt environmentfriendly kanwars and take a pledge to live free of plasticHe also appealed to people to give priority to ambulances and school vehicles travelling along the routes Our small act of alertness can become great assistance for someone he saidThe government is committed to your convenience and safety but maintaining the dignity of this sacred tradition is the responsibility of all of us CM Yogi said adding that faith discipline restraint and service constitute the soul of the Kanwar Yatra and reflect Lord Shivas message of public welfareIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/kanwar-yatra-is-festival-of-harmony-make-it-occasion-for-social-responsibility-service-cm-yogi--696334.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-to-hit-streets-today-to-protest-against-attack-on-mamata-banerjee-696336.html Kolkata Aug 10 IANS Following the attack on former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bijpur in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district the minority faction of the Trinamool Congress has decided to hold protest rallies across the state on MondaynbspnbspA party insider said that a protest march will be held in all the blocks of the state Party MLAs who have not joined the rebel camp will mark their protest in the state AssemblyAccording to the party insider Trinamool Congress is trying to intensify its movement in the state focusing on Sundays incidentAfter the Assembly results were announced party supremo Mamata Banerjee sat on a dharna on Y channel on June 2 to protest against multiple issues in the state including postpoll violence and the eviction of hawkers However so far the entire programme of the Mamata Banerjeeled faction of the Trinamool Congress has been KolkatacentricAccording to the insider the party is now trying to reach out to its workers in the districts and inspire activists and supporters to take part in its fresh movements The district leaders have been asked to organise processions in every block after 2 pm on Monday to protest against the attackThe threetime former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fell victim to spontaneous public outrage on Sunday afternoon after she went to Bijpur to meet the family of a Trinamool Congress worker who allegedly died in police custodyPolice had arrested Birju Keot the husband of Jenny Sharma Keot a Trinamool councillor who had resigned from the Kanchrapara Municipality in North 24 Parganas over various allegations including extortionHe died mysteriously in the lockup on Saturday August 8 His family alleged that Birju was beaten to death On Sunday afternoon the former Chief Minister accompanied by two party MPs went to visit Birjus family but faced protests on the wayIt is alleged that shoes and mud were hurled at her vehicle Mamata Banerjee claimed that BJPbacked miscreants were responsible for the act Bricks and stones were also thrown at the car She also claimed that had the windows been open she could have suffered a head injury or even lost her lifeChief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday evening said that no BJP members were involved in the protests Speaking about the incident the Chief Minister also offered a piece of advice to the former Chief Minister He said that Mamata Banerjee should wear a headset when stepping out in public That way she wouldnt have to hear chants of thiefIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/trinamool-to-hit-streets-today-to-protest-against-attack-on-mamata-banerjee-696336.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-march-towards-assembly-over-recruitment-exam-row-demand-reforms-cbi-probe-696339.html Ranchi Aug 10 IANS Protesting students in Ranchi on Monday began their march towards the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly to press for reforms in recruitment examinations as their agitation entered its 17th day with multiple rounds of talks failing to address their concernsCarrying the Tiranga and flowers in their hands the students described their march as a peaceful demonstration against alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations The protesters also criticised the administration for imposing strict security measures and alleged that authorities were attempting to prevent them from reaching the AssemblyThe demonstration comes amid an ongoing agitation by students demanding the cancellation of controversial recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission JSSC They are also seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation CBI probe into the alleged irregularitiesSpeaking to IANS one of the student protesters appealed to aspirants from across the state to join the movementI want to appeal to all students to reach the Vidhan Sabha as soon as possible The government appears to be fearful which is why it is trying to stop us Students from different communities and castes have come together here We are witnessing student unity which will benefit future generations We are carrying flowers in our hands to show that our protest is completely peaceful the student saidAnother protester alleged that the administration had created unnecessary hurdles for the studentsThe administration is treating us unfairly and was not allowing us to move near the Vidhan Sabha It took us more than five hours to reach here I have come here for the students and their future the student saidA third student questioned the governments reluctance to accept the protesters demandsThey are telling the world that they are engaging in dialogue with students but none of our demands are being accepted We are only asking for a CBI inquiry If the government has nothing to hide then why is it afraid of a CBI investigation the student askedAnother participant accused the government of ignoring the concerns of aspirantsWe want to wake up a government that is not paying attention to the future of students There seems to be no sympathy for students The entire system is flawed and examinations are not being conducted properly the protester saidThe protest gained momentum after the third round of talks between student representatives and the state government failed to produce any breakthrough on Sunday Following the collapse of negotiations thousands of students from different districts began arriving in Ranchi to participate in the Assembly gheraoAspirants travelled to the state capital by buses trains and private vehicles with many arriving as early as Sunday morning Hundreds spent the night under the open sky at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium Atal Smriti Vendor Market and the verandas of nearby buildingsIn anticipation of the protest authorities have made extensive security arrangements across the state capital Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita BNSS have been imposed within a 750metre radius of the Assembly complex Heavy barricading has been erected at around 12 key locations along the route leading to the Assembly with barbed wire installed at several pointsAround 2000 additional police personnel along with units of the Rapid Action Force RAF riotcontrol vehicles and water cannons have been deployed to maintain law and order While the state government has directed security personnel to exercise restraint and avoid the use of unnecessary force the installation of barbedwire barricades has triggered a political controversy in JharkhandIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-students-march-towards-assembly-over-recruitment-exam-row-demand-reforms-cbi-probe-696339.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bki-terror-module-busted-key-operative-arrested-with-hand-grenade-in-punjab-696361.html Chandigarh Aug 10 IANS In a major breakthrough against crossborder terror networks an ISIsponsored Babbar Khalsa International BKI terror module was busted and a key operative was arrested with a hand grenade said Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on MondaynbspThe operation was jointly carried out by the Counter Intelligence Jalandhar and the SBS Nagar Police They busted the BKI terror module operated by foreignbased handlers with the arrest of the key operative and recovery of an 86P hand grenadePreliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused had allegedly procured the grenade from Adampur in Jalandhar district on the directions of foreignbased handlers The DGP said a first information report FIR has been registered at the police station Sadar in Nawanshahr town in SBS Nagar under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Explosive Substances ActnbspFurther investigation is underway to expose the complete terror network including foreign handlers local support networks and forward and backward linkagesEarlier Counter Intelligence Ferozepur in a joint operation with Border Security Force BSF busted a major crossborder narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of two individuals and recovered 30 heroin from their possessionnbspThose arrested had been identified as Sukhwinder Singh and Manpreet SinghApart from recovering a big haul of heroin police teams had also impounded their motorcycle being used for smuggling activities Sharing operational details Assistant Inspector General Ferozepur Gursewak Singh had said that acting upon a specific tipoff the police conducted a special joint operation with BSF Fazilka near Satirwala village in FazilkaDuring the operation the police party apprehended two suspected persons travelling on the motorcycle and recovered 30200 kg heroin from their possessionHe had said then that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days as the investigation progressesnbspAn FIR under sections 21C 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act was registered at Police Station State Special Operation Cell in Fazilka the official said https://dailyworld.in/national/bki-terror-module-busted-key-operative-arrested-with-hand-grenade-in-punjab-696361.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rajya-sabha-passes-bankers-books-evidence-bill-oppn-walks-out-696367.html New Delhi Aug 10 IANS The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Bankers Books Evidence Bill 2026 by a voice vote after Opposition members walked out before a detailed discussion could take placenbspnbspFollowing multiple adjournments earlier in the day the House reassembled and ViceChairman Harivansh Narayan Singh called upon Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to move that the Bill already passed by the Lok Sabha be taken into considerationThe legislation sought to replace the 135yearold Bankers Books Evidence Act of 1891 and align the legal framework governing financial evidence with contemporary digital banking practicesOpposition members continued raising slogans as the Bill was tabledThe ViceChairman told Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge that he would be permitted to speak under the rules framed in 1952 if he confined his remarks to the Bill A heated exchange followedKharge raised his voice shouting chanda chor but his words were drowned out in the dinThe ViceChairman then requested members to stick to the subject and called upon several speakers including Mohammad Nadimul Haque AITC West Bengal Arun Singh of the BJP from Uttar Pradesh Manas Ranjan Mangaraj of the BJD from Odisha S Niranjan Reddy of the YSRCP from Andhra Pradesh Rajendra Hiralal Jain of the NCP from Maharashtra Bhashyam Rama Krishna of the TDP from Andhra Pradesh Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju of the VRS from Telangana LK Sudheesh of the DMDK from Tamil Nadu Dr M Dhanapal of the AIADMK from Tamil Nadu and Dr Jyoti Nagnath Waghmare of the Shiv Sena from MaharashtraExplaining the need for the legislation Nirmala Sitharaman said the original 1891 law was enacted when banking records were maintained predominantly in physical form Its primary purpose was to allow certified copies of bank records to be used as evidence in legal proceedings thereby saving bank officials the trouble of producing original ledgers in courtWith the rapid growth of digital banking records are now created stored and maintained using modern technologyShe said the Bill has been introduced to protect full privacy and safeguardsThe government therefore found it necessary to modernise and strengthen the existing legal frameworkMembers who spoke on the Bill welcomed the longoverdue technological update and also talked about data privacy and safeguards in the new lawEarlier in the afternoon the House was adjourned till 215 pm after Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singhs attempt to call the Finance Minister was disrupted within two minutes by the Opposition which continued its protestIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rajya-sabha-passes-bankers-books-evidence-bill-oppn-walks-out-696367.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/heavy-rain-brings-relief-to-delhi-ncr-from-humidity-imd-forecasts-more-showers-this-week-696368.html New Delhi Aug 10 IANS Heavy rainfall lashed several parts of DelhiNCR on Monday bringing muchneeded relief from the prevailing heat and humidity as the showers which have continued intermittently over the past few days have lowered daytime temperatures and provided pleasant weather conditions across the regionAccording to the India Meteorological Department IMD Delhi is likely to receive another spell of very light rainfall on August 12 and 13 One or two spells of rain are expected during this period although overall precipitation is likely to remain limitedThe wind pattern is also expected to change over the coming days On August 12 winds are likely to blow from the northeast to southwest direction while on August 13 they are expected to shift from the northwest to west Wind speeds are likely to range between 10 and 15 kmphThe IMD has further predicted light to very light rainfall across several parts of Delhi on August 14 and 15 Wind speeds are expected to remain around 1015 kmph with westerly winds prevailing on August 14 and northwesterly winds likely on August 15Overall the national capital is expected to witness cloudy skies and occasional light rainfall throughout the week However meteorologists have cautioned that the showers may not provide significant relief from humidity as temperatures are likely to remain relatively high According to the IMD maximum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged over the next seven daysDelhiNCR has witnessed widespread rainfall since Friday with several areas receiving heavy showers over the weekend Despite being only the first half of August the region has already experienced a prolonged spell of rain While the rainfall has helped reduce daytime temperatures it has also caused severe traffic congestion and waterlogging in several localitiesAccording to IMD data Saturday August 8 was the rainiest day of the month in the last two years As of Sunday morning 987 mm of rainfall had been recorded during the preceding 24 hours making it the highest singleday rainfall recorded in August since 2024The minimum temperature in the national capital was recorded at 265 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature was expected to remain around 34 degrees Celsius Cloud cover persisted throughout the day with light to moderate rainfall reported at isolated locationsMeanwhile Delhis air quality remained in the moderate category on Monday According to Air Quality Index AQI monitoring data Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 157 Chandni Chowk 88 Pusa 63 JNU 59 North Campus 287 ITO 86 IIT Delhi 93 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 75 Patparganj 65 and Narela 79 Despite the recent rainfall several parts of the city continued to report moderate air quality levelsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/heavy-rain-brings-relief-to-delhi-ncr-from-humidity-imd-forecasts-more-showers-this-week-696368.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/534-births-since-2014-15-reflect-success-of-jiyo-parsi-scheme-kiren-rijiju-696374.html New Delhi Aug 10 IANS As many as 534 births have been reported in the Parsi Community since 201415 as the government intensified efforts to stabilise their population with an expenditure of Rs 3743 crore on the Jiyo Parsi scheme Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha on MondayRijiju in a written reply to a question said these 500plus births have brought a ray of hope among the Parsi Community towards stabilising their declining populationHe said independent thirdparty evaluation studies also reported the scheme as successful in meeting its targetSharing details of the expenditure on the Jiyo Parsi scheme Rijiju said in 202526 a total of Rs 293 crore was spent under the health of the community component Rs 24 lakh was spent under the medical component and Rs 29 lakh was spent on advocacyThe amount spent on the health of the community component has steadily risen over the years including Rs 253 crore in 202324 and Rs 266 crore in 202425The Minister said that since 2013 the cumulative yearwise number of beneficiaries of the Parsi Community provided with financial assistance for treatment of infertility issues childbearing childbirth and Post Natal Care under the Medical components is 582In addition since 201819 the cumulative yearwise number of beneficiaries provided with financial assistance under the Health of Community component of the scheme is 1055He said publicity about the scheme is undertaken regularly to increase awareness and outreach among the Parsi communitySeveral workshopsinteraction sessions registration drives and bioauthentication drives are also organised said RijijuDissemination of information regarding implementation of the Jiyo Parsi Scheme is also carried out through major Parsi newspapers every month Under this component of the scheme no direct financial assistance is provided to the beneficiariesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/534-births-since-2014-15-reflect-success-of-jiyo-parsi-scheme-kiren-rijiju-696374.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/tamil-thai-vazhthu-must-come-first-cm-vijay-to-move-special-resolution-in-assembly-today-696315.html Chennai Aug 10 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to move a special resolution in the State Legislative Assembly on Monday seeking to make it mandatory for Tamil Thai Vazhthu the state invocation song to be rendered first at all government functions The resolution assumes political significance amid controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram at official functions attended by the Governor an issue that has triggered protests and political debate in the stateThrough the resolution the Vijay government seeks to establish a uniform protocol under which Tamil Thai Vazhthu will be accorded precedence at official events organised by the state government and institutions under its controlThe proposed protocol is expected to apply to functions conducted at educational institutions government offices public sector undertakings and other staterun establishmentsUnder the proposed arrangement Tamil Thai Vazhthu will be rendered at the beginning of such programmes The move comes against the backdrop of differences over the ceremonial protocol followed at events attended by the GovernorThe rendition of Vande Mataram before Tamil Thai Vazhthu at some programmes has drawn objections from political quarters with critics arguing that the established convention regarding the state invocation should be respectedThe special resolution is expected to formally reiterate the importance accorded to Tamil Thai Vazhthu at official events and remove ambiguity over the order in which ceremonial songs should be renderedMembers belonging to various political parties are expected to participate in the discussion when the Chief Minister tables the resolution in the AssemblyLegislators are likely to express their respective partiesâ positions on the issue before the House takes up the resolution for adoptionThe government is expected to seek consensus among all parties given the cultural and political significance attached to Tamil Thai Vazhthu in Tamil NaduThe resolution is expected to be adopted unanimously after the debate signalling the Assemblyâs collective support for ensuring that the Tamil invocation occupies the first place in the ceremonial protocol at state government functionsThe move could also establish clearer guidelines for future official programmes including those attended by constitutional authorities and prevent further disputes over the sequence of invocation songs at government events IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/tamil-thai-vazhthu-must-come-first-cm-vijay-to-move-special-resolution-in-assembly-today-696315.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-ncr-likely-to-witness-cloudy-skies-intermittent-rain-till-aug-14-aqi-remains-moderate-696318.html New Delhi Aug 10 Residents of DelhiNCR woke up to a humid Monday morning with discomfort due to high moisture levels despite recent spells of rain According to the India Meteorological Department IMD temperatures are expected to remain near or slightly below normal over the coming days The weather department has forecast cloudy skies and intermittent rainfall across Delhi and adjoining areas until August 14 According to the IMD forecast Delhi may receive another spell of very light rain on August 12 and 13 One or two spells of rainfall are likely during this period although the overall precipitation is expected to remain limitedThe wind pattern is also expected to change in the coming days Winds are likely to blow from the northeast to southwest on August 12 and from the northwest to west on August 13 with speeds ranging between 10 and 15 kmphLight to very light rainfall is also expected across several parts of Delhi on August 14 and 15 Wind speeds are likely to remain around 1015 kmph with westerly winds prevailing on August 14 and northwesterly winds expected on August 15Overall Delhi is likely to witness cloudy weather accompanied by occasional light rainfall throughout the week However the showers may not provide significant relief from the prevailing humidity as temperatures are expected to remain relatively high The IMD has indicated that maximum temperatures are likely to remain broadly unchanged over the next seven daysDelhiNCR witnessed widespread rainfall beginning Friday with several areas receiving heavy showers over the weekend Despite being only the first half of August the region has experienced a prolonged spell of continuous rain While the rainfall has helped lower daytime temperatures and create relatively pleasant weather conditions it has also led to severe traffic congestion and waterlogging in many areasAccording to IMD data Saturday August 8 was the rainiest day of the month in the last two years As of Sunday morning 987 mm of rainfall had been recorded in the preceding 24 hours making it the highest singleday rainfall recorded in August since 2024The national capitalâs minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 265 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 34 degrees Celsius Cloud cover is likely to persist throughout the day with light to moderate rain expected at isolated placesMeanwhile Delhiâs air quality remained in the moderate category on Monday According to AQI monitoring data Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 157 Chandni Chowk 88 Pusa 63 JNU 59 North Campus 287 ITO 86 IIT Delhi 93 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 75 Patparganj 65 and Narela 79 Despite the recent rainfall several parts of the city continue to report moderate air quality levels IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-ncr-likely-to-witness-cloudy-skies-intermittent-rain-till-aug-14-aqi-remains-moderate-696318.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/mamata-banerjee-faces-protest-in-bengal-during-visit-to-kin-of-trinamool-worker-killed-in-police-custody-696290.html Kolkata August 9 IANS Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday faced protests from Bharatiya Janata Party BJP workers and supporters while visiting the family of a Trinamool Congress worker who allegedly died in police custody in Kanchrapara of North 24 Parganas districtnbspDemonstrators surrounded Mamata Banerjees car hurled mud and a torn slipper towards her and shouted slogans calling her a thiefFollowing the attack the former West Bengal Chief Minister told media persons Large stones were hurled at my car by antisocial elements right in front of the police The attack on the vehicle was so severe that if the windows had been open my head would have been split open We could have all been killed This happened right in front of the police I have never seen anything like this What is going on The police are providing protection to the BJPThe BJP alleged that the former Chief Minister had come to Kanchrapara to incite trouble and that ordinary citizens were protesting against itOn the other hand Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the BJPled state government and targeted Police Minister Suvendu Adhikari who is also the Chief Minister of West BengalThe Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that the BJP orchestrated the incident using their goonsForget about security the police are protecting lumpens Bengal has fallen into the hands of lumpens We will file a case she saidThe threetime former Chief Minister Banerjee claimed that large bricks were thrown at her carMy head could have been split open I could have died here The police are protecting the BJP she complainedTrinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen accompanied Mamata Banerjee They too vented their anger against the current BJP administration after facing the protestsKalyan Banerjee said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is running his rule through the police and getting work done by the mafiaPolice had to surround the former Chief Ministers car as it passed through the roads of Bijpur in the same districtThe husband of the former Trinamool Congress Councillor of Kanchrapara Municipality in North 24 Parganas district died in police custody the family alleged on SaturdayThe deceaseds name is Birju Keot His wife Jenny Sharma Keot the former Trinamool Councillor of Ward number 23 of Kanchrapara Municipality alleged that her husband died after being beaten up in the jailThere was no reaction from the police in connection with this incidentThe deceased Trinamool workers family on Saturday alleged that Birju was tortured in police custody after Friday midnightJenny also alleged that her husband was beaten with his hands and feet tiedA source from Halishahar police station said that Birju was found lying ill in the jail on after Friday midnight He was rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Nadia districts Kalyani where the doctors declared him deadInitial speculation is that he may have died of a heart attack However the real cause of death is not yet certainIt is also not known whether there are any injury marks on his bodyThe cause of death will be clear only after the autopsy report is received a police source saidAfter meeting the Keot family on Sunday Mamata Banerjee remarked There is no such thing as law and order left in this stateIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/mamata-banerjee-faces-protest-in-bengal-during-visit-to-kin-of-trinamool-worker-killed-in-police-custody-696290.html Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/new-criminal-laws-built-on-technology-timeline-and-trust-amit-shah-696291.html Puducherry Aug 9 IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the three new criminal laws introduced by the Narendra Modi government are founded on three key pillars technology timeline and trust and are aimed at ensuring faster and more effective delivery of justice to citizensnbspnbspAddressing a ceremony after presenting the Presidents Colour to the Puducherry Police at the Police Training School ground in Gorimedu HM Shah said the new legal framework marked a significant shift from the colonialera criminal justice systemHe said greater use of technology and clearly defined timelines for investigation and judicial procedures would help make the criminal justice system more efficient transparent and citizencentricBuilding public trust in the justice delivery mechanism was equally important he addedThe three laws the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replaced the Indian Penal Code Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act respectivelyCongratulating the Puducherry Police on receiving the Presidents Police Colour HM Shah described the honour as one of the proudest moments in the history of any disciplined police forceDespite having a strength of fewer than 5000 personnel the Puducherry Police carry the responsibility of maintaining law and order ensuring internal security and protecting the Union Territory and its people HM Shah saidHe also highlighted Puducherrys rich spiritual and cultural heritage and said the police force had an important responsibility in safeguarding the dignity and security of the Union TerritoryWith the conferment of the Presidents Police Colour Puducherry has become the 18th State or Union Territory in the country to receive the prestigious recognitionThe Presidents Colour is regarded as the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a police force in recognition of its distinguished service and professional excellenceLieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan Chief Minister N Rangasamy state Home Minister A Namassivayam Director General of Police Shalini Singh and other senior officials attended the ceremonyHM Shah is also scheduled to participate in another programme in Puducherry later on Sunday He will flag off a Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra at the Muruga Theatre Signal as part of events promoting the national flag and patriotic participation ahead of Independence DayIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/new-criminal-laws-built-on-technology-timeline-and-trust-amit-shah-696291.html Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/brahmos-emerges-as-indias-defence-export-star-after-op-sindoor-draws-global-interest-report-696292.html New Delhi Aug 9 IANS The accuracy and lethality of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile played a crucial role in prompting Pakistan to swiftly call for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor as the weapon demonstrated its capability to successfully evade Chineseorigin air defence systems deployed by it according to a new reportnbspThe battlefield performance of the missile subsequently triggered keen interest among several countries seeking to strengthen their defence capabilities according to a report published by The WeekIndia had earlier signed a 375million agreement with the Philippines in January 2022 to supply three BrahMos missile batteries Following Operation Sindoor negotiations with other prospective buyers also gathered paceVietnam has concluded a deal estimated at 629 million while Indonesia has also finalised an agreement believed to be worth between 200 million and 300 millionThe report mentioned that the BrahMos project traces its origins to 1997 At the time APJ Abdul Kalam who was then heading the Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO and serving as the head of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme IGMDP was overseeing a programme whose five flagship missile systems Prithvi Agni Akash Trishul and Nag did not include a terrainhugging cruise missileThis gap eventually paved the way for the development of BrahMos a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia according to The Week reportIt said that in 1997 a team of 27 Indian representatives comprising DRDO scientists officials from government defence companies and representatives of the private sector travelled to a militaryindustrial facility in Reutov a small township located outside Moscow The team studied an engine that powered a Russian cruise missile with Russian authorities willing to share the technology with IndiaThe engine was used to power Russias Onyx supersonic cruise missile while work was underway to further refine the missile system The Indian delegation spent nearly three months in Russia assessing and evaluating the technologyImpressed by what they witnessed New Delhi subsequently signed an intergovernmental agreement with Russia in 1998 to establish what would eventually become BrahMos Aerospace the report statedThe report further noted that the BrahMos agreement was fasttracked after receiving clearance at the highest political level Within Indias defence establishment the highly classified programme was referred to simply as the JV representing the joint venture between the DRDO and Russias stateowned NPO Mashinostroyeniya Within the DRDO the project came to be known as PJ10 as development work beganOver the years BrahMos evolved from a closely guarded IndoRussian joint venture into one of Indias most prominent defence export products Its combat debut came during Operation Sindoor in May 2025 when the missile was reportedly used in a significant role during Indias military responseOperation Sindoor was a precise and decisive military operation conducted by the Indian armed forces against highvalue terror targets in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attackAccording to the report sources said that at least 15 BrahMos missiles were fired by Indian fighter aircraft during Operation Sindoor at Pakistani military installations with the aircraft launching the strikes without crossing the international borderThe accuracy and lethality of the missile strikes were crucial in prompting Pakistan to swiftly call for a ceasefire BrahMos also demonstrated its ability to evade Chineseorigin air defence systems deployed by Pakistan That was cue enough for many countries to take keen interest in the missile the report quoted sources as sayingThe successful deployment during the operation further enhanced the international profile of the missile and contributed to increased interest among countries looking to acquire advanced precisionstrike capabilitiesProduction of BrahMos has also expanded significantly with manufacturing facilities now operational in Hyderabad Nagpur and PilaniA newly commissioned facility in Lucknow has also recently begun production adding another major centre to the countrys growing BrahMos manufacturing networkAccording to the report all four production centres currently have the capability to manufacture at least four missiles every month while efforts are underway to further expand their production capacity in response to increasing domestic and international demandThe demand for BrahMos however is reportedly growing at an even faster pace The Indian government envisages equipping every major Indian naval warship and fighter aircraft with BrahMos as part of their weapons systemsAt least a dozen countries across Europe West Asia Latin America and Africa have also expressed interest in acquiring the missile according to the reportAt the same time work continues on developing newer and more advanced variants of BrahMos These include a version with underwater capability as well as a miniaturised variant designed to expand the missiles deployment optionsThe longterm objective is reportedly to pair a fully indigenous version of BrahMos with Indias homegrown fighter aircraft including the Tejas and the upcoming LCA Mk 2Such integration would further strengthen Indias efforts to build an increasingly selfreliant defence ecosystem while expanding the countrys position as an exporter of advanced military technologyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/brahmos-emerges-as-indias-defence-export-star-after-op-sindoor-draws-global-interest-report-696292.html Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/visible-change-of-heart-in-rahul-gandhi-about-women-rijiju-calls-on-cong-to-back-quota-bill-696192.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi has said that no country can achieve true progress or fulfil its potential if women are not able to express themselves freely stressing the need to bring womens voices back into public discourse and create an environment where they can pursue what they wantnbspUnion Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded to Gandhis remarks saying that the Congress party should now have no difficulty in supporting the Womens Reservation Bill in ParliamentResponding to LoP Gandhis remarks Rijiju described them as a potentially positive indication of a change in the Congress partys approach towards womens political representationThis seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party Theres a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the women Now I hope Congress Party will support the Womens Reservation Bill unconditionally Rijiju saidThe Womens Reservation Bill officially enacted as the Constitution One Hundred and Sixth Amendment Act 2023 also known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a landmark law in India that reserves 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha the lower house of Parliament state legislative assemblies and the Delhi Legislative AssemblyThis came as LoP Gandhi made the comments in an Instagram post on Friday expanding on his response during his Ask Me Anything session on Thursday where he spoke about the need to ensure greater freedom and space for women in Indian societyReflecting on the issue LoP Gandhi said I was thinking to myself that the energy of Indias women is trapped is not allowed to express itself is not allowed to imagine For me no country can be successful if its women are not expressing themselvesHe further argued that the inability of women to express themselves has a wider impact on the countrys development and progressAnd I think a lot of my politics and a lot of what politics should be in this country is about making people understand that our country is stunted and incomplete without the expression of women the Congress leader addedLoP Gandhi stressed that womens empowerment should not be restricted to their participation in business or politics but should extend to their everyday lives including their homes families and public spacesIt is not just about women doing well in business or in the political system but about them being able to express themselves in their homes and walk the streets comfortably the LoP saidHe explained that women should also have the freedom to express opinions that may differ from those of people around them and to question established norms within their families and societyThat is them putting a point of view that many others dont agree with that is them questioning their parents their husbands their brothers sisters whatever So a certain amount of freedom from this patriarchy from the rigid control that Indias men impose on their women is required if India has to really develop Gandhi saidThe exchange comes amid the continuing political debate over womens representation in Indias legislative institutions and the implementation of the Womens Reservation BillMeanwhile the government on Thursday reached out to the Opposition as Rijiju spoke to Gandhi over the phone to seek support for the reintroduction of the delimitation BillSources said that Rijiju focussed on bridging the gap on the issue marking his third effort to discuss the issue with Rahul Gandhi during the Monsoon SessionRijiju tried to seek support for the delimitation Bill insisting that the Oppositions support for its early reintroduction would speed up the implementation of the womens reservation said sourcesThe Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026 had earlier failed to pass through the Lok Sabha during the Budget session in AprilRijiju told Rahul Gandhi that if womens reservation is not implemented it would lead to resentment among women according to sourcesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/visible-change-of-heart-in-rahul-gandhi-about-women-rijiju-calls-on-cong-to-back-quota-bill-696192.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-floods-over-155-lakh-affected-in-13-districts-death-toll-rises-to-98-696195.html Guwahati Aug 7 IANS Assams flood situation remained grim on Friday with more than 155 lakh people continuing to reel under the impact of the deluge across 13 districts while the cumulative death toll in this years floods has risen to 98 officials saidAccording to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority ASDMA 155849 people are currently affected in 464 villages spread across 33 revenue circles in 13 districtsSivasagar remained the worsthit district with 48286 affected people followed by Golaghat with 58750 Jorhat with 25259 Charaideo with 12779 Nagaon with 5424 Darrang with 3367 and Dhemaji with 1265Crop fields measuring 1074864 hectares continue to remain submerged across the stateThe ASDMA report said 73 relief camps and relief distribution centres are operational across the affected districts providing shelter and assistance to thousands of displaced people A total of 10326 inmates are currently staying in relief camps while 6881 people are receiving aid through relief distribution centresAuthorities said the Dhansiri South river at Golaghat and Numaligarh along with the Kushiyara river in Sribhumi district continued to flow above the danger level on Friday morning However no river was flowing above its highest flood levelThe disaster has also affected livestock with 47879 animals reported impacted Damage to residential structures has also been reported with 126 houses fully damaged and 344 houses partially damaged in the affected districtsRescue and relief operations involving the State Disaster Response Force SDRF Civil Defence personnel and other agencies continued in the affected areasThe report said 219 rescue teams eight boats and multiple medical teams have been deployed At the same time relief materials including food grains drinking water baby food and other essential supplies are being distributed among the affected populationAuthorities said they are closely monitoring the flood situation and have advised people living in vulnerable areas to remain alert as water levels in several rivers continue to fluctuateIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-floods-over-155-lakh-affected-in-13-districts-death-toll-rises-to-98-696195.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/drone-flights-banned-in-tiruvannamalai-as-union-home-minister-amit-shah-arrives-amid-tight-security-696197.html Tiruvannamalai Aug 8 IANS Drone operations have been banned in and around key locations in Tiruvannamalai for two days as elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for Union Home Minister Amit Shahs visit to the temple town on SaturdaynbspHM Shah is beginning a twoday tour of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Saturday After completing his engagements in Maharashtra he is scheduled to fly to Chennai and proceed by helicopter to Tiruvannamalai where he is expected to arrive around 420 pmFrom the helipad the Home Minister will travel by road to the Sri Ramanasramam on Girivalam Road He is expected to spend about an hour there and participate in special prayers before visiting the Arunachaleswarar Temple for darshanShah is scheduled to leave Tiruvannamalai around 6 pm and travel by road to Puducherry for the next leg of his visitAhead of his arrival the Tiruvannamalai district administration and police have stepped up security across the townHelipads have been prepared at the Government Arts College grounds and near Unnamalai Amman Nagar along the Girivalam routeOn Friday Central Reserve Police Force personnel and advance security officials conducted a helicopter landing rehearsal at the helipads as part of preparations for the highprofile visitAdvance security officials from the Union Home Ministry also held a detailed review meeting with District Collector Vandana Garg and Superintendent of Police Udayakumar at the CollectorateSecurity arrangements were subsequently reviewed with officials from various departments Security teams inspected the routes connecting the helipads Sri Ramanasramam and Arunachaleswarar Temple They also examined the route that Shah is expected to take while travelling from Tiruvannamalai to PuducherryOfficials carried out separate inspections at the ashram and temple to assess arrangements ahead of the Home Ministers arrivalAs part of the security measures the district administration has prohibited the operation of drones remotely controlled aircraft and other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles around the helipads venues and designated VIP routes on Saturday and SundayCollector Vandana Garg said the restrictions were imposed to ensure public safety and provide comprehensive security to the Union Home Minister while preventing potential threats arising from the unauthorised use of Unmanned Aerial VehiclesMore than 1000 police personnel have been deployed across Tiruvannamalai under a threetier security arrangement for Shahs visitIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/drone-flights-banned-in-tiruvannamalai-as-union-home-minister-amit-shah-arrives-amid-tight-security-696197.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/a-morning-i-will-cherish-raghav-chadha-meets-pm-modi-says-interaction-was-enriching-696199.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday shared details of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the interaction as a memorable and enriching experiencenbspnbspChadha said he was grateful for the Prime Ministers time and guidanceA morning I will cherish Had the privilege of meeting Honble Prime Minister Shri narendramodi Ji A detailed and enriching interaction Deeply grateful for his generous time and for the opportunity to benefit from his insights and guidance Chadha posted on XThe meeting comes a day after Prime Minister Modi held a breakfast meeting with 45 Parliamentarians on Friday a majority of whom had recently changed political affiliations and joined the Bharatiya Janata Partyled National Democratic Alliance NDAThe interaction took place against the backdrop of an ongoing stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament marked by repeated disruptionsDuring the breakfast meeting PM Modi is understood to have expressed concern over repeated disruptions caused by Opposition protests which have limited the opportunities available to several MPs to speak and participate in parliamentary proceedingsThe Prime Minister also reportedly sought to reassure the lawmakers including MPs who had recently moved away from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv SenaUBT telling them not to be apprehensive and assuring them that the NDA stood behind them as a familyThe NDA is a family We are with the constituent parties I am with every MP and not just one constituent party of the NDA I stand with every MP of the NDA You dont need to worry about anyone NDTV reported quoting PM Modi as saying during the interactionAccording to reports those who attended the breakfast included 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs who merged into the Nationalist Citizens Party of India seven former Uddhav Sena MPs six of whom officially joined the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena 20 National Peoples Party NPP MPs and two MPs from the NCP faction led by Ajit PawarIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/a-morning-i-will-cherish-raghav-chadha-meets-pm-modi-says-interaction-was-enriching-696199.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-to-shower-flowers-on-kanwariyas-in-meerut-today-security-tightened-696200.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit Meerut on Saturday to shower flower petals on Kanwariyas as the annual Kanwar Yatra continues across the regionnbspnbspThe chief ministers visit has prompted the administration and police to step up security arrangements with a large contingent of police personnel Provincial Armed Constabulary PAC and other security forces deployed across key areasThe Kanwar Yatra has been underway in Meerut for nearly a week with large numbers of Shiva devotees travelling through the district carrying holy water from the Ganga Officials have been placed on alert ahead of the chief ministers programme while security and traffic arrangements have been strengthened along the routes expected to be used by the Kanwariyas and the VIP movementSenior administrative and police officials have inspected the programme venue as well as major routes and reviewed arrangements ahead of the visit Authorities have been working to ensure that the movement of Kanwariyas remains smooth while adequate security is maintained during the chief ministers public programmeThe deployment includes police PAC and other security personnel with officials monitoring sensitive points and key stretches along the route Traffic management has also been given particular attention as the movement of Kanwariyas continues to increaseMeanwhile security arrangements have also been strengthened in Delhi along the Kanwar Yatra route At Chintamani Chowk in Shahdara local police and traffic personnel have been deployed to manage security and regulate traffic as devotees pass through the areaVishwa Hindu Parishad VHP SahZila Mantri Anmol Dubey said the atmosphere in the area had changed in recent years and that flower showers had become part of the arrangements during the Kanwar YatraEver since the government changed here the atmosphere in this area has changed Earlier people used to walk around emptyhanded Last year flowers were showered here This year as well flowers will be showered Dubey saidHe added Until now even the Delhi Police had never showered flowers but last year the Delhi Police showered flowers as well Workers from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were also present Flower showering is going to happen here tomorrow as wellWith the Kanwar Yatra continuing authorities in Meerut are maintaining heightened security and traffic arrangements to facilitate the movement of devotees and prevent disruptions along major routesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-to-shower-flowers-on-kanwariyas-in-meerut-today-security-tightened-696200.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/7-killed-11-injured-in-himachal-accident-as-bus-rolls-into-100-feet-deep-gorge-in-chamba-696201.html Shimla Aug 8 IANS At least seven people were killed and 11 were injured on Saturday when a private public transport bus rolled into a 100feet deep gorge on the TissaBairagarh route in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh police saidnbspMost of the victims were locals and going to Chamba town The dead included the driver and the conductor The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Tissa townAccording to preliminary information there were approximately 20 to 25 passengers on board the bus at the time of the mishapChamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani said the cause of the accident is yet be ascertained and the police would investigate the circumstancesChaos ensued at the site after the accident People in the area began rescue operations even before local authorities reached the spot However rescue operations gained momentum with the arrival of police and administrative teamsAccording to information the bus owned by Sharma Travelers departed from Bairagarh for Chamba at around 630 am The bus had only travelled three kms when near the Chaluj turn the driver lost control and the bus skidded off the road and fell into the gorgeThe bus landed on the road beneath the accident spot Eyewitnesses told the police that as the driver was negotiating a turn the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus rolled down the hillEyewitnesses said the administration had a tough time extricating the victims from the badlymangled busChamba is one of the remotest places in the state and scarcity and low frequency of passenger buses in the district often leads to overcrowding of the vehiclesOften the police blamed buses belonging to private operators and their reckless untrained drivers for most of the fatal accidents in the stateThe spot where the mishap took place has earned the notoriety of being accidentprone as it has seen several road accidents in the recent pastIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/7-killed-11-injured-in-himachal-accident-as-bus-rolls-into-100-feet-deep-gorge-in-chamba-696201.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/implement-2023-law-without-any-conditions-lop-rahul-counters-rijijus-womens-quota-bill-remarks--696202.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday responded to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijijus remarks on the womens quota Bill stating that the legislation was unanimously passed in 2023 with the full support of Congress and accused the government of unnecessarily linking it to delimitationnbspTaking to X LoP Gandhi said Mr Rijiju who would know better than you as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs that the Womens Reservation Bill 2023 has already been passed unanimously with the full support of the CongressThe question is why has it still not been implemented even after three years and why do you now want to unnecessarily link it to delimitation Implement the 2023 law Without any conditions LoP Gandhi addedThis came as Rijiju responded to LoP Gandhis remarks on women saying that the Congress party should now have no difficulty in supporting the Womens Reservation Bill in ParliamentThis came as LoP Gandhi made the comments in an Instagram post on Friday expanding on his response during his Ask Me Anything session on Thursday where he spoke about the need to ensure greater freedom and space for women in Indian societyLoP Gandhi said that no country can achieve true progress or fulfil its potential if women are not able to express themselves freely stressing the need to bring womens voices back into public discourse and create an environment where they can pursue what they wantHe further argued that the inability of women to express themselves has a wider impact on the countrys development and progressLoP Gandhi stressed that womens empowerment should not be restricted to their participation in business or politics but should extend to their everyday lives including their homes families and public spacesHe explained that women should also have the freedom to express opinions that may differ from those of people around them and to question established norms within their families and societyResponding to LoP Gandhis remarks Rijiju described them as a potentially positive indication of a change in the Congress partys approach towards womens political representationThis seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party Theres a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the women Now I hope Congress Party will support the Womens Reservation Bill unconditionally Rijiju saidThe exchange comes amid the continuing political debate over womens representation in Indias legislative institutions and the implementation of the Womens Reservation BillThe Womens Reservation Bill officially enacted as the Constitution One Hundred and Sixth Amendment Act 2023 also known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a landmark law in India that reserves 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha the lower house of Parliament state legislative assemblies and the Delhi Legislative AssemblyThe Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026 was introduced in April 2026 to fasttrack the 33 per cent womens reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies by using the 2011 Census for early delimitation However the bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha after falling short of the required twothirds majorityIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/implement-2023-law-without-any-conditions-lop-rahul-counters-rijijus-womens-quota-bill-remarks--696202.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-protest-student-delegation-govt-meet-for-2nd-round-of-talks--696203.html Ranchi Aug 8 IANS The second round of talks between the students of the JPSCJSSC Aspirant Nyay Manch and the Jharkhand government is underway at the State Guest House in RanchinbspAn eightmember delegation of students from the Manch is holding facetoface discussions with the delegation appointed by the state governmentThe students associated with the Manch have been protesting continuously since July 5 following the exposure of alleged irregularities in the 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission JPSC on July 2Their indefinite agitation entered its 15th day on Saturday Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato has also been on a hunger strike in support of the protesting aspirantsThe eightmember student delegation presenting its memorandum and demands before the government comprises Chandan Kumar Deenbandhu Mandal Ravi Shankar Prem Kumar Pooja Kumari Ramavatar Mahato Bimal Kumar and Amit Kumar SharmaStudent leader Devendra Nath Mahato who has been leading the agitation at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium has been on hunger strike for the past six days in support of the students demandsThank everyone who is supporting this movement I am having difficulty speaking for long The protest which began on July 5 has continued till now Our demand is that all examinations conducted by the TDPL agency be cancelled and an inquiry be conducted Mahato told IANSWe are all students and our issue is the same We went for talks yesterday but the government kept delaying the matter Today a delegation of eight students is holding talks with the government he addedRamavatar Mahato speaking to IANS said Our meeting is regarding the 14th JPSC examination The government should immediately cancel the JPSC examination All the examinations conducted by the TDPL should be cancelledTalking to IANS student leader Prem Nayak said We wanted to proceed under the leadership of Devindranath and hold talks with the Chief Minister Our demand was that the talks should be held on an open platform in an open ground We dont know if the government will agree to this demand This time we wont rely on the governments hollow promisesA student studies in a 10x10 room bringing rice and lentils from home If their job is sold for Rs 1 crore or Rs 80 lakh where will poor students go That is why it is very important to raise this voice strongly This is where the economy starts to collapse If an officer gets a job by paying money and giving a bribe why would he not indulge in corruption he addedMeanwhile several protesters continued to demand justice for the students and urged the government to address their concerns regarding the recruitment examination processRapper Suraj Tylon speaking to IANS said The students are demanding that the JSSC examination be cancelled There should be transparency in the examination and its results Everything including how the cutoff was set should be clarifiedThe students have maintained that their agitation will continue until their demands are addressed and the government takes concrete steps towards resolving the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination processEarlier on Friday evening the first formal round of talks between the government and the protesting students was held at the State Guest House in MorabadiThe meeting continued for around one and a half hours and concluded at 925 pm Student representatives described the discussions as positive but the meeting failed to produce a final agreement between the two sidesThe students made it clear after the meeting that their protest would continue until a final agreement was reached and their demands were fulfilled They reiterated that they were seeking concrete action rather than assurances from the governmentDuring the first round of discussions a fivemember government delegation and a 10member student delegation participated in the talks The students placed each of their demands before the government and sought a clear response on the issues raised during the ongoing agitationFour ministers from the Jharkhand government participated in the first round of talks They included Chamara Linda Sudibya Kumar Sonu Deepika Pandey Singh and Sanjay Prasad Yadav Development Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh was also present during the meetingAs the second round of talks is underway on Saturday morning attention is now focused on whether the government and the student delegation can reach common ground on the demands that have kept the JPSCJSSC aspirants protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium for the past 15 daysIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/jharkhand-exam-protest-student-delegation-govt-meet-for-2nd-round-of-talks--696203.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/i-am-not-baba-bageshwar-but-pm-modis-light-hearted-remark-draws-laughter-at-iit-delhi-696219.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday drew laughter and applause when he mentioned Baba Bageshwar while congratulating the students during the Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology IIT DelhinbspnbspBaba Bageshwar widely known as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is the head priest of the Bageshwar Dham Temple located in Madhya Pradeshs Chhatarpur district He draws large crowds for his spiritual discourses and divine courts divya darbarAddressing the gathering PM Modi said All of you are gathered here today but there must be something going on in your hearts Now I am not Baba Bageshwar but there must be something going on Some must be thinking of their future some about their salaries some must be preparing for a new start in a new city some must be thinking of startups Everyone has a different path and dreams but one feeling must be mutual recalling the first day in IIT Delhi and today You must be feeling satisfied by your journey from orientation to convocation You all should cherish this momentA total of 3000plus students including 587 PhD scholars were conferred their degrees during the ceremony He congratulated the students wishing them all the best for their futures adding that they arent just taking degrees but taking forward a dream of doing something for the countryHe expressed his joy in attending the convocation ceremony and said The way your families are feeling proud today I am also proud of you all You are not just taking a degree but taking forward the dream of doing something for the countryThe Prime Minister also presented IIT Delhis prestigious academic honours to meritorious students in recognition of their outstanding performance The awards include the Presidents Gold Medal Directors Gold Medal Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold MedalOn a lighter note PM Modi said If some daughters were meritorious students then it would have been much better Sorry not just some but manyWhenever life gives you a reason to look back then this campus life your friends teachers and support staff the ones who have become your families and home you will remember all this and be thankful for everyone he addedPM Modi also virtually inaugurated Param Pragya an AIpowered highperformance supercomputing facility at the institutes Sonipat campusThe facility is expected to strengthen the institutes capabilities in Artificial Intelligence data science advanced computing and interdisciplinary researchIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/i-am-not-baba-bageshwar-but-pm-modis-light-hearted-remark-draws-laughter-at-iit-delhi-696219.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/consumers-should-continue-to-use-e20-petrol-with-confidence-govt-696220.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Consumers should continue to use E20 petrol with confidence as the fuel supplied through the OMC network conforms to the prescribed quality specifications and is backed by robust quality assurance and monitoring systems designed to safeguard consumer interests at every stage of the supply chain the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on SaturdaynbspIn a statement the ministry said that amid recent media reports on moisture and chloride in EBMS E20 Petrol OMCs carried out a nationwide additional intensive testing covering the entire EBMS supply chainnbspThe findings reaffirm that fuel quality remains consistently well within prescribed limits Contrary to certain assertions being made based on extensive random testing through scientifically designed tests the evidence shows that there is no cause for any alarm on account of fuel contamination according to an official statementThe statement further said that OMCs would like to reassure all our esteemed customers that we treat fuel quality as a matter of highest priority and any issue that could potentially affect the vehicle performance or consumer confidence is addressed promptly through scientific investigation and corrective actionOMCs have further strengthened surveillance by conducting wateringress and density tests 812 times daily at every retail outletnbspMobile fuel quality testing laboratories have also been deployed across locations while test results are being independently validated through fuel laboratories to ensure the highest standards of quality assuranceThese multipronged steppedup testing protocols across the supply chain has validated our highest fuel quality standards said the statementMoreover over 100 additional randomly selected petrol samples tested across various refineries confirm that chloride content remains consistently low with all samples reported at or below the 1 ppmnbspThis reflects the continued effectiveness of quality checks built into Indias robust refining and dispatch process said the statementIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/consumers-should-continue-to-use-e20-petrol-with-confidence-govt-696220.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/i-am-proud-of-you-all-pm-modi-to-students-during-iit-delhi-convocation-696221.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Delhi as the Chief Guest and congratulated the students wishing them all the best for their futures adding that they arent just taking degrees but taking forward a dream of doing something for the countrynbspA total of 3000plus students including 587 PhD scholars were conferred their degrees during the ceremonyAddressing the gathering PM Modi expressed his joy in attending the convocation ceremony and said The way your families are feeling proud today I am also proud of you all You are not just taking a degree but taking forward the dream of doing something for the countryThe Prime Minister also presented IIT Delhis prestigious academic honours to meritorious students in recognition of their outstanding performance The awards include the Presidents Gold Medal Directors Gold Medal Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold MedalOn a lighter note PM Modi said If some daughters were meritorious students then it would have been much better Sorry not just some but manyAll of you are gathered here today but there must be something going on in your hearts Now I am not Baba Bageshwar but there must be something going on Some must be thinking of their future some about their salaries some must be preparing for a new start in a new city some must be thinking of startups Everyone has a different path and dreams but one feeling must be mutual recalling the first day in IIT Delhi and today You must be feeling satisfied by your journey from orientation to convocation You all should cherish this moment the Prime Minister saidWhenever life gives you a reason to look back then this campus life your friends teachers and support staff the ones who have become your families and home you will remember all this and be thankful for everyone he addedPM Modi also virtually inaugurated Param Pragya an AIpowered highperformance supercomputing facility at the institutes Sonipat campusThe facility is expected to strengthen the institutes capabilities in Artificial Intelligence data science advanced computing and interdisciplinary researchIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/i-am-proud-of-you-all-pm-modi-to-students-during-iit-delhi-convocation-696221.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/justice-system-must-listen-to-people-in-their-own-language-says-cji-696225.html Indore Aug 8 IANS The Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday called for a more inclusive and peoplecentric justice delivery system saying access to justice begins with dialogue and requires the legal system to understand the concerns of communities in their own languages and dialectsnbspInaugurating the twoday West Zone Regional Conference on Enhancing Access to Justice CJI Surya Kant said the themes of the conference United Voice and Stronger Tomorrow reflected the need to make dialogue dignity and inclusion integral to the functioning of the justice systemThe CJI said these three principles should not remain mere slogans but should define how the legal system engages with citizensI do not view these words merely as slogans for a banner instead I see them as an accurate description of what the legal system looks like when it truly functions he saidCJI Surya Kant referred to Indores historical association with Devi Ahilya Bai and her approach to justice noting that she would meet farmers widows and traders directly without intermediariesHe said there was no barrier between the ruler and the people during her time and described the decision to hold the conference in Indore as particularly appropriateThe CJI said dialogue was central to building a justice system that genuinely responds to peoples concernsA collective voice he said can emerge only when individual voices are heardAccess to justice has never been built by laws alone it begins with a conversation Before justice is delivered people must feel that they have been heard CJI Surya Kant saidEmphasising the role of paralegal volunteers and legal services institutions he said local problems required local solutions and understanding those problems demanded direct engagement with communitiesHe stressed that legal services personnel must understand local languages and dialects to properly comprehend the concerns of ordinary peopleUnless you communicate in their language and truly grasp the concerns of the common people by listening to their own words how can you devise a solution the CJI saidHe also emphasised that dialogue must be a twoway process with the justice delivery system not merely communicating decisions but listening to communities and understanding their problemsThe conference is being held on August 8 and 9 under the joint aegis of the National Legal Services Authority NALSA New Delhi the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority Jabalpur and the Madhya Pradesh High CourtChief Minister Mohan Yadav Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal Supreme Court and High Court judges officebearers of Legal Services Authorities judicial officers and other distinguished citizens are attending the conferenceThe event was inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant PatroninChief of NALSA and other judges by lighting the ceremonial lampThe conference is aimed at deliberating on ways to strengthen legal aid mediation communitylevel dispute resolution and other mechanisms to make justice more accessible and inclusiveIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/justice-system-must-listen-to-people-in-their-own-language-says-cji-696225.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-lakshmi-yojana-registrations-by-women-on-portal-cross-5-lakh-mark-696226.html New Delhi Aug 8 IANS The overwhelming response from women to the Delhi governments Delhi Lakshmi Yojana DLY in the first seven days of its launch took the number of registrations on the schemes portal past the 5lakh mark on Saturday afternoon said an officialTill 8 pm on Friday the portal had recorded 487 lakh registrations while the number of submitted applications had touched 199 lakh the official saidThe overnight registrations and early morning rush on Saturday took the number of registrations on the DLY portal beyond the 5lakh mark he said in a statementChief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Cabinet had originally approved the scheme as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana but it was later renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect the broader vision of womens dignity prosperity and economic empowermentShe added that the scheme has been designed differently from conventional cash assistance programmesBeneficiaries will be able to choose between two financial options based on their individual needs the Chief Minister saidUnder the first option Rs 1000 every month will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency CBDC wallet for meeting daytoday expenses while the remaining Rs 1500 will be deposited in an RDFD account she addedUnder the second option the entire Rs 2500 will be deposited in an RDFD every month allowing beneficiaries to build substantial savings over time along with interest In this way the scheme seeks to provide immediate financial assistance as well as longterm financial security she saidChief Minister Rekha Gupta added that a digital negative list will be implemented for the CBDC wallet to ensure that government assistance is used only for essential household needsThe amount credited to the wallet cannot be spent on alcohol tobacco narcotic substances lottery tickets gambling betting or any other goods and services prohibited by the government from time to time This will ensure that the financial assistance is utilised for the welfare of families the Chief Minister saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-lakshmi-yojana-registrations-by-women-on-portal-cross-5-lakh-mark-696226.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-greets-nation-on-national-handloom-day-urges-citizens-to-support-indias-weavers-696075.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended greetings on the occasion of National Handloom Day paying tribute to Indias rich handloom heritage and the generations of weavers and artisans who have preserved the countrys traditional craftsmanshipnbspIn a post on X the Prime Minister said Today on National Handloom Day we celebrate Indias rich and vibrant handloom heritage We also salute the skill creativity and dedication of our weavers and artisans For generations they have preserved and enriched our traditionsOur Government will keep supporting the handloom sector which is an important pillar of rural empowerment womenled development and fulfilling the dream of an Atmanirbhar Bharat Do share your favourite handloom products and GRWM videos using NationalHandloomDay which will encourage those associated with the sector he addedThe Prime Ministers message comes a day after he called upon citizens particularly the youth to celebrate National Handloom Day with the same enthusiasm and spirit as Friendship Day and actively promote Indias rich weaving heritageIn a twominute Instagram reel shared on Thursday night PM Modi recalled the historical significance of August 7 1905 when the Swadeshi Movement was launched against British rule laying the foundation for the idea of a selfreliant IndiaFriends we must not forget 7 August 1905 It was on this day that the Swadeshi movement began with people across the country joining the struggle against British rule he saidDrawing a parallel with the recently celebrated Friendship Day the Prime Minister appealed Just as you celebrated Friendship Day with great warmth celebrate Handloom Day too Celebrating Handloom Day means supporting the livelihoods of weaver families who create fabrics by handHe also urged people to purchase at least one handloom product and share Get Ready With Me GRWM videos featuring their favourite handloom attire using the hashtag NationalHandloomDay saying every such post would honour Indias skilled artisans while contributing to the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat by strengthening the livelihoods of weaver familiesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/pm-modi-greets-nation-on-national-handloom-day-urges-citizens-to-support-indias-weavers-696075.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/raj-cm-sharma-discusses-cooperative-sector-and-border-area-development-issues-with-hm-shah--696076.html Jaipur Aug 7 IANS Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma met the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and discussed issues related to the states development and public welfarenbspDuring the meeting on Thursday the Chief Minister briefed the Union Minister on the progress of key development projects and welfare schemes being implemented by the state governmentHe also expressed gratitude to Union Minister Amit Shah for the Yamuna Water AgreementThe two leaders discussed strengthening the cooperative sector in Rajasthan accelerating the holistic development of border areas and enhancing security arrangementsChief Minister Sharma shared pictures of his meeting with Union Minister Shah on his official X account and said Today I met with the Union Home and Cooperation Minister AmitShah ji in New Delhi and expressed my gratitude for the Yamuna water agreement During this time I received valuable guidance on various topics related to the overall development of Rajasthan making good governance even more effective issues concerning public interest as well as the empowerment of the cooperation sector internal security strengthening of border areas comprehensive development of border districts and making security arrangements even more effectiveUnder the visionary leadership and guidance of the Prime Minister narendramodiji the doubleengine government is continuously working with full commitment to realise the resolve for the overall inclusive and rapid development of Rajasthan he saidChief Minister Sharma also met Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh MandaviyaThe discussions focused on expanding opportunities for Rajasthans youth in skill development employment innovation and sportsThe two leaders also deliberated on strengthening the states sports ecosystem developing worldclass infrastructure for athletes and promoting youth leadership through the MY Bharat initiativeThe Chief Minister later called on Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan NaiduDuring the meeting both leaders discussed expanding air connectivity across Rajasthan including improving links between major cities in the state and domestic as well as international aviation networks They also reviewed opportunities to strengthen the states aviation infrastructure to support tourism trade and economic developmentToday in New Delhi I met with the Union Civil Aviation Minister RamMNK Ji and held detailed discussions on important topics such as expanding air connectivity in Rajasthan constructing new airstrips and connecting the states major cities to internationalnational air networks In line with the vision of the esteemed Prime Minister narendramodi Jis Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik UDAN our government remains steadfastly committed to developing modern aviation infrastructure in the progressing state of Rajasthan Chief Minister Sharma said on his X accountIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/raj-cm-sharma-discusses-cooperative-sector-and-border-area-development-issues-with-hm-shah--696076.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-ncr-likely-to-receive-more-rain-over-next-three-days-imd-issues-yellow-alert-696078.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS Residents of the national capital region woke up to pleasant weather on Friday as cool winds and light rainfall brought relief from the humid conditions that had prevailed earlier in the week The India Meteorological Department IMD has forecast continued wet weather over the next three days and issued a yellow alert warning of moderate to heavy rainfall in parts of the cityAccording to the IMD rainfall activity is expected to persist across Delhi and the National Capital Region NCR with light showers likely over the weekend The weather department has also indicated a low to moderate risk of flash flooding in a few watersheds and lowlying neighbourhoods during the next 24 hoursThe alert comes a day after widespread rainfall lashed Delhi and surrounding areas leading to waterlogging and traffic disruptions at several locations Continuous showers on Thursday brought a significant drop in daytime temperatures making it one of the coolest days of the season so farData from the IMD showed that Delhis maximum temperature settled at 276 degrees Celsius on Thursday 66 degrees below the previous days 326 degrees Celsius and well below the normal maximum of 342 degrees Celsius for this time of year The minimum temperature was recorded at 256 degrees Celsius leaving a narrow difference of just 2 degrees Celsius between the days maximum and minimum temperaturesHeavy rainfall began early on Thursday prompting the IMD to issue an orange alert Among the citys monitoring stations Lodhi Road recorded the highest rainfall at 604 mm followed by Safdarjung at 56 mm and Delhi Ridge at 544 mm The IMD classifies rainfall between 156 mm and 644 mm as moderate rainfallThe showers caused waterlogging in several areas across the capital The Public Works Department PWD received multiple complaints from locations including Press Enclave Marg Defence Colony Kanjhawala and Palla Water accumulation was also reported from parts of Karkardooma Saraswati Vihar in Pitampura and several stretches in Dwarka affecting movement in some areasGurugram Police on Thursday morning had also issued a cautionary advisory urging corporate offices and private establishments to allow employees to work from home to reduce traffic volume on the roads and facilitate smoother movement of emergency servicesIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-ncr-likely-to-receive-more-rain-over-next-three-days-imd-issues-yellow-alert-696078.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-announces-fresh-relief-package-for-flood-victims-damage-assessment-to-begin-soon-696079.html Guwahati Aug 7 IANS Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government has begun implementing a series of relief measures announced for floodaffected families asserting that immediate assistance and rehabilitation support are being delivered on the groundnbspnbspIn a social media post CM Sarma said every relief measure announced by the government was being backed by swift implementation to ensure that floodhit families receive timely assistanceEvery relief measure announced is being backed by swift implementation on the ground We are delivering immediate assistance supporting rehabilitation and ensuring our floodaffected families receive the help they deserve the Chief Minister saidThe government has also announced that damage assessment across floodaffected areas will begin from August 9According to the relief package each eligible family will receive an interim financial assistance of Rs 15000 to meet immediate needs The monthly Orunodoi benefit has been enhanced to Rs 2500 for one month while families in the worstaffected districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo will receive an additional assistance of Rs 10000The government has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of deceased persons without requiring a postmortem reportBesides this an additional Rs 5 lakh assistance will be provided from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund CMRF to families of those who lost their lives in the floodsAs part of relief measures the state has announced a sixmonth moratorium on loan repayments waiver of electricity bills and land revenue Khazana along with an extension of loan repayment tenureSpecial assistance has also been announced for rebuilding damaged Anganwadi centres and Namghars with Rs 15 lakh earmarked for each damaged NamgharTo minimise disruption in education the government will provide financial assistance for replacement of textbooks resupply school uniforms and issue duplicate copies of essential certificates free of cost for affected studentsAssam has witnessed widespread flooding over the past several days affecting more than 168 lakh people across 15 districts The state government has continued relief and rehabilitation efforts through camps distribution centres and rescue operations in the floodhit regionsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/assam-announces-fresh-relief-package-for-flood-victims-damage-assessment-to-begin-soon-696079.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-for-the-day-over-intense-sloganeering-rijiju-slams-oppn-696080.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS The Lok Sabha witnessed noisy and uproarious scenes on Friday soon after it reconvened at noon with Opposition benches resorting to intense sloganeering and demanding the presence of the Home Minister in the HousenbspAs the constant shouting threatened to drown out the House proceedings Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and the Chair appealed to the Opposition to maintain order but the din prevailed The House witnessed several mentions and submissions by various members before being adjourned till MondayThe ruckus was yet another continuation of the disruption that has left the House paralysed for days owing to governmentOpposition stalemate over the absence of the Home Minister from the HouseAs the House resumed at noon the Opposition members took to sloganeering chanting Amit Shah sadan mein aaoDilip Saikia acting as the officiating Speaker told the protesting members that this was a crucial hour of the House when Parliamentarians under Rule 377 get a chance to raise issues of their constituencies and hence everyone should cooperate in running the HouseIt is my request you go to your seats and please cooperate in running the House he exhorted the members but the Opposition refused to budgeParliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju took strong exception to sloganshouting by the Opposition benches questioning the seriousness and sanctity of their noisy protests He claimed that their mere purpose was to derail the House proceedingsPointing fingers at the Opposition Rijiju said They have been creating chaos since morning they are taking the Home Ministers name just for disrupting the House I must tell them the Home Minister has been present in Parliament since morning and leaves only by nightHe is one person whose name alone is enough for frightening the terrorists and insurgents to the core If he comes to reply on any matter you wont sit to listen he addedFurther accusing the Opposition of holding the House to ransom Rijiju cautioned that the protesting lawmakers from the Opposition must stop this drama as they cant dictate the proceedings of the HouseDilip Saikia in the Chair told the members that they had been advised against waving banners and pamphlets but they were not paying heed despite repeated requestsAs the pandemonium prevailed the House was adjourned for the remainder of the dayBefore this the Micro Small and Medium enterprises Development Amendment Bill was passed by the Lower House through voice voteUnion Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi presented the Amendment Bill amidst noisy protest for the Houses consideration and passage It was subsequently cleared by voice voteIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-adjourned-for-the-day-over-intense-sloganeering-rijiju-slams-oppn-696080.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-hc-denies-anticipatory-bail-to-man-accused-of-posing-as-civil-servant-patna-hc-judge-696081.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS The Delhi High Court has refused anticipatory bail to a man accused of repeatedly impersonating senior constitutional and government functionaries including allegedly posing as a civil servant and a judge of the Patna High Court to obtain sensitive confidential information from authorities The court also questioned the failure of Delhi Police to arrest the accusednbspA singlejudge Bench of Justice Girish Kathpalia while dismissing the anticipatory bail plea of Manoj Kumar Jha also expressed surprise over the failure of Delhi Police to arrest the accused despite repeated rejection of his bail pleas including by the Supreme Court and directed that a copy of the order be sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Police concerned for necessary actionThe Delhi High Court observed that the accused appeared to be a habitual offender and said that there was no change in circumstances after the Supreme Court had earlier declined to grant him anticipatory bailThe case arose out of an FIR registered in 2024 at Parliament Street police station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNSAccording to the prosecution the accused impersonated a civil servant and attempted to obtain sensitive confidential information from various senior authoritiesHe was also accused of impersonating a judge of the Patna High Court The accuseds counsel argued that despite dismissal of his anticipatory bail applications in 2024 and 2025 followed by rejection of his Special Leave Petition SLP by the Supreme Court on September 8 2025 the investigating agency had not arrested him indicating that custodial interrogation was not requiredHowever during the hearing the Additional Public Prosecutor in the presence of the investigating officer expressed concern that despite the apex court declining anticipatory bail no action had been taken to arrest the accusedIn its order the Delhi High Court recorded that the accused was involved in multiple criminal cases registered across several states including allegations of impersonating a Patna High Court judge in Gurugram and cheating a person of Rs 80 lakh by allegedly posing as the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India in a CBI caseIt also took note of several other FIRs registered in Haryana Bihar Punjab and Chandigarh involving allegations of cheating impersonation forgery and related offencesReferring to his criminal antecedents Justice Kathpalia observed Apart from the nature of allegations coupled with the fact that the accusedapplicant is a habitual offender I am also governed by strict judicial disciplineThe order added that the Supreme Court had already found it unfit to grant anticipatory bail and that there had been no change in circumstances thereafterConsidering the above circumstances I do not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail Justice Kathpalia saidAt the same time the Delhi High Court questioned the conduct of the local police in not arresting the accused despite repeated rejection of his anticipatory bail pleasI am also surprised by the fact that despite dismissal of repeated anticipatory bail applications till Honble Supreme Court the local police appear to have taken no steps at all to arrest the accusedapplicant which conveys an impression that accusedapplicant is being helped and there is something more that meets the eye the judge observedJustice Kathpalia directed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police through the Senior Standing Counsel for information and necessary actionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-hc-denies-anticipatory-bail-to-man-accused-of-posing-as-civil-servant-patna-hc-judge-696081.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/committed-to-womens-empowerment-says-delhi-cm-rekha-gupta-on-lakshmi-yojana-success-696082.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday received a warm welcome from women at the Delhi Assembly following the implementation of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana with beneficiaries expressing support for the initiative aimed at welfare and empowermentnbspAddressing the gathering Gupta said she was happy to see the joy among women in Delhi after the fulfilment of a promise made by the governmentToday I am happy for the women of Delhi whose happiness knows no bounds I am glad that we have been able to fulfil the promise that the Delhi government made to the women of Delhi I promise every woman that for their empowerment and security this Chief Minister and our government will always stand with them she saidDelhi Minister Ashish Sood also highlighted the implementation of the scheme comparing the governance models of different political partiesDekh rahe ho Binod a wellknown web series dialogue Today within one year under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Rekha ji the way has been opened for Delhis sisters to receive Rs 2500 Those who display their IIT degrees and run Punjab through remote control have until just three or four months before elections spoken about womens empowerment only for votebank politics There is a sharp difference between these two models of governance Sood saidEarlier on Thursday Chief Minister Gupta visited the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana camp in Shalimar Bagh where she interacted with women beneficiaries and took feedback about the scheme She also assisted women with the registration process and signed application forms of several beneficiaries during her visitThe camp witnessed an enthusiastic response with women expressing confidence in the governments initiative Many beneficiaries said they believed the promises made during the elections were now being implemented on the groundThe Delhi government reiterated its commitment to ensuring that every eligible woman receives the benefits of the scheme and that the registration process remains accessible to all eligible beneficiariesThe Delhi Lakshmi Yojana which began on August 1 has witnessed a significant response with nearly four lakh registrations completed so farUnder the scheme eligible women in Delhi will receive financial assistance of Rs 2500 per month as part of the governments efforts to promote womens empowerment and provide greater economic supportThe initiative is being positioned by the Delhi government as a key step towards strengthening financial independence and security among women across the national capitalIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/committed-to-womens-empowerment-says-delhi-cm-rekha-gupta-on-lakshmi-yojana-success-696082.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nine-trade-pacts-to-open-global-markets-for-farmers-manufacturers-in-arunachal-pradesh-piyush-goyal-696083.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said Arunachal Pradeshs farmers metal producers and manufacturers stand to gain from Indias recent trade agreements which he said would provide the frontier state greater access to global marketsnbspIn a post on social media platform X Goyal said nine trade agreements signed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have opened new opportunities for the northeastern state across sectors ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to tourismArunachal Pradeshs farmers metal producers and manufacturers just got a direct line to global markets thanks to the 9 new trade deals inked under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership Goyal saidThe frontier state is now on the front line of Bharats growth story he addedAccording to a video shared by the minister on the social media platform the trade pacts include agreements with the UK New Zealand the European Free Trade Association EFTA the UAE Australia Mauritius and Oman among othersThe minister said farmers and processed food producers in the state would gain access to larger and more affluent overseas markets helping boost agricultural exportsBase metal producers are also expected to benefit from improved competitiveness in international markets while manufacturing activity in the state could receive a fresh push from lower tariffs and wider export opportunities according to the videoIt added that products such as auto components and brake linings which were earlier largely confined to domestic or local markets could find greater acceptance abroad as tariff barriers are reduced under the trade agreementsApart from merchandise exports ecotourism sector in the state is also expected to benefit from stronger international economic linkages and greater global visibility according to the ministers postThe gains from these trade agreements would flow directly to people engaged in farming manufacturing and allied sectors he saidGoyal further highlighted that Arunachal Pradesh is wellpositioned to make a bigger contribution to the governments vision of a Viksit Bharat aided by expanding trade opportunities and deeper integration with global marketsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nine-trade-pacts-to-open-global-markets-for-farmers-manufacturers-in-arunachal-pradesh-piyush-goyal-696083.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/adequate-fertilisers-supplied-to-farmers-in-ongoing-kharif-season-govt-696084.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS The government has taken various measures to ensure that adequate availability of fertilisers are available to farmers and there has been no shortage of urea and DAP during the last three years and the ongoing Kharif 2026 season the Parliament was informed on FridaynbspBefore the commencement of each cropping season the Department of Agriculture in consultation with all the state governments assesses the statewise and monthwise requirement of fertilisers On the basis of requirement the Department allocates adequate quantities of fertilisers to states by issuing a monthly supply plan and continuously monitors the availability Minister of State for Chemicals Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to a question in the Lok SabhanbspThe movement of all major subsidised fertilisers is monitored throughout the country by an online webbased monitoring system called integrated Fertiliser Management System iFMSnbspThe gap between demand and production for urea and other fertiliser is met through imports The import for the season is also finalised well in advance to ensure timely availability The state governments are regularly advised to coordinate with manufacturers and importers for streamlining the supplies through timely placement of indentsnbspRegular coordination is also done with the Ministry of Railways for giving sufficient rakes priority to fertilisers and for timely evacuation of rakes for statesnbspThe minister also said that fertilisers are being provided to farmers at subsidised prices Under the Urea Subsidy Scheme urea is provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified maximum retail price of 45kg bag of urea at Rs 242 per 45kg bag of urea exclusive of charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicableThe difference between the delivered cost of urea at farm gate and net market realisation by the urea units is given as a subsidy to the urea manufacturer or importer by the Centre Government Accordingly all farmers are being supplied urea at subsidised ratesnbspBesides the government has implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy NBS Scheme for Phosphatic and Potassic PampampK fertilisers The volatility in international prices of key fertilisers and raw materials is considered while fixing NBS rates for PampampK fertilisers so that fertilisers remain affordable to the farmersnbspTo make DAP available at affordable price of Rs 1350 per 50kg bag special provisions like Rs 3500 per MT to cover Other Costs which includes costs incurred from factory gate to farm gate advantage or disadvantage due to increase or decrease in international prices and provision for GST component have been extended to both imported and domestic DAP and imported TSP over and above NBS subsidy for Kharif 2026 season to keep the prices of fertilisers stablenbspHowever to reduce dependence on imported phosphatic fertilisers and make the country selfreliant measures have been taken to encourage domestic production by providing a reasonable MRP the minister saidThe government is also promoting the use of nano fertilisers through different activities such as awareness camps webinars field demonstrations Kisan Sammelans and films in regional languages Nano Fertilisers like Nano Urea and Nano DAP are made available at Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras PMKSKs by concerned companies However no subsidy is provided by the government for Nano FertilisersnbspThe minister also highlighted the steps taken to control overpricing black marketing and hoarding of fertilisersnbspFurther Department of Agriculture in consultation with the State Governments is regularly monitoring the enforcement action taken by State Governments against the cases of overpricing blackmarketing and other malpractices on weekly basis the minister addedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/adequate-fertilisers-supplied-to-farmers-in-ongoing-kharif-season-govt-696084.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/indian-missions-providing-full-support-to-ships-and-seafarers-amid-escalating-tensions-mea-696137.html New Delhi Aug 7 IANS The Ministry of External Affairs MEA on Friday stated that Indian missions across the Gulf region are in constant contact with the shipping ministry and the local authorities while running a 24x7 helplines to assist Indian flagged vessels and seafarers amid escalating tensions in the regionnbspAddressing a biweekly media briefing in New Delhi MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated the ongoing measures taken by India to ensure the safety and security of Indian vessels and seafarersThis is a subject of high importance and we attach high priority to the issue Our missions all across the Gulf region are in constant contact with the Ministry of Shipping as also with maritime authorities in those countries and other authorities as well so that as and when any support is required to be provided to our seafarers or Indian flagged ships they can do that the spokesperson notedThey have been running 247 helplines so that any person who needs support not just seafarers but others can also approach them These 24x7 helplines have been operating throughout the last several months they continue to be run he highlightedThe MEA spokesperson also called for safe and unimpeded navigation and free flow of commerce through the international waterwaysWe also call upon all parties to refrain from targeting civilian infrastructure and especially commercial vessels and seafarers he emphasisedEarlier this week an India flagged vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen after it was attacked by an explosivesladen boatThe MEA condemned the attack on Tuesday and confirmed that all 13 Indian nationals have been rescued and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation proactively coordinating with the Yemeni authorities for the safety and security of the crewThe continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region in keeping with international law must be restored at the earliest the ministry statedYemens governmentaffiliated National Resistance Forces NRF had blamed the Houthi group for the attackIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/indian-missions-providing-full-support-to-ships-and-seafarers-amid-escalating-tensions-mea-696137.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cbi-court-awards-7-year-jail-to-ex-official-of-oriental-bank-of-commerce-for-fraud-696138.html Jaipur Aug 7 IANS A Special CBI Court in Jaipur sentenced a former official of the Oriental Bank of Commerce to seven years Rigorous Imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 125 lakh for causing a loss of over Rs 12 lakh in three loan accounts an official said on FridayMurari Lal Meena the then Special Assistant Oriental Bank of Commerce OBC Sheosinghpura Lalsot Dausa was sentenced to Rigorous Imprisonment by the Special Court on Thursday after being held guilty of fraud corruption and conspiracy with loan applicants in 2019 the CBI saidThe Central Bureau of Investigation CBI registered the case on February 1 2019 based on a complaint lodged by the bank alleging that Meena Special Assistant OBC abused his official position by dishonestly issuing unauthorised No Dues certificatesThe complaint said that Meena facilitated the release of mortgaged securities despite outstanding loan liabilities and caused a wrongful loss of Rs 1214 lakh to the bank across three loan accounts the CBI saidAfter completion of investigation the CBI filed a chargesheet on September 30 2019 against the accused Charges against the accused were framed on October 12 2022The Special Court after the trial convicted and sentenced the accused accordingly the CBI saidIn a separate case related to a bank official the CBI filed a charge sheet against the owner of a Kashmirbased firm and a Deputy Manager of Axis Bank in connection with a digital arrest scam in which a Delhi senior citizen was defrauded of Rs 16 croreThe accused named in the charge sheet are Umer Iqbal proprietor of Ms Himalayan Enterprises Pulwama and Umer Ahmad Dar Deputy Manager at Axis BankAccording to the CBI the victim was targeted by fraudsters who posed as law enforcement and judicial authorities and placed video calls to her falsely claiming that she was under investigationThe accused extorted Rs 16 crore from the senior citizen through the socalled digital arrest schemeFollowing the Supreme Court order CBI took up the case from the Delhi Police The agency registered the case in January 2026IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cbi-court-awards-7-year-jail-to-ex-official-of-oriental-bank-of-commerce-for-fraud-696138.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/with-punjab-elections-around-corner-akali-dal-chief-badal-calls-on-pm-modi--696139.html Chandigarh Aug 7 IANS With Punjab elections around the corner Shiromani Akali Dal SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi over law and order situation in the statenbspSpeculations are rife over a prepoll alliance between both parties once a twodecadeold coalition partnernbspAn Akali leader said discussion between PM Modi and Badal was centered around Punjab with Badal raising law and order situationnbspEven PM heard all our concerns remarked a senior Akali leaderAt his last visit to Punjab on July 17 PM Modi at the rally in Jalandhar attacked the Aam Aadmi Party AAP government and also criticised the Congress and the SADnbspHowever a day later Badal claimed that the Prime Minister did not say anything against his party but against another Akali factionnbspOn reports of Akali Dal President Badal meeting PM Modi in Delhi Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said Any senior leader can meet the PM Sukhbir Singh Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister I am happy that he must have spoken for the good of Punjab We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone A major joining is going to happenWith the mass exodus of leaders even veterans the fractured Akali Dal which marked its centennial in 2021 is facing its worst crisis structurally organisationally and even in terms of ideological leadershipnbspPeople have rejected the Akali Dal in the 2022 Assembly polls for the second consecutive termnbspAt that time its legislators in the Legislative Assembly of 117 reduced to mere three down from 15 seats in 201722 the lowestever numbernbspThe Akali Dal was one of the oldest allies of the BJP It was among the first to support the 13day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government the shortest Prime Ministers stint in Indias history in 1996nbspHowever the Akali Dal pulled out of the BJPled National Democratic Alliance NDA in September 2020 after sharp differences emerged over the three controversial farm laws now repealedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/with-punjab-elections-around-corner-akali-dal-chief-badal-calls-on-pm-modi--696139.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-expresses-grief-over-loss-of-six-lives-in-pratapgarh-house-collapse--695943.html Pratapgarh Aug 6 IANS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday expressed deep grief over the loss of six lives in a house collapse in Pratapgarh district and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved familyCM Yogi took to social media X and said The loss of life in an unfortunate accident in Pratapgarh district is deeply saddening My condolences are with the bereaved families I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at his holy feet and a speedy recovery to the injuredDistrict Magistrate Abhishek Pandey and Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar visited the site where six members of a family lost their lives after a dilapidated house collapsed The officials inspected the scene and also met the lone survivor Aman SrivastavaSpeaking to reporters District Magistrate Abhishek Pandey said The house belonged to Pramod Srivastava A room on the second floor had a roof constructed using an old building technique Preliminary findings suggest that the roof built with this outdated method collapsedHe further said that all seven family members were sleeping in the same room where an airconditioner had been installed when the tragedy occurredOut of the seven people sleeping in the room six were killed Aman survived and is currently under clinical observation It is deeply tragic that almost the entire family was wiped out in a single incident We have received instructions to stand firmly with the family and provide all possible assistance he saidPandey added that he had spoken to Aman and assured him that all eligible government benefits and relief measures would be provided within 24 hoursThe six members of the Srivastava family were killed and another injured after a nearly 100yearold house collapsed amid heavy rainfall in the Mahuli locality under the Kotwali police station area of Uttar Pradeshs Pratapgarh district in the early hours of ThursdayAccording to police all seven family members were asleep in the same room when the structure suddenly gave way burying them under the debris Rescue teams rushed to the spot launched an operation and pulled the victims from the rubble One survivor was rescued alive and admitted to a hospital for treatmentSpeaking to reporters injured survivor Aman Srivastava recounted the tragedy When I woke up I realised I was buried under the debris I somehow managed to get out and saw that all my family members were trapped I first tried to rescue them myself but I couldnt so I started shouting for help Family members neighbours and others gathered at the spot All seven of us were sleeping in the same room My parents my younger brother my wife and our two young children were inside I was rescued but they all died he saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-expresses-grief-over-loss-of-six-lives-in-pratapgarh-house-collapse--695943.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nia-arrests-another-absconding-accused-in-praveen-nettaru-murder-case-695944.html New Delhi Aug 6 IANS The National Investigation Agency NIA has arrested another key absconding accused in the 2022 murder of Karnataka BJP leader Praveen Nettaru taking the total number of arrests in the highprofile case to 25The accused identified as Ummar Farook MR was apprehended on Wednesday from Kochi Kerala following a targeted operation based on credible intelligence inputsUmmar Farook who had been absconding was wanted in the case and had a Red Corner Notice RCN and a nonbailable warrant issued against him The investigating agency had also announced a reward of Rs 4 lakh for information leading to his arrestThe NIA had earlier chargesheeted Ummar Farook in connection with the conspiracy behind the murder under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code IPC and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act UAPA Investigations revealed that he attended a conspiracy meeting at the office of the banned Popular Front of India PFI in Sullia town along with other accused personsAccording to the investigation Ummar Farook had agreed to provide his motorcycle to a coaccused for identifying potential targets and conducting reconnaissance in Bellare village before the murder He is also accused of participating along with other coaccused in an attempt to eliminate a protected witness in the caseThe latest arrest comes weeks after the NIA in July this year apprehended two other absconding accused Abdul Nasir P alias Nasir and Naushad from Kochi in Kerala and Hosur in Tamil Nadu respectively in a coordinated operation based on information received from the Andhra Pradesh PoliceThe murder of Praveen Nettaru a local BJP leader from Dakshina Kannada district on July 26 2022 had triggered widespread outrage and led to the NIA taking over the investigation The agencys probe has revealed that the killing was part of a larger criminal conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by cadres of the banned PFIIn the case two accused still remain absconding Efforts are continuing to trace and arrest the remaining fugitives and bring the investigation to its logical conclusionIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nia-arrests-another-absconding-accused-in-praveen-nettaru-murder-case-695944.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nadda-to-visit-flood-hit-arunachal-pradesh-review-relief-and-rehabilitation-measures-695945.html Itanagar Aug 6 IANS Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda is scheduled to visit Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday to assess the floodaffected areas of the state and review the ongoing rehabilitation relief and healthcare measures being undertaken for those impacted by the disasterThe Arunachal Pradesh visit marks the third and final leg of Naddas threeday tour of the flood and landslideaffected northeastern states of Assam Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh where he has been assessing the extent of damage and reviewing relief efforts on the groundDuring his visit the Union Minister is expected to inspect regions affected by floods flash floods and cloudbursts His itinerary is also likely to include visits to relief camps inspections of damaged infrastructure and interactions with residents who have been affected by the natural calamitiesEarlier on Wednesday Nadda assured the people of Assam that the Centre would extend all necessary support for relief rehabilitation and reconstruction work in floodaffected areas reiterating the Union governments commitment to helping affected families rebuild their livesAccompanied by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the Union Minister visited the floodhit Bihubor and Nepali Khuti areas in Sivasagar district where he reviewed the ground situation and interacted with families impacted by the recent floodsWhile addressing local residents during the visit Nadda said the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood firmly with the people of Assam and would ensure that relief and rehabilitation work proceeds without any shortage of resourcesHe also stated that teams deputed by the Centre were already carrying out detailed assessments of the losses caused by the floods so that rehabilitation and restoration measures could be implemented at the earliestThe Bihubor and Nepali Khuti areas in Sivasagar district have suffered extensive damage due to the recent flooding with hundreds of homes damaged large stretches of agricultural land submerged and significant livestock losses reportedLater in the day Nadda travelled to Nagaland where he was accompanied by the states Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal and Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland Phangnon Konyak to inspect landslideaffected areas in Mon townDuring the visit the Union Minister inspected the landslidehit Defence Colony and adjoining affected areas in Techa Ward He also met bereaved families and interacted with displaced residents staying at the Konyak Union OfficeNadda assured the affected families that the Central government stands firmly with the Nagaland government in tackling the ongoing flood and landslide situation He said the Narendra Modiled government is working in close coordination with the state administration to ensure that timely relief and every possible assistance reach all affected familiesHeavy rainfall had triggered multiple landslides across Mon district with Defence Colony and nearby localities emerging among the worsthit areas Several residential houses suffered extensive damage forcing many families to leave their homes The landslides also disrupted road connectivity at several locations while power and water supply were temporarily affected in parts of the districtIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nadda-to-visit-flood-hit-arunachal-pradesh-review-relief-and-rehabilitation-measures-695945.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/tn-agriculture-budget-today-crop-loan-waiver-higher-msp-in-focus-695947.html Chennai Aug 6 IANS Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister R Vinoth will present the states separate Agriculture Budget for 202627 in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday with farmers looking for major announcements on crop loan waivers higher procurement prices and measures to address climaterelated challengesnbspThe Agriculture Budget comes a day after Finance Minister N Marie Wilson presented the Revised Budget Estimates for 202627 the maiden Budget of the TVK government headed by Chief Minister C Joseph VijayExpectations are high among farmers particularly over a possible crop loan waiver Farmers organisations have been pressing the government to waive cooperative crop loans availed up to February 28 and are hoping the Agriculture Budget will provide clarity on the extent and financial framework of such reliefMinimum Support Price and procurement incentives for key crops are also expected to receive considerable attentionRecent review meetings chaired by Chief Minister Vijay have discussed measures to improve returns for farmers with paddy and sugarcane among the major crops in focus Farmers are expecting the government to announce enhanced procurement incentives steps to reduce production costs and measures to ensure timely paymentsStrengthening procurement centres and simplifying procedures for farmers selling their produce to government agencies are also among the demandsClimate resilience is likely to emerge as another major theme of the Budget Several agricultural regions have faced increasingly erratic weather conditions including drought excessive rainfall and changing monsoon patterns affecting crop yields and farm incomes The government is expected to outline measures for drought mitigation irrigation improvement and water conservation particularly in the Cauvery delta and droughtprone southern districtsInvestments in agricultural infrastructure farm mechanisation storage facilities and modern technologies could also feature in the BudgetIn the general Budget presented on Wednesday the government earmarked Rs 14984 crore under the Revised Budget Estimates for the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department providing the financial backdrop for Thursdays sectorspecific announcementsThe Agriculture Budget is also expected to spell out the TVK governments longerterm strategy for increasing agricultural productivity strengthening farmers incomes and attracting investment into food processing and allied sectorsWith the government beginning its first full budgetary exercise after assuming office Thursdays Agriculture Budget will be closely watched for how far the TVK administration translates its election commitments to farmers into concrete schemes and financial allocationsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/tn-agriculture-budget-today-crop-loan-waiver-higher-msp-in-focus-695947.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-deadlock-continues-house-adjourned-till-2-pm-amid-oppn-uproar--695955.html New Delhi Aug 6 IANS The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday after repeated appeals by Speaker Om Birla to maintain order in the House went unheeded as persistent sloganeering by Opposition members disrupted proceedingsThe Opposition continued its protests over the NEET paper leak demonstrations demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the police action against protesters as well as the alleged Ram Temple donation theft controversyWith the House unable to function amid the uproar Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pmThe continuing protests have prevented the Question Hour from functioning even for a single day during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament as repeated disruptions kept stalling regular legislative businessOn Wednesday despite sustained protests by Opposition members the Lok Sabha passed a Bill aimed at recognising digital and virtual records as admissible evidence in courtsThe legislation which was cleared through a voice vote without any discussion seeks to modernise the legal framework governing evidence related to bankers books by bringing it in line with contemporary digital banking practices It also covers matters connected or incidental to the legislationMeanwhile Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Opposition for protesting over the alleged Ram Temple donation scam accusing Congress the CPI and the Samajwadi Party of consistently opposing Lord RamReferring to the Oppositions chanda chori skit staged within the Parliament premises Rijiju said it had hurt the sentiments of people across the countryThe Union Minister also alleged that the Opposition was deliberately preventing Parliament from functioningKC Venugopal is a good man but he is unable to make his party members understand and maintain decorum Rijiju told the House while asserting that the government was prepared for a discussionMeanwhile targeting the BJP over the Ram Temple issue Venugopal said The people who looted the Ram temple are now accusing Congress of being Ram virodhi People will laugh at such allegations We are asking for action against those who took money from Ram temple donations and they have no answer to thatIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-deadlock-continues-house-adjourned-till-2-pm-amid-oppn-uproar--695955.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rs-sees-heated-exchanges-between-rijiju-and-kharge-over-rule-interpretations-695959.html New Delhi Aug 6 IANS Rajya Sabha proceedings on Thursday were marked by sharp verbal exchanges and persistent Opposition protests demanding the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the HousenbspnbspDespite continuous sloganeering of Grih Mantri Sadan Mein Aao Chairman CP Radhakrishnan allowed Question Hour to proceed soon after the House reassembled at noonHe told opposition members that the Leader of Opposition LoP would be given the floor once the initial questions concludedFollowing the first set of questions the Chairman invited LoP Mallikarjun Kharge to speak A heated faceoff quickly developed between Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren RijijuDefending the Oppositions stance Kharge asserted that members were raising critical matters of national importance and reiterated the demand that the Prime Minister and Home Minister address the House He insisted it was his right to decide how to speak what to speak and when to speakCiting former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Kharge maintained that disruption is part of democracy and that members possess the fundamental right to raise pressing public questionsThe debate intensified as Kharge accused Rijiju of misapplying parliamentary rules alleging he had quoted Rule 239 while overlooking Rule 238 which says a personal charge or defamatory incriminatory allegations against another member cannot be made and criticised earlier remarks concerning Congress leader Pawan KheraKharge stressed that no inflammatory or defamatory statements should be permitted inside the chamberCountering the allegations Rijiju clarified that he had initially cited Rule 240 and pointed out that Opposition members were repeatedly raising matters already addressed with the Chairs permissionHe said he was always ready to facilitate new members and noted that Khera being a new member had not yet made his maiden speech a point he had mentioned in the morning sessionRijiju said new members should also be given an opportunity to speakResponding to the demand for the Home Ministers presence Rijiju said that while members could request decisions from the Chair they could not dictate nor issue directions on which minister should be present in the House adding that we are all collectively responsibleChairman Radhakrishnan noted his intent to facilitate newer members and observed that one member had yet to deliver a maiden speech He however told the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to respect the sentiments of the Opposition as they are demanding the Home Ministers presenceThe Chairman firmly underlined that no rule permits members to shout against the ChairAs the Chairman attempted to restore order and proceed with Question Hour he called upon member John BrittasWhen Brittas thanked the Chair for directing the Parliamentary Affairs Minister the Chairman declined to entertain the point further and adjourned the House until 215 pm amid the unrelenting protestsEarlier during Question Hour Manoj Jha asked the government about steps taken to ensure representation of judges from Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities in the higher judiciary Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal replied that the government always sends its recommendations to include judges from ST and SC communities in the Memorandum of Procedure MoP which lays down the procedure for appointment and transfer of judges to the Supreme Court and State High CourtsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rs-sees-heated-exchanges-between-rijiju-and-kharge-over-rule-interpretations-695959.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/row-erupts-over-revocation-of-permission-for-rahul-gandhis-student-event-in-up-cong-cries-foul-695972.html New Delhi Aug 6 IANS The withdrawal of permission for Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhis Chhatron ki Goonj event slated to be held in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj has snowballed into a major controversy with many Congress leaders calling out shameful conduct allegedly at the behest of the BJP government in the statenbspRahul Gandhi was set to address a gathering of students at KP Ground on August 8 but the venue permission has been revoked just two days before the scheduled address The Kayastha Pathshala Trust which owns the KP Ground cancelled the permission citing unsafe conditions in light of incessant rains and also a court orderHowever a string of Congress leaders cried foul over the abrupt cancellation of the venue accusing the BJP of crushing dissent and throttling democracyUP Congress chief Ajay Rai saw a BJP design in disrupting Rahuls Chhatron ki Goonj events across the country and claimed that the ruling dispensation was making futile attempts to block the LoPs dialogue with studentsFirst Kota Rajasthan then Dehradun Uttarakhand and now Prayagraj the BJP government is making futile attempts everywhere to stop this historic dialogue between the youth and Rahul Gandhi he said on XHe asserted that the programme will go on in Prayagraj and also made a fervent appeal to students and examination aspirants to reach the city on the dayMany Congress MPs and leaders reacted to the cancellation of permission for Rahuls muchpublicised students event venue with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra telling scribes in a oneliner Dont know what they are afraid ofCongress MP Vivek Tankha speaking to scribes on Parliament premises said This amounts to throttling democracy and questioned the governments approach in upholding democratic valuesAnother Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi called out the shameful conduct and slammed the administration over attempts to stop students engagementWhat could be more shameful than this You are afraid of a students programme You are unwilling to engage with students yourselves and when the Leader of Opposition goes to interact with them you cancel the permission for the programme he saidSamajwadi Party MP Iqra Hassan called the move unconstitutional saying In a democracy everyone has the right to go anywhere and preventing someone from doing so only reflects the weakness of the governmentIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/row-erupts-over-revocation-of-permission-for-rahul-gandhis-student-event-in-up-cong-cries-foul-695972.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-busts-telegram-based-part-time-cyber-job-scam-arrests-two-from-rajasthan-695977.html New Delhi Aug 6 Delhi Polices Cyber Police Station in the Central District has arrested two cyber criminals from Rajasthan for their involvement in a Telegrambased parttime job and investment scam The accused were engaged in procuring and supplying mule bank accounts to cyber fraud syndicates enabling the transfer and laundering of money obtained through online scams According to police the case came to light after a complaint was lodged on July 9 regarding a Telegrambased fraud in which the victim was cheated of Rs 284100 The complainant reported that he was initially approached on June 9 by a Telegram user identified as Payal Singh Jaat who assigned him online review tasks related to Foodpanda The tasks appeared genuine and were designed to gain the victims trustSubsequently on July 2 the complainant was introduced to another Telegram user identified as Gaurika Ojas mhhgdzs who persuaded him to invest money in an online investment scheme by promising unusually high returnsBelieving the claims made by the fraudsters the victim transferred a total of Rs 284100 through UPI and IMPS transactions from his State Bank of India SBI and Punjab National Bank PNB accounts to several bank accounts provided by the accusedBased on the complaint an EFIR No 1902026 dated July 9 under Sections 3184 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS was registered at the Cyber Police Station Central DistrictDuring the investigation police traced the movement of the defrauded funds through multiple beneficiary accounts maintained in different banks including the Central Bank of India Kerala Gramin Bank and State Bank of IndiaA detailed analysis of the money trail revealed that Rs 100000 from the cheated amount had been credited into a Central Bank of India account held in the name of Dinesh at the Marudhar Industrial Area Branch in Jodhpur RajasthanFurther scrutiny of the account revealed that Rs 80000 had been withdrawn through a Central Bank of India ATM in Jodhpur while another Rs 38000 was withdrawn from an HDFC Bank ATM in Ajmer Investigators also found evidence of expenditure amounting to Rs 19500 at a petrol pumpUsing technical surveillance financial transaction analysis and bank records police established the involvement of the account holder A dedicated police team led by Inspector Yograj Dalal SHO of Cyber Police Station Central District was formed under the supervision of ACP Paharganj Saurabh A Narendra The team included ASI Pankaj Head Constables Ravi Kant and Ashok and Constable NitinActing on specific inputs the team conducted a raid in Jodhpur on July 31 and apprehended Dinesh aged 21 During interrogation investigators reportedly obtained substantial incriminating evidence linking him to the fraud He was subsequently arrested in the caseBased on Dineshs disclosure statement police traced and arrested his alleged associate Vikas Siyag a 20yearold resident of Jodhpur Investigators believe the duo played a key role in arranging and supplying mule bank accounts that were used to receive and transfer money generated through cyber fraudPolice recovered four mobile phones and one SIM card from the accused The seized devices have been sent for forensic examination to uncover further evidence and identify other members of the syndicateDuring the investigation authorities also found that the bank account used in the present case was linked to five cyber crime complaints registered in different jurisdictions indicating its repeated use in cyberenabled financial frauds Verification of the criminal antecedents of both accused is currently underwayFurther investigation is in progress to identify and apprehend other members of the cyber fraud network involved in the scam IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-busts-telegram-based-part-time-cyber-job-scam-arrests-two-from-rajasthan-695977.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cabinet-expansion-grievances-persist-despite-karnataka-cm-shivakumar-surjewalas-outreach-to-mlas-695982.html Bengaluru Aug 6 Despite efforts by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and AICC Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala to pacify disgruntled Congress legislators following the recent Cabinet expansion protests and expressions of dissatisfaction continued across the state on Thursday In Kolar district a bandh was observed in Bangarpet in support of threeterm MLA SN Narayanaswamy whose supporters demanded that he be inducted into the state Cabinet Protesters exempted emergency services from the shutdown but organised bike rallies blocked the Kolar Main Road and burnt tyres alleging that the senior legislator had been overlooked despite his contributions to the partyIn Koppal district supporters of senior Congress leader Raghavendra Hitnal continued their agitation over his exclusion from the Cabinet Several party workers announced that they would resign from their organisational posts in protest Hitnal however maintained that he would take a decision on his future course of action after a weekA similar protest was witnessed in Haveri district where supporters of Byadagi MLA Basavaraj Shivannavar along with members of the Kuruba community called for a bandh demanding his inclusion in the Cabinet Supporters said they would urge former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who also belongs to the Kuruba community to ensure Shivannavar was accommodated in the ministryMeanwhile senior Congress leader Yashavanthrayagouda Patil of Vijayapura who had earlier resigned from his Assembly membership in protest announced that he was withdrawing his resignation following appeals from supporters and discussions with SurjewalaAddressing the media Patil on Thursday said he had reconsidered his decision after witnessing the affection and support shown by people in his constituencyI have withdrawn my resignation keeping in mind the sentiments of the people The pressure from my supporters and wellwishers convinced me that the love of the people is more valuable than a ministerial post I will remain in the Congress till my last breath he saidPatil said he had questioned Surjewala about the assurance allegedly given to him in 2023 regarding a Cabinet berth According to him the Congress leader explained the circumstances behind the final selection of ministers following which he was satisfied with the clarificationHe said he had been promised a ministerial position during the formation of the government under Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after the 2023 Assembly elections However he alleged that the assurance was not honoured prompting him to submit his resignationSurjewala came to my residence and held detailed discussions with me He requested me not to be upset over missing out on a Cabinet berth After requests from party leaders and supporters I have decided to withdraw my resignation I have no intention of joining any other political party in search of a position Patil saidAnother disgruntled senior Congress MLA BR Patil from Aland in Kalaburagi district continued to express disappointment over being denied a ministerial berthHe said he was unsure whether Siddaramaiahs explanation that local leaders had created obstacles to his induction was genuine or merely an excuseI never approached anyone seeking a ministerial post Leaders from my own district became a roadblock to my inclusion in the Cabinet Siddaramaiah himself has spoken about this but I do not know whether he is stating the truth or merely saying it for the sake of it BR Patil saidHe further claimed that Siddaramaiah had personally called him three times before the Assembly elections and promised him a ministerial position while campaigning for himI never demanded a Cabinet berth It was Siddaramaiah who assured me that I would be made a minister Going back on that promise has caused me immense disappointment he addedThe continuing protests in several districts despite sustained efforts by the party leadership to contain the rebellion indicate that the Congress is yet to fully overcome the resentment triggered by the latest Cabinet expansion IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cabinet-expansion-grievances-persist-despite-karnataka-cm-shivakumar-surjewalas-outreach-to-mlas-695982.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/indias-steel-production-clocks-4-pc-growth-in-april-july-this-fiscal-govt-695983.html New Delhi Aug 6 Indiaâs production of finished steel during AprilJuly in the current financial year went up to 543 million tonnes which represents a 4 per cent increase over the corresponding figure of 522 million tonnes in the same fourmonth period last year according to data released by the Ministry of Steel on Thursday The countryâs consumption of finished steel shot up by a robust 78 per cent to 559 million tonnes during AprilJuly compared with 519 million tonnes in the same period last year as demand from bigticket infrastructure projects taken up by the government in the highways railways and port sectors fuelled demandIndiaâs steel exports also surged by 35 per cent during AprilJuly this year to 2292300 tonnes compared with the corresponding figure of 1698000 tonnes in the same period last year In value terms the exports during AprilJuly jumped by 294 per cent to Rs 181054 crore from Rs 139962 crore in the same period last yearIndiaâs steel exports also surged by 381 per cent in June to 616200 tonnes compared with the corresponding figure of 446200 tonnes in the same month last year The production of crude steel was recorded at 563 million tonnes in AprilJuly of the current financial year compared with 549 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year which represents a 26 per cent increase Indias total crude steelmaking capacity currently stands at 222 million tonnes per annum keeping the industry on track to achieve the National Steel Policy target of 300 million tonnes per annum by 2030 according to an official statementPublic steel giant SAIL reported a strong performance in the first quarter of FY 202627 with net profit rising over 138 per cent yearonyear to Rs 1636 crore The company recorded revenue from operations of Rs 26246 crore during the quarter reflecting improved financial performanceSAIL received a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology LAToT from the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory of DRDO to manufacture DMR249A DMR249B and DMR249BK grade steel for naval ships and submarines strengthening Indias indigenous capability in specialised defencesteel manufacturing and supporting the countrys defence manufacturing sectorSAIL also marked a sustainability milestone with the inauguration of its first Micro Pellet Plant at Rourkela Steel Plant in July 2026 â a 018 MTPA facility that converts steelmaking waste into valueadded micro pellets The plant supports RSPs efforts to reduce landfill waste and improve raw material selfsufficiency by recycling process residues IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/indias-steel-production-clocks-4-pc-growth-in-april-july-this-fiscal-govt-695983.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-vijay-hails-tvks-debut-budgets-as-roadmap-for-inclusive-growth-695992.html Chennai Aug 6 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday congratulated Finance Minister N Marie Wilson and Agriculture and Farmersâ Welfare Minister R Vinoth for presenting the stateâs Revised Budget and Agriculture Budget for 202627 saying the financial proposals were designed to promote inclusive growth and strengthen the livelihoods of people across sectors In a statement issued after the presentation of the Agriculture Budget in the Legislative Assembly CM Vijay said the two budgets reflected the governmentâs commitment to Tamil Naduâs development while placing the welfare of its people at the centre of policymakingThe Chief Minister conveyed his appreciation to Finance Planning and Development Minister Marie Wilson for presenting the Revised Budget for 202627 and to Vinoth for unveiling the Agriculture BudgetThe Agriculture Budget was presented in the Assembly on Thursday with Vinoth outlining a series of schemes and initiatives covering farmers agricultural production and allied sectors The Minister began reading his Budget speech at 931 am and concluded at 1138 am speaking for more than two hoursCM Vijay said the revised budget had been formulated with a broad vision to create new opportunities and improve the welfare of different sections of society He said the proposals were aimed at supporting students youth women children persons with disabilities transgender persons workers fishermen weavers entrepreneurs and government employees among othersThe Budget he said sought to give fresh hope to people from all sections while laying the foundation for the stateâs longterm economic and social developmentReferring to the Agriculture Budget CM Vijay said it had been specifically designed to strengthen farmersâ welfare and livelihoods while accelerating the development of agriculture and allied activities across Tamil NaduThe Budget also focuses on livestock farming fisheries and dairy farming besides encouraging food processing and valueadded industries linked to the agricultural economyThe Chief Minister said strengthening these sectors would help create additional livelihood opportunities improve farmersâ economic security and contribute to the overall development of rural Tamil NaduCM Vijay said the governmentâs fiscal and agricultural plans were intended to ensure that economic progress reached people across different sections of society and regions of the StateExpressing confidence in the governmentâs development agenda the Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu should continue its journey towards greater prosperity with the participation and welfare of all sections of society at its core IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-vijay-hails-tvks-debut-budgets-as-roadmap-for-inclusive-growth-695992.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-contempt-notice-to-lda-vice-chairman-seeks-sit-report-on-lucknow-fire-tragedy--696020.html New Delhi Aug 6 IANS The Supreme Court has issued notice in contempt proceedings against the ViceChairman of the Lucknow Development Authority LDA over alleged noncompliance with its directions on illegal constructions and landuse violations while taking serious note of the recent Lucknow tragedy in which 15 students lost their lives in a building being used for commercial activitynbspA Bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan directed the LDA ViceChairman to remain personally present on the next date of hearing and show cause as to why appropriate orders should not be passed against him for noncompliance with the apex courts earlier ordersnbspThis Court is constrained to issue notice in the contempt proceedings as it is an admitted position that no effective action has been taken against those who have blatantly violated the sanctioned land use prescribed under the Master Plan the Justice Amanullahled Bench saidThe apex court was informed by amicus curiae and senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha that the devastating blaze at a commercial building in Lucknows Aliganj area claimed the lives of 15 students and left many others injured following which the structure was demolishedAccording to the amicus a demolition order had originally been passed on May 10 2016 but was recalled by the same authority on July 5 2016 on a technical ground after which no further action was taken until the fatal incident occurrednbspTaking note of the submissions the Justice Amanullahled Bench said it had been informed that a Special Investigation Team SIT had been constituted and had submitted its report Let the report be produced before this Court in a sealed cover on the next date of hearing it orderedThe ViceChairman Lucknow Development Authority shall remain personally present on the next date of hearing to show cause as to why appropriate orders should not be passed against him for noncompliance with the orders of this Court the apex court addednbspWhile directing the LDA ViceChairman to remain personally present at the next hearing the Supreme Court dispensed with the personal appearance of the Lucknow Municipal Commissioner for the time beingnbspThe top court also impleaded the Lucknow Development Authority through its ViceChairman as a party respondent after noting that though it was not originally a party to the proceedings it had filed an affidavit along with an application seeking impleadment The proceedings arise from the Supreme Courts continuing monitoring of illegal constructions and unauthorised landuse violations across the countrynbspLast month the apex court had come down heavily on civic authorities over rampant illegal constructions and repeated noncompliance with its earlier directions observing that if officials fail to act even after the top courts orders it raises serious concerns about the plight of ordinary citizensnbspIt had also flagged recent fire incidents and building collapses including the one in Lucknow warning that ineffective enforcement of building laws could have disastrous consequences and that officials entrusted with implementing its directions would be held personally accountable for any failure to actnbspIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-issues-contempt-notice-to-lda-vice-chairman-seeks-sit-report-on-lucknow-fire-tragedy--696020.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/ethanol-policy-bombay-hc-orders-removal-of-defamatory-social-media-posts-against-gadkari-695752.html Mumbai Aug 5 IANS In a significant relief to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the removal of defamatory and AIgenerated deepfake content circulating on social media platforms that falsely linked him and his family members to the Central governments E20 ethanol blending programmenbspThe courts order came while hearing a civil suit filed by Gadkari against major technology and social media companies including Meta X and GoogleYouTube along with unidentified content creators accused of publishing and disseminating the disputed materialAccording to the petition several manipulated videos deepfakes and misleading social media posts alleged that Gadkari and his family had benefited financially from the governments ethanolblended fuel policynbspThe Minister contended that the content was fabricated malicious and aimed at damaging his reputation by spreading false narratives among the publicnbspIn his plea Gadkari clarified that the Ethanol Blending Programme including the implementation of E20 ethanolmixed petrol falls entirely under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and has no connection with the ministry headed by himnbspThe petition argued that linking him or his family to the policy for personal gain was factually incorrect and defamatorynbspSeeking urgent judicial intervention Gadkari had requested immediate removal of the objectionable content from all digital platforms He also sought damages of Rs 11 crore for the alleged reputational harm caused by the circulation of the false and manipulated materialThe suit further highlighted the growing challenge posed by deepfake technology and misinformation on social media platforms arguing that intermediaries have a responsibility to act promptly against demonstrably false and defamatory content The legal action is aimed at holding platform operators accountable for allowing the dissemination of fabricated and derogatory material while not impeding legitimate public discourse or criticismThe High Courts directive marks a significant step in addressing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media platforms to spread misinformation involving public figuresIANSnbsp https://dailyworld.in/national/ethanol-policy-bombay-hc-orders-removal-of-defamatory-social-media-posts-against-gadkari-695752.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/someone-has-to-pay-cost-but-mdr-on-upi-proposal-still-premature-rbi-governor-695754.html Mumbai Aug 5 IANS RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Wednesday that costs have to be paid by someone for the sustainability of the public infrastructure for digital payments to run the UPI system but this may not fall on general consumersnbspHe was responding to a question at a press conference here on how the RBI plans to impose a merchant discount rate MDR or commission on UPI transactionsnbspnbspIt is very premature to say something on it lets wait and watch for the development ultimately it is the consumers who pay but it may not be the general consumers he remarkedThe RBI Governor had also said last month that digital infrastructure costs have to be covered but there is no formal framework or proposal to charge everyday usersnbspThe Finance Ministry has proposed legislative changes to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act which is aimed to allow potential flexibility for future merchant charges on highvalue UPI transactions above 2000 However regular consumer UPI payments would remain free according to senior officialsGovernment officials said that over 90 per cent of the transactions that include daily purchases of milk vegetables and groceries will not attract an MDR chargenbspAt present credit and debit card purchases come under MDR but most merchants to do not pass on the cost to consumersnbspThe finance ministry proposed amending section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act removing rigid zerocharge mandates to allow future government notification on transaction feesThe Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha changes the legal framework giving the government the flexibility to decide in the future which digital payment modes should remain exempt from charges and which could attract MDRnbspCurrently the law prevents banks and payment service providers from levying charges on notified payment modes such as UPI and RuPay debit cardsnbspThe amendment would remove this blanket statutory protection and pave the way for the government to notify which electronic payment modes will remain exempt from charges and which could attract MDRIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/someone-has-to-pay-cost-but-mdr-on-upi-proposal-still-premature-rbi-governor-695754.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/meta-row-parliamentary-panel-seeks-mark-zuckerberg-apology-in-3-days-695757.html New Delhi Aug 5 IANS A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Wednesday took strong exception to the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modis video from Facebook and has sought an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg within three daysnbspAccording to a letter sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY the committee viewed the removal of the Prime Ministers speech very seriouslyThe video which featured PM Modi addressing students and Gen Z on examinationrelated controversies and the governments crackdown on paper leaks was reportedly unavailable on Facebook for around five to six hoursThe letter signed by A Jyothirmayi Director in the Lok Sabha Secretariat warned that the protection and immunity available to Zuckerberg could be reconsidered if an apology is not issued within the stipulated periodI am directed to refer to the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology 202526 held on August 3 2026 with representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Social and Digital Media Platforms Snapchat Google X Meta Facebook WhatsApp and Instagram and YouTube on Social and Digital platforms and their regulation Jyothirmayi saidThe removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modis video addressing students and Gen Z regarding examination controversies and strict actions against paper leaks from Facebook for 56 hours viewed very seriously by the Committee Jyothirmayi statedThe panel said the incident raised concerns over the handling of content involving the Prime Minister and called for accountability from the social media giant It asked the government to take up the matter and ensure an appropriate response from MetaDuring the deliberations the Committee demanded an apology from Mark Zukerberg Meta Chief on this issue she notedIf he fails to tender an unqualified apology within 3 days of receipt of this letter the protectionimmunity given under Section 793 of IT Act may be withdrawn and action taken against him as a Publisher Jyothirmayi mentionedIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/meta-row-parliamentary-panel-seeks-mark-zuckerberg-apology-in-3-days-695757.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/bjps-bansuri-swaraj-attacks-rahul-over-rss-remarks-questions-his-silence-on-jharkhand-exams-row-695761.html New Delhi Aug 5 IANS BJP Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj on Wednesday slammed Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS alleging that the Congress leader lacks the vision for a positive agenda and relies on accusations instead of constructive politicsnbspHer remarks came against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhis continued criticism of the RSS in which he has accused the organisation of attempting institutional capture rewriting Indias history and exercising influence over key Union ministries and public universities through the backdoorReacting to the remarks Bansuri Swaraj accused Rahul Gandhi of lacking a developmental vision and said his politics was centred on allegations rather than meaningful public discoursenbspSpeaking to reporters she said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has neither a vision for development nor a positive agenda His politics is based only on allegations and creating illusions Due to a lack of facts he repeatedly targets national and ideological organisationsnbspThe BJP MP further defended the RSS saying the organisation has been serving the nation for nearly a century through voluntary efforts and has consistently contributed to relief work during natural disasters and other emergenciesThe RSS which has been contributing selflessly to nationbuilding for the last 100 years and is often the first to undertake relief work during disasters is repeatedly subjected to baseless allegations by Rahul Gandhi she saidnbspThis is truly shameful behaviour of Rahul Gandhi The countrys voters have repeatedly rejected Rahul Gandhi and the divisive policies of the Congress party Swaraj saidnbspOn Tuesday during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Gandhi reportedly alleged that the RSSs involvement in Sainik Schools across the country was increasing unnecessarilyAt a separate book launch event held the same day the Leader of the Opposition also accused the RSS and the BJP of promoting the idea that India is not a collective expression of its diverse culturesSwaraj also questioned Rahul Gandhi over what she described as his selective approach towards issues concerning students and examinationrelated controversiesnbspReferring to paper leak cases in states governed by parties belonging to the INDIA bloc she asked why the Congress leader had remained silent on those incidentsnbspShe said she wants to ask Rahul Gandhi why he sheds crocodile tears over student protests in Delhi but maintains silence over exam controversy in JharkhandIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/bjps-bansuri-swaraj-attacks-rahul-over-rss-remarks-questions-his-silence-on-jharkhand-exams-row-695761.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/shashi-tharoor-questions-delay-in-lgbtqia-panels-work-695765.html New Delhi Aug 5 IANS The Centres HighPowered Committee constituted to examine issues concerning samesex couples has met only twice since its formation more than two years ago and is yet to submit any recommendation or report according to the governments written reply to an unstarred question raised by Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor in the Lok SabhanbspThe reply received by Tharoor on Tuesday states that the committee was constituted pursuant to the Supreme Courts judgment in the Supriyo caseIt also says that the panels last meeting was held more than two years agoReacting to the reply in a social media post Tharoor said on Wednesday The Governments reply to my question lays bare the utter failure of the HighPowered Committee constituted pursuant to the Supreme Courts Supriyo judgment and more importantly the Governments complete lack of political will to address the concerns of samesex couples and secure meaningful rights for our fellow citizens in the LGBTQIA community More than two years after its constitution the Committee has met only twice Its last meeting took place over two years ago and it has yet to produce a single recommendation or reportThe interim measures cited by the Government cannot substitute for meaningful legal reform Advisories do not create rights They do not guarantee equal access to housing employment healthcare inheritance joint financial benefits nextofkin recognition medical decisionmaking or public services If the Government believes these questions should await the Committees recommendations it owes the community an explanation for why the Committee itself has remained virtually inactive for over two years he saidOne is compelled to ask Was the Committee constituted merely to satisfy the Court with no genuine intention of carrying its mandate forward The Governments own reply regrettably points in that direction asks TharoorCongress MP Tharoor a senior member of the Lok Sabha has been representing the state capital city constituency uninterrupted starting from 2009 and was a Union Minister too in the Dr Manmohan Singh CabinetIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/shashi-tharoor-questions-delay-in-lgbtqia-panels-work-695765.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-clarifies-media-reporting-of-court-proceedings-unaffected-restricts-use-of-courtroom-audio-video-695774.html New Delhi Aug 5 IANS The Supreme Court has clarified that its recent interim order regulating the use of audio and video recordings of court proceedings does not impose a blanket prohibition on reportage by recognised news organisations while reiterating that such outlets cannot use audio or video clips of judicial proceedings in their coveragenbspnbspA Bench of Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the clarification after observing that some confusion persists regarding paragraph 11 of its July 24 interim order passed in a petition seeking implementation of a uniform framework for live streaming and recording of court proceedings across the countryClarifying the scope of its earlier directions the CJIled Bench said The said paragraph makes it clear that the order is not to be construed as imposing a blanket prohibition on the reporting of court proceedings by recognised news outletsSuch outlets may therefore continue to report on the proceedings and inform the general public of legal developments and judicial pronouncements save that audio or video clips of the court proceedings shall not be utilised in the course of such reportage it addedIIn sum while news outlets may continue to report on the court proceedings they shall nonetheless remain bound by the restrictions set out in paragraph 10Accordingly the top court said that paragraph 11 of its July 24 order stands clarified to that extentThe CJI Surya Kantled Bench also granted four weeks time to the respondents to file their counter affidavits and posted the matter for further hearing on September 18Earlier on July 24 the Supreme Court had directed that audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings cannot be extracted disseminated monetised posted reposted uploaded transmitted modified stored or hosted on social media or any other digital platform without prior permission of the Secretary General of the apex court or the Registrar Generals of the respective High CourtsThe interim direction was passed while issuing notice on the writ petition and impleading all High Courts along with major social media intermediaries and technology platforms as parties to the proceedingsThe apex court had also directed the Union government to place before it a proposal formulated through the nodal Ministries to give effect to the reliefs sought in the petition while asking all High Courts to submit status reports on the adoption of the Model Rules for live streaming and recording of court proceedings including the feasibility of continuous and uninterrupted live streamingnbspIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-clarifies-media-reporting-of-court-proceedings-unaffected-restricts-use-of-courtroom-audio-video-695774.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/no-proposal-to-prematurely-end-fcnr-b-incentive-scheme-rbi-governor-695776.html Mumbai Aug 5 IANS RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Wednesday there is no proposal to prematurely close the Foreign Currency NonResident Bank or FCNR B deposit incentive schemenbspThe RBI Governor was responding to a question at a press conference here after the announcement of the monetary policy review earlier in the daynbspThe scheme has driven robust capital inflows into the country enabled Indian banks to mobilise 367 billion through FCNR deposits as of July 31 2026 which has helped to steady the rupee compared to the US dollar at a time when it had begun to slide amid rising oil prices in the global marketDriven by these massive FCNR inflows Indias headline foreign exchange reserves are expected to cross the 700 billion milestone in the coming weeksThe concessional zerocost swap facility offered by the RBI remains fully operational and is scheduled to run through its original deadline of September 30 2026Even before these measures came in we had a very strong and comfortable external position This further fortifies our external position the RBI Governor saidMalhotra further stated that the RBIs policy has always been to allow markets to determine the rupees price level within the band and that the central bank does not pursue a specific exchangerate levelWe only intervene in case there is an excessive volatility or there are speculative pressures that are getting built in he explainedThe RBI will endeavour to ensure the rupees trajectory remains orderly without disruptive movements or the buildup of selffulfilling expectations around the exchange rate he further statedMajor commercial banks like State Bank of India SBI and ICICI Bank have collectively captured over half of all inflows generated under the FCNR B special dollarmobilisation driveThe RBI temporarily eased interest rate curbs on nonresident deposits to enable banks to offer higher returns on fresh FCNR B and NRE deposits with the aim of attracting more overseas funds to prop up the countrys foreign exchange reserves and strengthen the rupeenbspUnder the relaxed rules that have been put in place till September 30 2026 the RBI has withdrawn the interest rate ceiling on fresh Foreign Currency NonResident Bank or FCNRB deposits with maturities of more than three years and up to five years It has also removed restrictions on interest rates offered on fresh NonResident External NRE deposits of three years and aboveThe move gives banks more freedom to offer higher interest rates to nonresident Indians in order to mobilise more foreigncurrency and rupee deposits from overseas investors and saversBefore the new rules were rolled out banks were required to ensure that interest rates on NRE deposits did not exceed those offered on comparable domestic rupee term deposits FCNR B deposits of three to five years were subject to an interest rate ceiling linked to the applicable overnight alternative reference rate or swap rate plus 350 basis pointsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/no-proposal-to-prematurely-end-fcnr-b-incentive-scheme-rbi-governor-695776.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-mangal-milan-meet-underway-discussions-likely-on-final-leg-of-monsoon-session-695486.html New Delhi Aug 4 The NDA Parliamentary Partys Mangal Milan meeting is underway at the Parliament Library Building PLB The discussion is likely to chalk out the ruling alliances floor strategy for the remaining 10 days of the Monsoon Session All the members of the ruling NDA arrived at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium for the meeting The Nationalist Citizens Party of India NCPI MPs who were earlier with the Trinamool Congress also attended the meeting for the second time Prime Minister Narendra Modi Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Home Minister Amit Shah BJP National President Nitin Nabin Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with other NDA MPs are expected to attend the meetingThe meeting comes as the Monsoon Session of Parliament enters its last leg The NDAled Centre prepares to introduce several pending Bills for consideration and passage even as disruptions from the Opposition are expected to continue over a range of contentious issuesThe Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated protests and interruptions over the past several days as Opposition parties raise issues including examination paper leaks police action against protesters during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and the Ram Mandir donation theft case With both the government and the Opposition expected to remain firm on their respective positions the third week of the session is likely to witness another round of intense political exchanges alongside efforts to push forward the Centres legislative agendaThe Mangal Milan meeting is virtually the rebranded weekly NDA parliamentary party strategy session held to foster constructive debate and seamless alliance alignmentApart from facilitating daily floor management and crossparty consensus during Parliament sessions the Mangal Milan meeting also serves as a medium to promote coordination with NDA constituentsThe meeting promotes the participation of NDA MPs in debates and the distribution of speaking roles among key allies including the Shiv Sena LJP TDP JDU and other regional partiesThe previous Mangal Milan held on July 28 marked the debut of NCPI MPs Kakoli Ghosh Shatabdi Roy and Saayoni Ghosh who were earlier with the Trinamool Congress at the meeting along with other NDA constituentsMany of the NCPI MPs who attended the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting Mangal Milan for the first time had praised the organised system of the ruling alliance IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-mangal-milan-meet-underway-discussions-likely-on-final-leg-of-monsoon-session-695486.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/arrested-jem-suspect-lured-aspiring-models-for-honey-trapping-racket-695487.html Kolkata Aug 4 Hamim Mondal the suspected JaishâeâMohammed JeM associate who was arrested last week from Burdwan in West Burdwan district used to target new and upcoming models for honeytrapping politically and socially influential persons in West Bengal At the same time attractive female social media influencers who are regular in posting reels on social media were also his target the investigating officers have learnt after interrogating HamimIn fact Arpita Sarkar his female aide who was arrested last week in Sahibganj in neighbouring Jharkhand was a social media influencer who frequently posted reels which became Mondals first point of contactThis assignment for roping in attractive young women as per his confessions during interrogation was given to him by Shahzad Bhatti Network SBN a Pakistanbased terroristcriminal group sources saidAccording to sources Mondalâs role was limited to the initial stage of establishing contact between his targets and the SBN handlers based out of Pakistan Thereafter the SBN handlers used to contact the target independently bypassing Mondal which happened in the case of Arpita SarkarNow the investigating officials of the Special Task Force STF of West Bengal Police are trying to track the identities of other young and attractive women who had been trapped by Mondal apart from Arpita Sarkar The STF sleuths have also arrested Aditya Singh the second aide of the suspected JeM associateThe investigating officials are also trying to locate those who have become victims of a honey trap but remained silent for fear of losing social prestigeThe National Investigation Agency NIA on Monday interrogated Mondal and Sarkar and is likely to interrogate Aditya Singh todaySources said if necessary all three might be interrogated together by the NIA to avoid contradictions in their statementsThe STF officials following interrogation of Mondal and Sarkar have learnt that SBN targeted the family members of at least six current members of the West Bengal cabinet through Arpita Besides the family members of the state cabinet members some other influential persons in the stateâs administrative machinery were also targeted through Sarkar as revealed in the investigation so far IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/arrested-jem-suspect-lured-aspiring-models-for-honey-trapping-racket-695487.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-arrest-neeraj-bawana-gang-member-after-brief-encounter-695490.html New Delhi Aug 4 The Outer North District Police have arrested an alleged active member of the Neeraj BawanaNaveen Bali gang following an encounter on GTK Road to Hiranki Pushta Road officials said on Tuesday The accused identified as Savinder alias Baba alias Pagal was injured during the exchange of fire and has been taken into custodyAccording to a press note issued by the Delhi Police the operation was carried out late on August 3 at around 10 pm by teams of the Special Staff and Alipur Police Station following specific intelligence inputs about the accusedâs movementThe police said Savinder aged 36 was a key associate of the gang and had allegedly been involved in extortion activities targeting businessmen and property dealers in the Alipur and Narela areas Due to fear of retaliation many victims were reportedly reluctant to approach the police officials saidThe police team laid a trap on the route from GTK Road to Hiranki Pushta Road to apprehend the accused As per the police statement when Savinder was intercepted and asked to surrender he allegedly opened fire at the police personnelâThe moment the accused was intercepted and asked to surrender he resorted to violence and fired indiscriminately at the police partyâ the Delhi Police said in its statementDuring the exchange of fire SubInspector Vishal narrowly escaped injury after a bullet hit his bulletproof jacket police said The team retaliated in selfdefence following which the accused sustained a gunshot injury to his left leg and was overpowered No police personnel were injured in the incidentThe accused was immediately provided medical assistance and was first taken to Raja Harishchandra Hospital before being shifted to LNJP Hospital Police said he is currently stable and consciousThe police recovered one pistol three live 765mm cartridges three empty 765mm rounds and two empty 9mm rounds from his possessionAccording to the police Savinder has a criminal record involving six FIRs including cases related to murder attempt to murder assault and violations under the Arms Act He was also allegedly involved in threatening businessmen in the areaThe Delhi Police said the arrest has dealt a major setback to the activities of the Neeraj BawanaNaveen Bali gang in Outer North Delhi and is expected to provide relief to the local business communityâDelhi Police remain committed to maintaining law and order and will continue to take strict action against such antisocial elementsâ the statement saidFurther investigation and legal proceedings are underway police added IANS https://dailyworld.in/national/delhi-police-arrest-neeraj-bawana-gang-member-after-brief-encounter-695490.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/up-govt-tables-rs-59-01954-crore-supplementary-budget-amid-opposition-protests-in-assembly-695512.html Lucknow Aug 4 IANS Uttar Pradesh Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna on Tuesday presented a supplementary budget of Rs 5901954 crore in the Assembly during the second day of the Monsoon SessionnbspThe supplementary budget sees significant allocations for the energy industrial development health agriculture and social welfare sectorsnbspThe budget was tabled amid noisy protests by opposition members particularly from the Samajwadi Party SP leading to heated sloganeering between treasury and opposition benchesPresenting the supplementary budget the Minister announced additional financial provisions aimed at boosting infrastructure expansion attracting industrial investment strengthening healthcare services and supporting the agricultural sector across the stateThe supplementary budget earmarks Rs 4722 crore for the energy sector and Rs 1655 crore for the Social Welfare DepartmentnbspAccording to the government the additional expenditure is intended to accelerate development projects and improve public service delivery in key sectorsIn agriculture and allied sectors the Agriculture Department has been allocated Rs 13238 crore under the revenue head and Rs 159 crore under the capital headnbspThe Horticulture and Food Processing Department will receive more than Rs 24480 crore while additional provisions have also been made for the Animal Husbandry Department Dairy Development Fisheries Land Development and Water Resources departmentsThe health sector emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of the supplementary budget Allopathic medical services have been allocated Rs 1100 crore under revenue expenditure and Rs 96 crore under capital expenditurenbspAn additional Rs 70425 crore has been provided for Family Welfare programmes while Rs 6065 crore has been earmarked for Public Health services The government has also allocated funds for the expansion of Ayurvedic and Unani healthcare facilitiesThe government has laid special emphasis on industrial development and infrastructure expansion The Department of Heavy and Medium Industries has been allocated nearly Rs 2090588 crore under the capital head and Rs 13030 crore under the revenue headnbspAdditional provisions have also been made for handloom and textilerelated projects as well as printing and stationery infrastructure worksMeanwhile opposition protests continued throughout the budget presentation SP legislators entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the governmentnbspDuring the exchange SP members shouted Chanda Chor Kahan Milenge BJP Ke Daftar Mein while BJP legislators responded with slogans targeting the oppositionnbspChief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present in the House during the proceedingsSP MLA Atul Pradhan questioned the rationale behind the supplementary budget and demanded details on the utilisation of funds sanctioned in previous budgetsnbspHe argued that merely announcing fresh allocations would not address public concerns unless the government accounted for the implementation of earlier commitmentsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/up-govt-tables-rs-59-01954-crore-supplementary-budget-amid-opposition-protests-in-assembly-695512.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/govt-has-done-nothing-wrong-shaina-nc-slams-kejriwal-over-march-to-pms-residence-on-e20-issue-695513.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC on Tuesday criticised Aam Aadmi Party AAP National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his proposed march to Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence against the E20 petrol issue She accused Kejriwal of spreading misinformation and claimed that the government had done nothing wrongThe remarks came after Kejriwal announced that he would lead a march to the Prime Ministers residence to protest against the Centres promotion of E20 petrol However Delhi Police stated that the proposed August 4 procession would not be permitted setting the stage for a fresh political confrontation between the AAP and the CentreSpeaking to IANS Shaina NC said Arvind Kejriwal is merely spreading rumours The government has not done anything wrong There is nothing objectionable in pursuing policies with good intentions Why then is he creating such false narratives and misinformation Perhaps this reflects the extent of his political desperationBJP MP Tarun Chugh said It is unfortunate Making baseless and irrelevant statements without having any knowledge about the issue is inappropriate behaviourReacting to the march Congress MP Imran Masood said He has already announced it But who is going to allow him to proceed No one is going to let him goSamajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad took a more neutral stance saying This is a programme of their own party Political parties organise their activities according to their strategies and this is a part of their political agendaShiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi supported the AAP leader saying People have been suffering due to E20 for a long time and they are raising their voices against it The government has again ignored this issue We have seen protests at Jantar Mantar earlier as well Today Arvind Kejriwal ji is leading itOn Monday Kejriwal reiterated his decision to march to Prime Minister Modis residence along with 100 supporters to personally submit petitions opposing ethanolblended petrol He alleged that the Centre was aggressively promoting E20 fuel after yielding to pressure from US President Donald Trump to purchase ethanol from the USDelhi Police however clarified that no permission had been granted for the proposed march Officials said security arrangements had been put in place to prevent any unauthorised procession from reaching sensitive areasThe planned protest comes amid AAPs campaign against E20 petrol Kejriwal claimed that an online petition launched by the party against the fuel policy has already gathered more than two lakh signaturesThe former Delhi Chief Minister has repeatedly questioned the governments push for E20 fuel arguing that it could create difficulties for owners of older vehicles that were not designed to run on higher ethanolblended petrol He has demanded that consumers continue to have access to fuel that is compatible with their vehicles and has announced protests over the issueIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/govt-has-done-nothing-wrong-shaina-nc-slams-kejriwal-over-march-to-pms-residence-on-e20-issue-695513.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-to-hold-mangal-milan-today-to-finalise-strategy-for-last-leg-of-monsoon-session-695516.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS The NDA Parliamentary Party will hold its Mangal Milan meeting on Tuesday at the Parliament Library Building PLB to chalk out the ruling alliances floor strategy for the remaining 10 days of the Monsoon SessionA note circulated among all National Democratic Alliance NDA members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by the office of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Parliament said All Honble NDA Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are requested to kindly make it convenient to attend the programme and be present at the venue well in timeThe meeting is scheduled to begin at 930 am on Tuesday in the GMC Balayogi Auditorium said the Office Secretary of the BJP in ParliamentPrime Minister Narendra Modi Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh along with other NDA MPs are expected to attend the meetingThe Mangal Milan meeting is virtually the rebranded weekly NDA parliamentary party strategy session held to foster constructive debate and seamless alliance alignmentApart from facilitating daily floor management and crossparty consensus during Parliament sessions the Mangal Milan meeting also serves as a medium to promote coordination with NDA constituentsThe meeting promotes the participation of NDA MPs in debates and the distribution of speaking roles among key allies including the Shiv Sena LJP TDP JDU and other regional partiesThe previous Mangal Milan held on July 28 marked the debut of NCPI MPs Kakoli Ghosh Shatabdi Roy and Saayoni Ghosh who were earlier with the Trinamool Congress at the meeting along with other NDA constituentsMany of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India NCPI MPs who attended the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting Mangal Milan for the first time had praised the organised system of the ruling allianceSpeaking to IANS after the meeting NCPI MP Satabdi Roy had said Today since we attended the meeting for the first time we were provided recognition The system we saw this organised approach we havent seen like this beforeIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/nda-to-hold-mangal-milan-today-to-finalise-strategy-for-last-leg-of-monsoon-session-695516.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rs-adjourned-briefly-amid-uproar-after-kharge-raises-ram-temple-donation-issue-rijiju-demands-apology-695518.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly amid chaos and protests from both the NDA and Opposition MPs who accused each other of disrespecting Lord Ram with the treasury benches demanding an apologynbspNDA members erupted in protest in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the alleged Ram Temple donation theft issue during Zero Hour triggering a major ruckus that disrupted proceedingsOpposition MPs began sloganeering over the matter involving the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra TrustChairman CP Radhakrishnan intervened stating that he would call the Leader of Opposition but members must also listen to the other side as that was the tradition of the HouseHe then permitted Kharge to speak Kharge raised questions about the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and the alleged theft of donationsParliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded that Opposition members do not believe in Lord Ram and were seeking to misuse the parliamentary forum by repeatedly raising the same Ram Temple issue both inside and outside the HouseHe noted that other members had important matters to discuss and described the approach as unfairHe alleged that the Congress party and Samajwadi Party must apologise to the nation for dishonouring Lord RamThis exchange sparked chaos Opposition members moved towards the well of the House Treasury benches reacted sharply in response and the din made it impossible to hear anything clearlyThe Chairman asked the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to respond Amid the noise Rijiju said the Opposition members must apologise to the country before raising the same issue again and misusing the valuable time of the HouseThe pandemonium continued drowning out his voice Kharge rose once more and reiterated his allegations The Chairman again called upon Rijiju to replyAmid the continuing uproar the minister stated that if Congress and Samajwadi Party wished to raise the Ram Temple issue they must first apologise to the countrySeeing no letup in the chaos the Chairman adjourned the proceedings till noonThe controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in the handling of devotees offerings at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has been in the news since early June 2026 The Opposition has demanded an independent or courtmonitored probe into the Trusts financial affairsEarlier when the House assembled at 11 am papers relating to various ministries were laid on the Table reports of the Public Accounts Committee were presented and a motion was moved for elections to the institute bodies of several All India Institutes of Medical SciencesAnupriya Patel laid papers for the Ministry of Ayush Pankaj Chaudhary for the Ministry of Finance Anupriya Patel for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers BL Verma for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution Shantanu Thakur for the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways and Harsh Malhotra for the Ministry of Corporate AffairsSudhanshu Trivedi and Akhilesh Prasad Singh laid on the Table a copy each in English and Hindi of two reports of the Public Accounts Committee for 202627The first was the 52nd report on the construction of the DimapurKohima new line project of the Northeast Frontier Railway under the Ministry of RailwaysThe second was the 53rd report on the action taken by the government on the observations and recommendations contained in the committees 79th report of the seventeenth Lok Sabha regarding Improper Exemption of IGST on import of pharmaceutical products pertaining to the Ministry of Finance Department of RevenueAA Rahim and Jogen Mohan laid a report of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs for 202526 which reviewed sewerage and septage coverage in cities with special reference to interventions under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation AMRUT and AMRUT 20 and pertained to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Department of Urban DevelopmentPrataprao Jadhav made a statement on the status of implementation of the recommendations and observations contained in the 170th Report of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare regarding the Action Taken by the government on the recommendations and observations in its 163rd Report on Demands for Grants for 202526 under Demand No 46 of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Department of Health and Family WelfareNimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya made statements on the status of implementation of the recommendations and observations contained in the 38th Report of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution concerning the functioning of the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority as well as those in the 14th Report of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha of the same Committee on Demands for Grants for 202627 both pertaining to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution Department of Food and Public DistributionAnupriya Patel moved a motion on behalf of Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda seeking the election of members to the institute bodies of various AIIMS The motion proposed that the House elect six Members one each for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Awantipora Bathinda Bhopal Guwahati Vijaypur and Madurai in accordance with the relevant provisions of the AllIndia Institutes of Medical Sciences Act 1956 as amended in 2012It further sought the election of one Member to AIIMS Jodhpur to fill the vacancy arising from the retirement of Rajendra Gehlot from the Rajya Sabha on June 22 That in pursuance of Section 4g read with Section 61 of the AllIndia Institutes of Medical Sciences Act 1956 as amended by the AllIndia Institutes of Medical Sciences Amendment Act 2012 this House do proceed to elect in such a manner as directed by the Chairman six members from amongst the members of the House to be members of the Institute bodies ie one each in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS at Awantipora Bathinda Bhopal Guwahati Vijaypur and Madurai and that in pursuance of Section 4g read with Section 63 of the AIIMS Act 1956 as amended by the AIIMS Amendment Act 2012 this House do proceed to elect in such a manner as directed by the Chairman one member from amongst the members of the House to be a member of the AIIMS Jodhpur in the vacancy caused due to the retirement of Rajendra Gehlot from the membership of Rajya Sabha on 22nd June 2026 subject to the provisions of the Act the motion saidIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rs-adjourned-briefly-amid-uproar-after-kharge-raises-ram-temple-donation-issue-rijiju-demands-apology-695518.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/prashant-kishor-has-pulled-off-masterstroke-leaders-on-jan-suraaj-founders-bankipur-win-695519.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS The victory of Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor in the Bankipur Assembly byelection has triggered a wave of reactions from political leaders with Bihar Minister Ramkripal Yadav describing the result as a masterstrokenbspReacting to the result Ramkripal Yadav praised Kishors campaign strategy but also cautioned him to deliver on his promisesPrashant Kishor ji has really pulled off a masterstroke he played the game brilliantly He has instilled great hope in the people of Bankipur Yadav saidThe Bihar minister added I have full faith that you Prashant Kishor ji follow through on what you say However your statements have kept changing I heard with my own ears you saying that you would bring about development here just like in Bengaluru Now you say that you wont exactly turn this into BengaluruMeanwhile Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad linked the bypoll outcome to a larger political shift and claimed that the BJPs electoral setbacks would continueThese byelection results are not surprising This was expected The same trend will continue in the upcoming byelections The results are a clear indication that the BJPs time is coming to an end he saidPrasad further claimed that the BJPs decline had started with the Ayodhya election result and predicted a change of government in Uttar Pradesh in 2027 under Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh YadavIn 2027 the PDA government will be formed under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav Only then will the state move towards progress he saidJDU National General Secretary Shyam Rajak said the party must conduct a detailed review after losing the seat and identify shortcomings at the grassroots levelIf the people were misled then somewhere we must also accept our own shortcomings All these issues need a thorough review Rajak saidHe added A formal meeting or gathering alone is not enough to assess the situation We need to conduct a detailed grassrootslevel review by engaging with party workers Only then will the real picture emerge Based on those findings we will begin working again to regain the seat we have lostPrashant Kishor emerged victorious in the Bankipur bypoll marking the first electoral win for the Jan Suraaj Party which is still in the early stages of its political journey After 31 rounds of counting Kishor secured 63203 votes and defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha who received 44250 votes RJD candidate Rekha Gupta finished third with 14085 votes Kishor won the seat by a margin of 18953 votesThe Bankipur result has provided a major boost to Prashant Kishors political ambitions giving the Jan Suraaj Party its first electoral success and strengthening its claim as a new force in Bihar politicsIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/prashant-kishor-has-pulled-off-masterstroke-leaders-on-jan-suraaj-founders-bankipur-win-695519.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-approves-appropriation-bill-amid-opposition-din-695533.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS The Appropriation No 3 Bill 2026 which seeks to authorise expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India towards excess spending incurred during the financial year ended on March 31 2023 was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by a voice vote amid protests from the OppositionnbspAmid the chaos Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill in the House for considerationThe Bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007 the Incometax Act 2025 and the Finance Act 2026The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday amid persistent protests and an ongoing deadlock over oppositionled issues Proceedings were disrupted multiple times due to opposition sloganeering and protests before the Lower House was adjourned It will reconvene on Wednesday at 11 amThere were multiple adjournments in both the Houses of Parliament amid noisy protests by the Opposition over various issues on Tuesday Opposition MPs staged protests at the Parliament premises over multiple issues including the embezzlement of Ram Mandir donations police action on protesters during the Parliament March on July 20 in the national capital and the Cauvery water disputeA day earlier on Monday the Lok Sabha passed a Bill to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court without any discussion amid persistent protests by Opposition membersMeanwhile the BJP on Tuesday accused the opposition of repeatedly disrupting Parliament proceedings and preventing the House from functioning during the ongoing Monsoon SessionThe remarks came amid continued disruptions in the Monsoon Session over the NEET paper leak controversy and the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20 Opposition parties have been demanding a response from the Union Home Minister over the alleged firing on the protestersThe BJP accused the Congress and its allies of deliberately obstructing parliamentary business depriving elected representatives of the opportunity to raise public issues and discuss important legislationIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/lok-sabha-approves-appropriation-bill-amid-opposition-din-695533.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/expert-panel-to-audit-neet-pg-admission-system-centre-informs-sc-695537.html New Delhi Aug 4 IANS The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has constituted an expert committee headed by the Director General of Health Services DGHS to examine issues arising out of the challenge to the reduction of qualifying cutoff percentiles for the NEETPG 202526 examinationnbspnbspA bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe was hearing a public interest litigation PIL challenging the decision to drastically lower the qualifying cutoff percentiles for postgraduate medical admissionsAppearing for the Union government Additional Solicitor General ASG Aishwarya Bhati submitted that the expert committee has been constituted in compliance with the apex courts earlier directions and sought eight weeks time to complete the exercise and submit its reportWe have set up a committee as per your lordships directions We will do the exercise and submit a report ASG Bhati told the apex courtWhen the Justice Narasimhaled Bench sought details regarding the composition of the committee the ASG said that the DGHS would chair the panel which comprises 11 other membersYour Lordships had directed that an internal audit be done and solutions be found out she addedTaking on record the office order dated July 23 issued by the Directorate General of Health Services DGHS the apex court recorded that it relates to the constitution of an expert committeeAsking how much time would be required for the exercise the Justice Narasimhaled Bench was informed that the committee would need eight weeks to submit its reportRecording the submission the Supreme Court directed the committee to invite suggestions from various stakeholders and after detailed consideration submit its report within eight weeksThe committee will call for suggestions from various stakeholders and after detailed consideration submit a report within eight weeks the top court said while posting the matter for further hearing after eight weeksAs per the office order issued by the DGHS the expert committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of DGHS Dr Loveneesh G Krishna It also comprises senior officials from the Directorate General of Health Services the National Board of Examinations NBE representatives of the National Medical Commission NMC the National Testing Agency NTA the Union Health Ministry and the National Informatics Centre NICThe committee has been tasked with formulating a mechanism for conducting a comprehensive audit of the existing admission system through the NEET examination involving various stakeholders identifying lacunae and gaps in the existing system and suggesting practical and implementable solutionsThe matter arises out of a PIL challenging the decision to drastically reduce the qualifying cutoff percentiles for NEETPG 202526The plea filed by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput contends that the decision to lower qualifying standards to abnormally low zero or even negative percentiles after declaration of results and completion of two rounds of counselling is arbitrary and unconstitutional violating Articles 14 and 21 of the ConstitutionAccording to the petition permitting candidates with such scores to enter postgraduate medical training compromises patient safety public health and the integrity of medical education It further argued that the rules of the game cannot be altered after the selection process has commencedDefending the decision the Union government has said that the cutoff reduction was taken after detailed deliberations by expert bodies in view of a large number of vacant postgraduate seats and to ensure optimal utilisation of healthcare infrastructureIn its affidavit the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that nearly 20000 postgraduate medical seats were likely to remain vacant nationwide prompting a review of the qualifying cutoff It added that the decision rendered more than one lakh additional candidates eligible for the third round of counselling without altering inter se merit and pointed out that a similar reduction to zero percentile had also been undertaken in 2023The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences NBEMS in a separate affidavit clarified that it had no role in the decision to reduce the qualifying percentile and said the revised cutoff made 95913 additional candidates eligible for counsellingIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/expert-panel-to-audit-neet-pg-admission-system-centre-informs-sc-695537.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rbis-3-day-mpc-meeting-begins-today-all-eyes-on-repo-rate-decision-695357.html Mumbai Aug 3 IANS The Reserve Bank of Indias RBI threeday Monetary Policy Committee MPC meeting led by Governor Sanjay Malhotra begins on Monday with investors and economists closely tracking the central banks assessment of inflation economic growth and the future interest rate trajectory ahead of the policy decision due on August 5nbspThe policy announcement is expected to provide cues on the outlook for interest rates liquidity conditions and the broader economy amid an uncertain global environmentMany analysts expect the sixmember MPC to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 525 per cent after maintaining the status quo in its June meetingAccording to SBI Research the RBI is likely to leave policy rates unchanged as consumer price inflation is expected to remain above 5 per cent over the next two quarters while domestic economic activity has shown signs of strengtheningThe report said Q1 FY27 GDP growth could exceed 7 per cent higher than earlier estimatesIt further stated that an explicitly dovish message from the central bank appears unlikely in view of oil price volatility pressure on the rupee and caution over external capital flowsHowever the report noted that domestic fundamentals have improved helped by strong capital inflows in July a recovery in foreign exchange buffers better monsoon conditions and nearnormal reservoir levelsAdditionally at its previous policy review in June the RBI had unanimously retained the repo rate at 525 per cent and kept its policy stance neutralnbspThe central bank also revised its FY27 GDP growth forecast to 66 per cent amid geopolitical tensionsMarkets will also closely watch the RBIs commentary on inflation risks growth prospects and global developments for signals on the future course of monetary policyIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rbis-3-day-mpc-meeting-begins-today-all-eyes-on-repo-rate-decision-695357.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/parliament-set-for-crucial-3rd-week-as-govt-eyes-key-bills-amid-likely-oppn-protests-695358.html New Delhi Aug 3 IANS Parliament is scheduled to resume its proceedings for the third week on Monday as the Centre prepares to introduce several pending Bills for consideration and passage even as disruptions from the Opposition are expected to continue over a range of contentious issuesThe Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated protests and interruptions over the past several days as Opposition parties raise issues including examination paper leaks police action against protesters during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and the Ram Mandir donation theft caseDespite the anticipated disruptions the government has lined up key legislative business in both Houses of ParliamentIn the Lok Sabha Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh is scheduled to introduce The Indian Statistical Institute Bill 2026 while Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to table The Bankers Books Evidence Bill 2026 for consideration by the HouseIn the Rajya Sabha Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is slated to introduce The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Amendment Bill 2026 for consideration and passageThe previous two weeks of the Monsoon Session witnessed repeated adjournments and heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches over multiple political issuesnbspThe Opposition is also expected to continue demanding a statement from Home Minister Shah on police action against the Jantar Mantar protesters including the alleged use of pellet guns against the demonstratorsEven amid the disruptions Parliament successfully cleared two significant legislations the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill 2026 and the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill 2026With both the government and the Opposition expected to remain firm on their respective positions the third week of the session is likely to witness another round of intense political exchanges alongside efforts to push forward the Centres legislative agendaIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/parliament-set-for-crucial-3rd-week-as-govt-eyes-key-bills-amid-likely-oppn-protests-695358.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-urges-citizens-to-make-shravan-month-symbol-of-cleanliness-water-conservation-695359.html New Delhi Aug 3 IANS Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called upon the people of the state to dedicate the holy month of Shravan to service cleanliness water conservation environmental protection and social harmony saying the sacred period reflects the ideals of public welfare respect for labour and collective responsibilitynbspIn a letter addressed to the people of Uttar Pradesh the Chief Minister highlighted the spiritual cultural and ecological significance of Shravan linking the worship of Lord Shiva with environmental awareness and sustainable livingAddressing citizens CM Yogi wrote My respected people of the state the month of Shravan is a sacred festival of public welfare respect for labour and collective spirit Nature conveys the message of renewal while the hard work of our farmers begins to bear fruit in the form of lush prosperity In Sanatan culture this renewal of nature through the worship of Lord Shiva guides humanity towards discipline service and social harmonyReferring to the legend of Samudra Manthan he said Lord Shivas act of consuming the deadly poison symbolises the highest sacrifice for protecting creationDuring the churning of the ocean Lord Shivas acceptance of the deadly poison symbolised the supreme sacrifice made for the protection of creation The tradition of offering water to Lord Shiva is an expression of that spirit of sacrifice gratitude and public welfare Lord Mahadev himself is the deity of ecological consciousness The Ganga flowing through his matted locks the moon adorning his forehead the serpent around his neck Nandi and his attendants all remind us of the message of harmonious coexistence with nature he wroteThe Chief Minister also described Shravan as a season that brings renewed energy across villages and cities alikeHe wrote that after the scorching heat of the summer months the gentle monsoon showers transform the landscape with greenery rivers flow in their full splendour and peacocks dance in celebration of nature He also highlighted the tradition of community meals after paddy transplantation in villages and the large gatherings at Shiva temples saying these strengthen the values of service cleanliness and social participationStressing the need to conserve water CM Yogi said Among the five natural elements water is regarded as the very foundation of life Our commitment to water conservation is reflected in the development of nearly 20000 Amrit Sarovars across the state At a time when climate change and excessive exploitation of natural resources have made water conservation a global necessity public participation has become indispensableHe also cited an initiative by a residential society in Lucknow that is recharging groundwater by channeling nearly 50000 litres of water generated daily from RO systems and air conditioners into a rainwater harvesting system describing it as an inspiring example of giving back to natureConcluding his message the Chief Minister urged people to adopt sustainable practices during the holy monthI especially urge all of you to resolve to make the month of Shravan a month of service cleanliness water conservation environmental protection and social participation Respect every drop of water and protect every plant This is the true message of Shravan and the foundation of a prosperous secure and developed Uttar Pradesh he wroteThe letter ended with the message Jal hi jeevan hai Water is LifeIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/cm-yogi-urges-citizens-to-make-shravan-month-symbol-of-cleanliness-water-conservation-695359.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-refuses-to-revisit-verdict-declining-fir-against-anurag-thakur-over-goli-maro-remark-695360.html New Delhi Aug 3 IANS The Supreme Court has dismissed a review petition filed by CPIM leader Brinda Karat seeking reconsideration of its April 29 judgment which had declined to interfere with the refusal to direct registration of an FIR against BJP MP Anurag Thakur over his alleged goli maro speech during the antiCAA protests in 2020nbspA Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rejected Karats plea saying that it found no ground to revisit the earlier verdictWe have gone through the review petition as well as the grounds in support thereof We do not find any error much less apparent in the order impugned warranting its reconsideration the apex court said in its order passed on July 29It also rejected an application seeking listing of the review petition for an oral hearing in open court Application for listing the present review petition in open court is rejected the Justice Nathled Bench ordered adding that the review petition stood dismissed and all pending applications if any also stood disposed ofIn its April 29 judgment the Supreme Court partly allowed Karats appeal by disagreeing with the legal reasoning adopted by the Delhi High Court and the trial court that prior sanction under the Code of Criminal Procedure CrPC was necessary before directing registration of an FIR under Section 1563 CrPCThe apex court had clarified that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance by the court and not for registration of an FIR or investigationIt had held that an order passed by a judicial magistrate under Section 1563 CrPC directing investigation is a precognisance exercise and does not amount to taking cognisance of an offenceThe Justice Nathled Bench had observed that making FIR registration contingent on prior sanction would be contrary to the statutory scheme governing criminal investigationsHowever despite disapproving the reasoning of the courts below on the issue of prior sanction the Supreme Court had upheld the ultimate conclusion refusing registration of an FIR after independently examining the material on recordThe April 29 judgment had said that upon a careful consideration of the speeches the status report filed before the trial court and the reasons recorded by the courts below no cognizable offence is made outThe case arose from Karats plea seeking registration of an FIR against Anurag Thakur and then BJP MP Pravesh Verma over their alleged hate speeches made during the antiCAA protests in January 2020After the police declined to act on her complaint she approached the trial court under Section 1563 CrPC which refused to direct registration of an FIR on the ground that prior sanction was requiredThe Delhi High Court had affirmed that view prompting Karat to move the Supreme CourtWhile the apex court corrected the legal position on the requirement of prior sanction in its April verdict it ultimately declined to order registration of an FIR holding that the speeches in question did not disclose the commission of any cognisable offenceIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/sc-refuses-to-revisit-verdict-declining-fir-against-anurag-thakur-over-goli-maro-remark-695360.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/uzbekistan-foreign-minister-bakhtiyor-saidov-arrives-in-new-delhi-for-official-visit-695361.html New Delhi July 3 IANS Uzbekistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov arrived in New Delhi on Monday for an official visit to further strengthen bilateral relations between India and UzbekistannbspnbspWelcoming his arrival Ministry of External Affairs MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov FMSaidov of Uzbekistan on his arrival in New Delhi for an official visit in a post on XSaidov is visiting India till August 5 at the invitation of the Indian government During his visit the Uzbek Foreign Minister is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hold discussions with External Affairs Minister S JaishankarnbspHe will also participate in a business forum in New Delhi highlighting opportunities for expanding economic and commercial cooperation between the two countriesThe visit comes at a time when India and Uzbekistan are seeking to deepen their strategic partnership across multiple sectors including trade investment technology energy education and connectivity Ahead of the visit External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Saidov on July 20 during which both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperationFollowing the conversation EAM Jaishankar said that the discussions focused on deepening our bilateral ties including in trade investment and other areas Saidov also described the talks as substantive and said both sides agreed to continue regular and trustbased dialogue between their foreign ministriesIndia and Uzbekistan have maintained close diplomatic engagement under their strategic partnership framework In May the two countries held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi where officials reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interestDuring the consultations both sides focused on expanding cooperation in areas such as trade and investment tourism digital technology innovation energy and education The two countries also discussed strengthening coordination in international forums and advancing future highlevel engagementsSaidovs visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to IndiaUzbekistan relations particularly in enhancing economic partnerships and exploring new areas of cooperation between the two strategic partners in Central AsiaIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/uzbekistan-foreign-minister-bakhtiyor-saidov-arrives-in-new-delhi-for-official-visit-695361.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/inside-isis-pan-india-influencer-network-to-spread-falsehoods-shape-narratives-post-op-sindoor-695365.html New Delhi Aug 3 IANS Pakistan has been making a major push to build a massive influencer network in India The push to build this panIndia network continues despite the Indian agencies busting many such modules in recent months The decision to ramp up these networks came in the aftermath of Operation SindoornbspThis operation carried out to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack on India in which 26 people were killed exposed Pakistan badly as the Indian armed forces took down terror infrastructure both in Pakistan and PakistanoccupiedKashmir PoKAn Intelligence Bureau official said that Pakistan has realised that it is no match for the Indian armed forcesTo overcome this it decided to build a massive network comprising influencers in IndiaThe ISI had used Shehzad Bhatti a former influencer to build multiple terror modules in IndiaThe plan was a big success and the ISI realised that influencers have better command over the social media and they would be able to scout for targets with much ease the official saidAn official said that the ISIs plan is not just to use these influencers to recruit people into joining terror groups These influencers are also meant to spread falsehood about the Indian government and the armed forcesPakistan wants to set up a network of influencers to set the narrative that it wants to in IndiaAnother official said that these influencers have been told to make a soft push instead of going rabid The soft push does not get scrutinised by Indian agencies easilyThe idea is to create as much content as possible and then influence the people of the country into believing that everything around them is wrongFor a common man these videos would appear to be normal as they raise existing issues However the common man does not realise that these may seem normal but in reality the idea is to amplify an issue to the highest levelsThis is where the brainwashing of the common man takes place and they are led into believing that everything in the country is wrongIn the long run these influencers would hope that the public comes out in the open and protests or indulges in violence against the state the official pointed outOfficials say that for the Indian agencies the social media and other video platforms have become the biggest headache There are millions of people on these platforms and hence it is very difficult to trackThe agencies will have to keep a watch on these ISIbacked channelsThe Intelligence agencies and cyber crime officials will have to follow the pattern in which the content is being generated before they can actually take action officials also point outIn the ongoing probe by the Special Task Force STF in Bengal the agencies found that an influencer network was being built up by two persons Their aim however was not just to influence the people but to also set up a major espionage networkThe idea of having such a module was to gather information about sensitive locations They were also seeking information regarding the routes taken by high profile persons such as ministersHowever this network largely wanted information on the Chief Minister of Bengal Suvendu Adhikari The STF said the module was more keen on the routes of the CM especially the unguarded onesThe idea apparently was to assassinate Adhikari by getting this information the STF found Officials say that many such modules have been busted since Operation Sindoor However the ISI had no plans at stopping at thatIt realises the importance of having influencers in their pocket These are the persons who can set narratives and also spread falsehoods to incite the people against the Indian state the official also pointed outIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/inside-isis-pan-india-influencer-network-to-spread-falsehoods-shape-narratives-post-op-sindoor-695365.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/hc-directs-punjab-govt-to-clear-da-dues-within-15-days-restrains-it-from-undertaking-large-scale-ad-campaign-695398.html Chandigarh Aug 3 IANS In a setback to the AAP government the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday directed the government to clear dearness allowance DA dues of government employees and pensioners within 15 daysnbspnbspAlso it restrained the state from undertaking a largescale advertisement campaign until the dues are paidThe order to release DA will entail a liability of an estimated Rs 14191 croreA Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor observed that financial constraints cannot be cited as a ground to deny employees and pensioners their accrued service benefitsTill all such dues are cleared the state of Punjab shall not resort to any unproductive expenditures such as largescale advertising campaigns in print or social media as these expenses cannot justify the denial of dues admissible to state employees the Bench observedThe Bench said the payment be done within a fortnight and in case of default the unpaid amounts shall carry simple interest of six per cent per annumThe court said a compliance report be filed before the end of this monthState counsel Maninderjit Singh Bedi had submitted that the single judges direction for release of pending DA was corum nonjudiceThe High Court on July 22 reserved its order on the pleas from the state government and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited PSPCL filed against the singlejudge order that directed the release of DA to employees and pensioners by June 30The single judge on April 8 struck down the states Liquidation Plan of February 18 2025 with staggered payment of pension arrears based on age terming it arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the ConstitutionnbspThe single judge had directed the state and PSPCL to release all uptodate pending instalments of DA to all its employees and pensioners at the same rates as have been paid to the members of the All India Services serving within PunjabThe employees groups have stated that the government had formally accepted the payment of DA on the Central government pattern but was delaying payments citing financial constraintsKeeping in view the financial health of the state the state government with approval of the state cabinet had issued a systematic liquidation plan on February 18 2025 The total financial implication for payment of arrears of revised pay pension family pensions including DADR and leave encashment is around Rs 14191 crore the state had informed the High Court in its affidavitIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/hc-directs-punjab-govt-to-clear-da-dues-within-15-days-restrains-it-from-undertaking-large-scale-ad-campaign-695398.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/national/rapid-progress-in-power-restoration-in-flood-hit-areas-assam-cm-695401.html Guwahati Aug 3 IANS Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that power restoration work in floodhit Sivasagar district is progressing steadily with electricity supply being restored to a large number of consumers over the past 24 hoursnbspSharing an update on social media the Chief Minister said power department teams have safely reconnected several transformers significantly reducing the number of affected consumers in the districtEncouraging progress on power restoration Over the last 24 hours our teams have safely reconnected many more transformers bringing down the number of affected consumers in Sivasagar by nearly 58 per cent We are steadily moving towards full normalisation of the power situation Sarma saidAccording to the latest flood impact and power supply status released by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited APDCL at 8 am on Sunday only 2274 consumers in Sivasagar district remain affected a sharp decline following restoration effortsThe report showed that all 33 kV transmission lines and 3311 kV substations in the district are fully operational with no faults reported There are also no disruptions in the 11 kV feeder network except for one feeder that remains disconnected due to an alternate source arrangementHowever 61 distribution transformers DTRs are yet to be reconnected mainly in floodaffected pockets resulting in power disruptions for a limited number of consumersAmong the worstafcected areas SesaD2 Sivasagar ESDII has 920 consumers without electricity followed by Gaurisagar with 799 consumers and Sivasagar ESDI with 375 consumersNazira has 180 affected consumers while power supply has been fully restored in Amguri and Demow subdivisionsThe restoration drive follows widespread disruptions caused by the recent floods that inundated several parts of Upper Assam damaging electrical infrastructure and affecting thousands of householdsThe state government and APDCL have intensified restoration efforts in the floodhit districts deploying field teams to repair damaged infrastructure and reconnect electricity supplyOfficials said work is continuing in the remaining affected areas to ensure complete normalisation of power services at the earliestIANS https://dailyworld.in/national/rapid-progress-in-power-restoration-in-flood-hit-areas-assam-cm-695401.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:54:00 +0530