Muneer wins silver medal at National Canoe Slalom Cship
Excelsior Sports Correspondent SRINAGAR, Jan 17: Jammu & Kashmirs young Canoe Slalom athlete Muneer Hussain brought laurels to the Union Territory by winning a silver medal in the Kayak Cross event at the recently concluded National Championship held at Maheshwar, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). The Jammu & Kashmir Water Sports Kayaking and Canoeing Association congratulated Muneer for his remarkable achievement in the Wild Water discipline. Competing against athletes from states with superior infrastructure and facilities, Muneer delivered an outstanding performance, marking [] The post Muneer wins silver medal at National Canoe Slalom Cship appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Madhya Pradesh government to build memorial at the site of Bhopal gas tragedy: CM Yadav
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav targets the Congress, accusing it of abandoning victims and helping former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson escape
Beautiful women from these castes attract rape: MP Congress MLA
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya kicked up a controversy by linking beauty to rape and also claiming sexual crimes against women from certain castes got encouragement from some scriptures that describe it as teerth phal or fruit of pilgrimage. Baraiyas statements, which came to the fore on Saturday, January 17, when Congress Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Azim Premji University today announced the establishment of its third campus in Ranchi, expanding its presence in eastern India and strengthening its commitment to context-based, socially engaged higher education. The new campus builds on the Universitys long-standing work in education, development, public health, and governance, and reflects its approach of linking academic learning with real-world social and regional realities. Zulfiquar Haider, Vice Chancellor Designate, Azim Premji University, Ranchi Campus Sharing the vision for the Ranchi campus, Zulfiquar Haider, Vice Chancellor Designate -Azim Premji University, Ranchi Campus, said, We want the Ranchi campus to be closely connected to the Social and Developmental needs of this region and contribute to building knowledge and human resources. The University will offer a range of programs and courses that will suit the needs of diverse students and learners, including working professionals. The university aims to meaningfully engage with the rich traditions, histories, knowledge systems and worldviews of the diverse Adivasi and other communities of Jharkhand. Located in Itki, the 150-acre campus is being developed as a fully residential facility, equipped with state-of-the art classrooms, laboratories, sports facilities and residences for both students and faculty.A teaching hospital and medical college are also planned. The campus is designed to be sustainable with energy-efficient systems and facilities for rainwater harvesting and water treatment. The Ranchi campus will offer undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, certificate, and continuing education programmes across disciplines such as Development, Education, Economics, Public Health, Climate Change and Sustainability. These programmes are designed to reflect the development context of Jharkhand and eastern India and will be supported by faculty with strong academic and field experience. In the current academic year, the campus will begin by offering two Masters programmes - MA in Applied Economics and MA in Development. It will also offer Post Graduate Diplomas in Local Development, Early Childhood Education, and Educational Assessment, along with multiple short Certificate programmes in Public Health, Education and Development. Speaking about the Universitys broader purpose, Zulfiquar added, Azim Premji University was established with a clear public purpose, guided by the values of the Azim Premji Foundation. Through teaching, research, and practice, we seek to contribute to a more just, equitable, humane, and sustainable society. The Ranchi campus extends this mission with a focus on knowledge creation, capacity building, and public discourse in Jharkhand and the wider eastern India region. About Azim Premji University Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, was established under the Azim Premji University Act 2010 of the Government of Karnataka. Azim Premji University, Bhopal, was established under the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwa Vidyalaya (Sthapana Avam Sanchalan) Dwitiya Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2022.Azim Premji University in Ranchi is being established under the Azim Premji University Act, 2022, enacted by the Government of Jharkhand. Azim Premji Foundation, the sponsoring body, set up all threeUniversities as fully philanthropic entities, with a clear social purpose of contributing to the realisation of a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society.
MP water contamination: NGT constitutes 6-member panel to probe issue
Bhopal: Terming the supply of sewage-mixed and contaminated drinking water in the cities of Madhya Pradesh as a serious threat to public health, the Central Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday, January 15, constituted a six-member high-level committee to investigate the issue. The move comes in the backdrop of several deaths Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Water Contamination A Public Health Emergency: Bhopal Green Tribunal
The contamination of drinking water supply in Madhya Pradesh is a systemic environmental and public health emergency, the National Green Tribunal in Bhopal has declared.
When the power of law and the compassion of humanity blend together
Rajesh Pathak, Bhopal Whatever visible and invisible things exist around us are mutually sustained and complementary to each other and, in one way or another, are meant for the welfare of human beings as a whole. Therefore, in order to ensure their preservation, it is said: O Yudhishthira! The head of the family actually consumes [] The post When the power of law and the compassion of humanity blend together appeared first on Northlines .
Aurionpro wins 150 crore contract for Bhopal, Indore metro fare systems
The project aims to deploy standardized AFC systems to enhance commuter convenience, operational efficiency, and interoperability across the upcoming metro networks in Madhya Pradesh
Raheman Dakait caught in Surat in a dhurandhar police raid
Bhopal-based gang leader Raheman Dakait, also known as Aabid Ali Irani, has been arrested in Surat after escaping a major police crackdown. Wanted for numerous crimes and accused of a heinous arson attempt, he led a lavish lifestyle funded by his syndicate's activities. His arrest followed a meticulous police operation tracking his movements across states.
Bhopal court rules in favour of Saif & family in land case
Gangster Rahman Dakait Arrested: The Fall Of Bhopal's Crime Lord
For nearly two decades, the name of Abid Ali alias Raju alias Rahman Dakait - the alleged mastermind of a multi-state crime syndicate operating from Bhopal's infamous Irani Dera - was whispered in police files and feared across state borders.
After water contamination tragedy, MP CM orders safe supply for all
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav said urban local bodies must ensure safe drinking water and directed officials to prevent contamination. Yadavs directive came after seven persons died in Indores Bhagirathpura area recently following a diarrhoea outbreak triggered by the consumption of contaminated water. Yadav is also the guardian minister of Indore, ranked as the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
When medicine and water can take lives: A system without accountability in MP
Madhya Pradesh is facing a harsh reality these days. Even the most basic needs of common people are not safe anymore. Maroof Ahmed Khan, a Bhopal-based social activist and writer, in a statement has said that in a democracy, both government and public have responsibility. The government must give safe medicine and clean water and Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
After water crisis in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, groundwater samples from several parts of Bhopal have tested positive for E. coli bacteria, prompting authorities to ban the use of groundwater in the affected areas. E coli bacteria can cause diarrhoea, stomach pain, loss of appetite and low fever. People can get infected after swallowing E. coli and this can happen through contaminated food or water. In Bhopal, a sluaghterhouse has also been sealed amid concerns over contaminated groundwater.
E Coli Detected In Bhopal Water After 20 Die In Indore Contamination
Groundwater in several parts of Bhopal, including Khanugaon, Adampur Cantonment, and Vajpayee Nagar, has tested positive for E coli bacteria.
Despite reopening, jaundice and hepatitis cases continue to surface at VIT Bhopal campus
AIIMS Bhopal Doctor Dies 25 Days After Anaesthesia Overdose; Suicide Note Sent For Examination
Verma, assistant professor at AIIMS Bhopal, died after 25 days on ventilator following an alleged anaesthesia overdose. Police recovered a suicide note and are probing the case.
MP: AIIMS, Bhopal, Professor Dies 24 Hours After Suicide Attempt
Doctor was on ventilator for 23 days after alleged work-related distress
MP: Congress to protest in Indore on Jan 11 over water contamination issue
The Congress party will organise a protest march in Indore on January 11 over alleged corruption and deaths linked to contaminated drinking water, MP Congress chief Jitendra Patwari said. In Bhopal, Youth Congress workers staged a protest over the incident and were later detained by police
MP ignored CAG report on systemic lapses
Official audits for years warned of public health risks from contaminated drinking water in Madhya Pradesh, citing over 5.45 lakh water-borne disease cases in Bhopal and Indore between 2013-2018. Despite these alerts, systemic lapses in monitoring and testing by urban local bodies persisted, leading to faecal coliform detection in water supplies and potential health impacts for lakhs of residents.
DC Edit | How Indore Slipped Up
The CAG report of 2019 had noted finding of harmful bacteria in water samples collected in Indore and Bhopal and pointed to lack of monitoring of filter plants at operational level as well as distribution level. The report also noted that the authorities concerned had assured the CAG that they will take remedial action
CAG Warned of Water Contamination and Disease Outbreak in Indore and Bhopal 6 Years Ago
It shows lack of monitoring of filter plants at operational level as well as distribution level
Social harmony intrinsic to Indian society; need collective efforts to strengthen it: Mohan Bhagwat
Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief, emphasized social harmony in Bhopal. He stated that unity amid diversity is India's core identity. Bhagwat highlighted the need for dialogue and collective efforts to strengthen communities. Representatives from various groups attended the meeting. A resolution was passed to address local issues through collective action, aiming to strengthen society.
Watch: Bhopal residents allege dirty water supply after Indore contamination deaths
ED searches seven locations in Rajasthan in Digi Mudra scam case
The ED initiated investigation based on the first information reports registered by the Special Task Force, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and other police stations in various districts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Odisha and Maharashtra
India loses 166 tigers in 2025, forty more than previous year; MP accounts for 55 deaths
Bhopal, Jan 1: India, home to the worlds largest tiger population, has lost as many as 166 of these majestic animals in 2025, forty more than the previous year, due to various reasons, as per the latest data of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The data also shows that Madhya Pradesh, dubbed the countrys tiger state, recorded the highest number of deaths at 55. Among other states, Maharashtra, Kerala and Assam reported 38, 13 and 12 tiger deaths, respectively, [] The post India loses 166 tigers in 2025, forty more than previous year; MP accounts for 55 deaths appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Cheetah project logs 12 cub births in 2025, Indias count now 30
Bhopal: The three-year-old cheetah reintroduction project moved ahead with full steam in 2025, a year which saw the birth of 12 cubs in Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP) three of them did not survive taking the number of the big cats in India to 30, an official said on Wednesday. However, six Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Sri Lankan judges visit India for capacity-building programme
COLOMBO, Dec 30: Twenty Sri Lankan High Court judges visited India to attend a knowledge exchange and capacity-building programme, the Indian mission here said on Tuesday. The programme took place at the Indian National Judicial Academy, Bhopal from December 15 to 19, according to a statement by the Indian High Commission. It comprised nine thematic sessions covering key areas of judicial functioning. These included judicial decision-making and appellate review; use of technology and digital transformation in courts; cybercrime and [] The post Sri Lankan judges visit India for capacity-building programme appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Tigress found dead in Madhya Pradeshs Sagar; state reports 55 tiger mortalities in 2025
BHOPAL:Yet another tiger death has been reported from the 'Tiger State' Madhya Pradesh this time from the Sagar district of Bundelkhand region. With this latest tiger fatality, the number of mortalities of the striped big cat in Madhya Pradesh so far in 2025 has touched 55 the highest in any year since the launch of the Project Tiger in 1973. The adult female tiger, aged between eight and ten years, was found dead near the Hilgan village on the Sagar-Dhana Road on Sunday. The latest tiger death was reported from the Dhana Forest Range under the Sagar South Forest Division. The matter was immediately reported to the forest department staff by the villagers, who had spotted the tigers carcass in the morning. The forest department team, led by the Dhana Forest Ranger Pratik Srivastava, rushed to the spot and started the on-spot investigations. According to highly placed officials in the state forest department, though the actual cause of death will be known only after the necropsy of the carcass, the absence of signs of injuries on the body or any circumstantial evidence of suspected poisoning suggest that the adult female might have been electrocuted due to some electric trap set up by villagers in the area. The local forest department staff are also ascertaining whether the tigress had been moving in the same area for a long time or travelled there from some other place, including the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve or the Panna Tiger Reserve. Importantly, as per details available with the TNIE , out of the 55 tiger deaths which have taken place in MP so far this year, 11 deaths are unnatural, out of which around eight have been caused due to electric traps set up by villagers to save their crops from wild boars and antelopes or bush hunting of wild animals. The electrocution-related deaths of tigers in MP are a major cause of concern for the state forest department, which is particularly happening due to villagers setting up such traps to save their crops from wild boars and antelopes especially as the pace and process of the revenue departments compensation for crops damaged by wild animals is very slow and complicated. Sharing the video of the dead tiger on social media on Sunday evening, Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey wrote, When will this cycle of tiger deaths finally end? 55 tigers have been lost in Madhya Pradesh so far this year, there is a complete lack of accountability. Today, another tiger's carcass was discovered in Dhana, Sagarsuspected to belong to the Panna Tiger Reserve. Who will answer for this mounting crisis?
Rare leopard Gecko lizard found accidentally in MP tiger sanctuary
BHOPAL: In a rare wildlife sighting, a laundry staff at the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh has photographed a colourful and possibly rare lizard species, marking what officials say could be the first such record from the reserve. Anil Rajak, a laundry staff at the forest departments guest house in the Karmajhiri range of the tiger reserve, spotted the multi-hued lizard crawling through dry leaves near the guest house recently. Struck by its vivid colours, Rajak clicked photographs on his mobile phone and shared them with forest officials. I was amazed by the different colours on the lizards body. We have been encouraged by senior officers to report unusual wildlife sightings, so I shared the pictures, without realising what would follow, Rajak said. According to PTR Deputy Director Rajnish Kumar Singh, preliminary examination suggests the lizard could belong to either the Painted Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis pictus) or the Satpura Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis satpuraensis). This is the first time such a lizard has been photographed in the reserve. We are matching the images with available reptile databases to confirm the species, Singh said. The Painted Leopard Gecko was scientifically described in 2022 from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and is considered rare, with threats including illegal pet trade. The Satpura Leopard Gecko, meanwhile, is endemic to parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. If confirmed, the sighting would be the first record of either species from PTR. The chance discovery earned Rajak the tiger reserves Man of the Month award, comprising a certificate and shield. Discovery A preliminary examination suggests the lizard is either a Painted Leopard Gecko or Satpura Leopard Gecko The chance discovery earned Rajak the tiger reserves Man of the Month award, comprising a certificate and shield
Cold Wave Sweeps MP, Mandsaur, Coldest City With 2.9 Degree Celsius
Bhopal records 4.6 degree Celsius: Reports
Madhya Pradesh HC directs state to bear delivery expenses of 16-year-old rape survivor
JABALPUR: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has allowed a 16-year-old rape survivor to give birth to her baby, holding that termination of pregnancy cannot be permitted without her consent. The girl has since married the accused and the father of her child. A single bench of Justice Vishal Mishra directed that the state government bear all expenses related to the delivery, which will be conducted at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal in the presence of an expert medical team. The order of December 11, a copy of which was made available on Friday, came after a district court wrote to the HC concerning the termination of pregnancy of the minor rape survivor. The HC then sought a report from a medical board. According to the medical board's report, the survivor was 16 years and seven months old, and her gestational age was 29 weeks and one day, which fell within the permissible delivery period. The report said that the survivor was counselled about the options of undergoing or not undergoing abortion, and she expressed her wish to continue with the pregnancy. According to a report submitted by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the survivor said that she had married the father of her child (the accused) and wanted to go ahead with the delivery. The report said the girl's parents were unwilling to keep her with them because she married of her own will. The parents said they had no relationship with their daughter, noted the CWC report. Holding that abortion cannot be allowed without the survivor's consent, the HC directed the CWC to keep her under its care until she turns 18 and make all possible efforts to ensure the safety of her child.
Two youths loot jewellery worth Rs 16 Lakh in Indore after losing job; arrested from Bhopal
BHOPAL: Two 18-year-old youths were arrested for looting ornaments worth Rs 16.17 lakh from a jewellery showroom in Rau area of in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on December 22. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Indore Zone-1) Krishna Lalchandani said the two youths were childhood friends and had rented a flat together in Rau area. One youth worked part-time as graphic designer for a premier IT company in Indore, while the other was preparing for NEET. After the boy lost his part-time job, the two of them were unable to handle expenses including rent. Put under severe financial pressure, the two youths planned a heist inspired by Bollywood film Bunty Aur Babli . Last month, the duo went to a jewellery showroom on the pretext of buying a ring, during which they did a detailed recce of the shop. They tried to execute their burglary plans multiple times, but had returned empty handed due to police presence, the DCP said. On December 22 night, they managed to enter the shop through the terrace of a house in the neighbouring building. As the house was vacant then, their plans were carried out with ease. The DCP said, After registering a case of burglary, police scanned the CCTV grabs of cameras installed near the shop, which revealed that one of the masked burglars climbed down into the shop via the terrace. The DCP added that the police got a picture of the car used in the burglary. Further investigation took the cops to the vehicles original owner in Mandla district, who said informed that the vehicle was sold it to some youths in Indore. On being questioned, the youngsters to whom the car was sold revealed that the vehicle was taken from them by two friends on the night of the burglary, the DCP said. After the successful burglary, the two youthsa boy and a girlhad left Indore. The police finally caught the duo on December 26 from Bhopal and brought them to Indore. The duo finally confessed to having committed the crime and all looted items were recovered. They said they had tried to sell the burgled ornaments, but couldnt get the right price, after which they decided to sell it after returning from their home district, post-Christmas, Lalchandani said.
Two killed, three injured as speeding car driven by BJP leader mows down villagers in MP's Morena
BHOPAL: An uncontrolled speeding car driven by a ruling BJP leader reportedly knocked down five villagers, killing two of them and injuring three others. The incident happened in Porsa area of Morena district at around 9 pm on Friday, when the Swift car driven by local BJP leader Dipendra Bhadauria ran over the villagers. While the two injured, including Ramdutt Rathore (65) and Annu Lakshakar (11) were rushed to neighbouring Gwalior for life-saving treatment, three other injured were administered treatment at a local hospital. Both Rathore and Lakshkar died during the course of treatment at a hospital in Gwalior district. The accused Dipendra Bhadauria, who too was injured in the incident, was caught by the villagers, but managed to escape from the vehicle in which he was being taken along with the injured villagers in presence of three police personnel. The accused Dipendra Bhadauria has been arrested in the morning and necessary legal process is being initiated, Morena district police superintendent Samir Saurabh told TNIE on Saturday. Meanwhile, the ruling BJPs Morena district unit expelled Bhadauria from the partys primary membership on Saturday. Angered by the incident, villagers blocked the NH-552 (a spur of NH-52) for hours and later submitted a memorandum containing seven demands. The seven demands, included registering a murder case against Bhadauria, bulldozing his house, financial compensation to the bereaved families, government jobs to one member of both the families, arms licence to the concerned families, proper security to them and action against police personnel in whose presence Bhadauria had managed to escape on Friday night. The local sub divisional magistrate (SDM), who got the blocked NH-522 cleared took the memorandum and assured appropriate action.
Bhopal and Khajuraho Emerge as Top-Ranked Airports in AAI Survey
Airports in Bhopal and Khajuraho have achieved top rankings in a nationwide customer satisfaction survey. The survey covered 58 airports across India. Both Bhopal and Khajuraho airports secured perfect scores in the first round. In the second round, they scored 4.99 out of 5. This indicates world-class passenger services are reaching smaller Indian cities.
Indore police cracked a major jewellery shop heist. Two 18-year-olds, a graphic designer and a NEET aspirant, were arrested. The duo stole jewellery worth over Rs 16 lakh from Shri Jewellers. CCTV footage and technical tracking led to their capture in Bhopal. The entire stolen collection was recovered. The plan was inspired by a Bollywood film. Further investigation is ongoing.
NGT halts Ayodhya bypass road project after large-scale tree removal in Bhopal
The order came on December 22 after petitioner and RTI activist Nitin Saxena approached the tribunal, alleging large-scale violations in the clearance process for the project being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Deleted, unmapped voters more than losing margin in Madhya Pradesh: Congress flays SIR
BHOPAL: A day after the first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter roll was completed with the publication of the draft voter list, the opposition Congress targeted the ruling BJP government, with the SIR first phase figures. On the completion of the first phase, the ECI officially stated that more than 42.74 lakh voters, who were part of the October 2025 list of voters, were removed from the SIR draft list on Tuesday. Once the count of unmapped voters is added to it, the figure becomes 51 lakh-plus. The Congress lost the 2023 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh to the BJP by 32 lakh votes, now the SIR says that 51 lakh voters were dead, shifted, absent, duplicate or unmapped. This clearly proves that the BJP won the 2023 polls with the help of fake voters, former MP minister and state Congresss SIR committee head Sajjan Singh Verma said. The SIR figures are a clear proof that the BJP won the polls in MP through vote chori (vote theft) and the present government is unconstitutional, Verma added. The committees member JP Dhanopiya, who also heads the state partys election cell said. We apprehend that the BJP with the help of ECI will try to get the deleted voters and unmapped voters added back into the list in the second phase of the SIR. We will keep a close tab on the entire process and flag any wrongdoing. Verma also shared a list of constituencies where the BJPs winning margin in the 2023 elections was less than the total number of voters deleted during the ongoing SIRs first phase. The list of assembly constituencies, SIR results and the 2023 polls winning margin shared by Verma included Surkhi, Gunnaur, Rau, Narela, Rewa and Sihawal seats. Madhya Pradesh: 42.74 lakh voter names removed from draft rolls Bhopal sees removal of 21 per cent voters from draft list after SIR first phase
IndiGo 'fully prepared' for holiday season, 2,100+ flights operating daily now
NEW DELHI: Indias largest domestic airline, IndiGo, said on Wednesday that it has stabilised its operations since December 9 and was ready for the holiday season. The airline said it was operating between 2,100 and 2,200 flights daily and carries one million customers every three days. An official release said, We have been flying to and from all 138 operational destinations across our network while maintaining the IndiGo standards of On Time Performance. We confirm that we are fully prepared to cater to the surge in demand during this holiday season. The dense fog across Northern India caused industry-wide disruptions in recent days in the aviation sector. However, the operations were effectively managed, under the circumstances, to maintain operational stability. With forecasts indicating a harsher winter ahead, we remain committed to ensuring reliability and minimising disruptions across our network to ensure least inconvenience to our customers, the IndiGo statement said. Indias first airbus to connect Athens The airline also said it was set to welcome Indias first Airbus A321XLR, which will redefine medium-to-long haul flying for travellers in India and the subcontinent. We look forward to using these aircraft to connect Delhi and Mumbai with Athens starting January 23, 2026, as previously announced, it said. The airline said it was also evaluating additional domestic and international destinations in line with its fleet expansion plans and will share updates in future. Three new airlines cleared to enter Indian market after IndiGo disruption New direct flights between Delhi and London (Heathrow) In another release, IndiGo announced new direct flights between Delhi and London (Heathrow) from February 2, 2026. The airline will fly five times a week on the route using its Boeing 787 aircraft, taken on wet/damp lease from Norse Atlantic Airways, offering dual-class configuration with IndiGoStretch and Economy Class, it said. IndiGo already operates daily, direct flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow, and will now operate a total of 12 weekly flights to London. The timings are as follows: 6E 0003 will depart every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Delhi at 9.40 am. It will reach London at 2.55 pm the same day. For the return leg, 6E 0004 will depart every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 5.15 pm and reach Delhi on the following day at 8.15 am. IndiGo had recently launched flights to Denpasar (Bali), Krabi, Hanoi, Guangzhou, and Manchester. Rewa-Indore launch On Monday (December 22), IndiGo launched daily direct flights between Rewa and Indore. Rewa is the airlines sixth destination in Madhya Pradesh after Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, and Khajuraho. This new service will open air travel for many first-time fliers across the Vindhya region, it said in a statement. Operated by IndiGos ATR aircraft, it will cut journey time between the two cities from the present ten hours to around 1.5 hours, it said. The daily flight (6E 7363) begins at 11.30 am from Indore and reaches Rewa by 1.15 pm. The return flight (6E 7364) will begin at 1.35 pm from Rewa and reach Indore at 3.25 pm.
Bhopal sees removal of 21 per cent voters from draft list after SIR first phase
BHOPAL: With the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh concluding on Tuesday, around 21% of voters have been removed from the draft electoral list in the state capital, Bhopal. Out of the 21.25 lakh-plus registered voters of the districts October 2025 voter list, around 4.38 lakh voters (20.63% or more) in seven assembly segments of Bhopal district, have been removed from the draft voter roll which was published on Tuesday. The highest number of deletions97,052 voterswas recorded in the Govindpura constituency, which has the states second-highest voter base after Indore-5. In contrast, the lowest number of removals, at 12,903 voters, was reported from Berasia-SC, the only largely rural constituency. In percentage terms, however, the maximum percentage of 27.55% voters have been removed from the Bhopal Central assembly segment, which has been won by Congresss Arif Masood since 2018. While Bhopal South West constituency saw the removal of 27.09% voters, Govindpura is third in the list of the seven assembly segments with 24.14% registered voters being dropped from the draft list published on Tuesday. Two other assembly segments, among them adjoining Narela and Bhopal North, have seen the removal of 22.80% and 20.44% voters respectively. Importantly, the Narela, seat which has been won four times in a row since 2008 by BJP legislator and Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Vishwas Sarang, has seen the removal of 80,935 voters from the list, which is more than three times greater than Sarangs winning margin of 24,569 votes in the 2023 assembly elections. Over 41.80 lakh voter names identified for deletion as first phase of SIR exercise ends in Madhya Pradesh In the adjoining Bhopal North assembly segment (which has been a Congress citadel since 1998) as many as 51,058 names have been removed from the list, which are nearly two times more than 26,987 votes victory margin of the first-time Congress MLA Atif Arif Aqeel in the last assembly polls. As many as 67,304 voters have been removed from the list in Bhopal Central seat, which is four times more than the 15,891 votes winning margin of the second time Congress MLA Arif Masood in the 2023 elections. Importantly, while the Bhopal North assembly segment houses a major population of the Muslim community, the bordering Bhopal Madhya and Narela constituencies too have a significant population of the minority community voters. The Bhopal South West constituency has seen the removal of 63,432 voters from the list, which is four times more than the first-time BJP legislator Bhagwandas Sabnanis 2023 elections victory margin of 15,833 votes. In only three out of the seven assembly segments of Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, which form part of Bhopal district, are the number of voters removed from the list, lesser than the victory margin of 2023 election winners, all of whom were from BJP. In Govindpura, which is popular in political circles as BJPs Ayodhya in Bhopal (it has been the saffron citadel since 1980), though maximum 97,052 voters stand removed from the SIR draft list, the figure is lesser than the 2023 victory margin of 1.06 lakh-plus votes of second-time BJP MLA and present MP minister Krishna Gaur. Current MP minister Krishna Gaur, who was formerly the Bhopal mayor also, is the daughter-in-law of BJP veteran and former CM Late Babulal Gaur, who won from Govindpura record eight times in a row between 1980 and 2013. In Huzur assembly segment which has been BJPs stronghold since 2008, the third-time sitting MLA Rameshwar Sharmas 97,910 winning margin of 2023 elections is more than 65,891 voter names removed from the list after the first phase of the SIR. In the only largely rural assembly segment of Bhopal district, the Berasia-SC seat which has been won by BJPs Vishnu Khatri since 2013, Khatris 2023 polls 25,397 winning margin is two times more than the 12,903 voters removed from the list now. Importantly, the outcome of the first phase of SIR in Madhya Pradesh, put the state capital Bhopal on top when it came to removal of maximum number of shifted voters in the state. Bhopal topped the list of removal of shifted voters with 2.86 lakh-plus voters (who shifted elsewhere) among all the 55 districts of the state. Also, Bhopal with 1.16 lakh-plus unmapped voters is second in the state to Indore only which has 1.33 lakh-plus unmapped voters. Unmapped voters relate to those voters whose name figures in the October 2025 list of registered voters, but their names, parents names and grandparents names were missing from the SIR 2003 list.
Bhopal Diary | MP may have open jails for women inmates
Madhya Pradesh is likely to have open jails for women inmates. If the state clears the jail departments proposal, the eight existing open jails will house women inmates too. Presently the eight open jails house only men. Sources said 10% of the existing open jails capacity may be earmarked for female inmates. In MP, women prisoners form 4% of inmates in all jails. Currently, only Maharashtra and Rajasthan have open jails for women. An open jail is a minimum-security correctional facility without bars, walls, or armed guards, relying on inmates trust and self-discipline for rehabilitation. It allows prisoners to live with families and work in the community. Row over wedding of MLAs son inside temple First-time BJP MLA from Indore, Golu Shukla, continues to be in news due to his sons. Despite ban on devotees entry into the sanctum sanctorum of Khajrana Ganesh Temple since the pandemic, the MLAs newly wed elder son Anjanesh and daughter-in-law Simran exchanged garlands on camera within the garbha griha of the 18th century temple. Controversy related to his sons and temples isnt new. In July, his younger son Rudraksha had forcibly entered the sanctum sanctorum of Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, threatening the priest. In April, Rudraksh along with aides had created a ruckus at the hill-top Chamunda Mata temple in Dewas past midnight. Gurukuls to impart edu on Sanskrit, Veda & cows School education department plans to open Adi Shankaracharya Gurukul schools in Rajgarh and Narsinghpur districts, to impart integrated learning in Sanskrit-Vedas-Yogas and introduce education on cows. The two gurukuls will be modelled on the lines of the central government-owned Sandipani school functional in Indore and Ujjain. Based on the success of the two gurukuls in Rajgarh and Narsinghpu, the Adi Shankaracharya Gurukul model will be replicated across the state. The department also plans to hold book fairs in every block to provide textbooks to school children, including of private schools, at the lowest possible rates. Anuraag Singh Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com
Madhya Pradesh: 42.74 lakh voter names removed from draft rolls
BHOPAL: Over 42.74 lakh voter names, which account for 7 per cent of the total 5.74 crore voters, were removed from the draft electoral roll of 230 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh as the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list was completed on Tuesday. While 42,74,160 names were excluded, a total of 8,65,832 remained unmapped, as their parents or grand-parents details were not found in the SIR 2003 voter roll. Notices will be issued to those 8.65 lakh plus unmapped voters, giving them a weeks time to appear personally with any of the 13 documents and get their names added in the final list which will be published on February 21, 2026. Of the 42.74 lakh-plus voters removed from the rolls, 19.19 lakh were men while 23.64 lakh were women. CEO, Madhya Pradesh, SK Jha said of the 42.74 lakh plus voters, who have been excluded from the first draft of electoral roll-post SIR, 31.51 lakh or 73% were shifted or absent, 8.46 lakh or 20% were deceased and 2.77 lakh or 6% were duplicate voters.
India's first PPP-model medical colleges to be set up in Madhya Pradesh's tribal districts
BHOPAL: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda joined the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Tuesday, in laying the foundation of two medical colleges in two tribal-dominated districts of the state. The two medical colleges which will be built in Dhar district of western MP and Betul district of central MP respectively, will be the first medical colleges in the country, to come up under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The two colleges are part of four PPP-based medical colleges which are planned to be developed in the StateDhar, Betul, Katni, and Panna. They will be linked with existing district hospitals to strengthen both medical education and healthcare service delivery. Under this model, the state government has provided up to 25 acres of land on lease, while private service providers will construct academic and clinical infrastructure, including medical college buildings, hostels, laboratories, and residential complexes. The associated district hospitals will be upgraded in strict accordance with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms, while remaining under the administrative control of the State Government to ensure uninterrupted public health services. Terming the occasion as a historic milestone, Nadda noted that the PPP model reflects a forward-looking approach to expanding medical education and healthcare delivery. He highlighted that Indias healthcare system, once focused primarily on curative care, has undergone a paradigm shift since 2017 moving towards preventive, promotive, and holistic healthcare. While highlighting the key achievements in the sphere of health and family welfare, the union minister informed that institutional deliveries in the country have risen to nearly 89%, driven by ASHA workers grassroots mobilisation. Indias decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has been more than twice the global average. Over 40 crore people have been screened for hypertension, with 6.80 crore diagnosed and under treatment. Over 40 crore screened for diabetes, with 4.60 crore diagnosed and receiving care. Cancer screening initiatives have reached millions, identifying thousands of cases early. He emphasised that systematic screening and early detection are enabling timely treatment and improved health outcomes. Further, he underscored the role of over 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) in delivering comprehensive primary healthcare, particularly maternal and child health services, from pregnancy to safe institutional delivery and vaccination. He also noted the success of the U-WIN portal, which enables real-time immunisation surveillance for approximately 2.5 crore pregnant women and 2.5 crore children nationwide, supported by Anganwadi and ASHA workers. The union minister also highlighted the unprecedented growth in medical education infrastructure in the country, which was reflected by the number of medical colleges having increased from 387 in 2014 to 819 currently, MBBS seats having more than doubled from 51,000 to over 1.28 lakh. The government is committed to adding 75,000 new medical seats by 2029, strengthening Indias healthcare human resources. While terming the foundation laying ceremony of the two medical colleges in Dhar and Betul as historic and unprecedented milestone in the healthcare sector, the MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav, announced that after Dhar, Betul, Panna and Katni (foundation laying ceremonies of the last two will be held later), similar medical colleges will be built in Bhind, Morena, Khargone, Ashoknagar, Guna, Balaghat, Tikamgarh, Sidhi, and Shajapur districts. The medical college in Dhar district is being constructed on 25 acres of land at a cost of Rs 260 crore. The Swami Vivekananda Shiksha Dham Foundation has partnered with the government for this medical college. Until 2002-03, there were only 5 medical colleges in the state. Now, the number of medical colleges in the state has increased to 33. In the last two years, 6 government medicalcolleges have been started in the state. These include medical colleges in the tribal areas of Singrauli and Sheopur. The state government has sanctioned 354 posts of senior resident doctors, the MP CM said. Continuing the sickle cell anaemia campaign in the state, more than 1.25 crore people have been screened. In Dhar, more than 15 lakh people have been screened under the sickle cell program. Upgradation of 800 beds and sanctioning of 810 new posts for doctors are being provided in the hospitals of Tikamgarh, Neemuch, Singrauli, Sheopur, and Dindori districts of the state, the CM informed.
Will demolish your house, mosques: Parking dispute turns communal in MP
Bhopal: The Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh witnessed violent communal clashes between Karni Sena members and Muslims over a trivial parking issue on Sunday, December 21, leading to police action and mild tear gas to disperse the crowd. On Tuesday, December 23, a Karni Sena worker issued an open threat, guaranteeing bulldozer action against mosques Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
42.74L voters in Madhya Pradesh face deletion from electoral rolls
Bhopal: More than 42.74 lakh voters in Madhya Pradesh are at risk of getting their names deleted from the voter list after the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, an Election Commission official said on Tuesday. Talking to reporters after releasing the draft of voter list following Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
SIR: Madhya Pradesh records over 42 lakh deletions from draft electoral rolls
BHOPAL: As many as 42.74 lakh electors out of the total 5.74 crore were removed from the draft electoral rolls published on Tuesday after the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh. Out of the 42,74,160 names that were removed from the electoral rolls, 19.19 lakh were men, while 23.64 lakh were women. The total number of voters who filled up the SIR enumeration forms stands at over 5.31 crore. As many as 8,65, 832 voters remained unmapped, as the details of their parents or grandparents were not found in the 2003 voter roll. These voters will be given a week's time to appear personally with any of the 13 documents mentioned by the Election Commission and get their names added in the final list, which will be published on February 21, 2026. According to the state's Chief Electoral Officer S K Jha, out of the excluded voters, 31.51 lakh were absent (shifted out of the state or were absent during the enumeration exercise), 8.46 lakh were deceased, and 2.77 lakh were duplicate (whose name was found to be existing in multiple constituencies). Large number of deletions were recorded at Indore, Jabalpur and Bhopal. Indore topped the list with the highest number of absent and unmapped voters, while it was second in the list of shifted, deceased and duplicate voters. Indore houses nine assembly segments, all of which were won by the ruling BJP in the 2023 state elections. The highest number of dead voters was recorded at Jabalpur while Bhopal topped the list of shifted voters. Burhanpur housed maximum number of duplicate voters in the state. The newly created Pandhurna, Alirajpur, Umaria and Sidhi recorded lesser number of deletions. To handle grievances and speed up corrections, 725 additional Electoral Registration Officers have been appointed. According to the EC, the draft electoral rolls can be accessed through the poll body's website or the Booth Level Officers. Claims and objections can be filed until January 22, and any eligible voter whose name has been removed can apply for inclusion using Form 6. The second phase of the SIR will run from January 22 to February 14, after which the final electoral roll for the states and UT will be published on February 21.
Hijabgate: When local politics turns into global embarrassment
Bhopal: Ms Razia Masood, a Bhopal-based Social Activist who is associated with the Jamat-e-Islami Hind Women wing, has reacted strongly to the shameless incident wherein a Chief Minister of an Indian state publicly violated a Muslim womans personal space and attire by pulling off her hijab (a head covering worn in public by Muslim women). Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Madhya Pradesh: Local BJP leader abuses visually impaired woman for 'enabling religious conversions'
BHOPAL: A local BJP leader from Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur district has been caught on camera abusing a visually impaired woman over allegations of religious conversion. The video which went viral on Monday, is related to an incident which reportedly happened in the premises of a Church in Hawa Bagh area under Gorakhpur police station of Jabalpur district on Saturday. In the video, the BJP's recently appointed Jabalpur city unit vice president Anju Bhargava is seen shouting at a visually impaired woman, in the presence of a policeman. She grabbed the face of the visually impaired woman and twisted her arms, while shouting abuses at her. The BJP leader accused the woman of conducting religious conversions, doing 'dhandha' (business) and earning money. The video showed the visually impaired woman asking Bhargava to speak properly and speak to her instead of getting physical. The BJP leader, instead of stopping the misconduct with the woman, is seen telling her that she will be blind in her next birth too. The shocking video was shared on X (formerly twitter) by the Congresss national chairperson Supriya Shrinate on Monday. The woman who is physically assaulting the visually impaired woman is Anju Bhargava, the BJPs district vice president of Jabalpur. This cruelty is the easiest way to advance in the BJP. These people are stains on society. Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh had recently reported two incidents of violence by incited by Hindu right-wingers accusing Christian missionaries of engaging in religious conversions, including the incident in Gorakhpur.
Rs 50 to 10,000: Bhopal Metro Sets Penalties for Passenger Misconduct
The punitive measures for the offenders will help keep the metro rail clean and ensure an exciting ride for the commuters, an official of the metro rail service said.
BHOPAL: Police are on heightened alert in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur city, after protests by Hindu right-wingers alleging religious conversion by Christian missionaries triggered violent scuffles between the two religious groups at two separate places in two successive days. The first incident happened in Gorakhpur police station area on Saturday, while the second incident happened in the Madhotal police station area on Sunday. The first incident happened behind the premises of a Church near the Hawabagh College under the limits of Gorakhpur police station, when Bajrang Dal activists clashed with members of a group that had organised a Christmas lunch event for visually challenged students. Bajrang Dal activists stopped the event, questioning how the schools students had been brought there for lunch without permission from the school staff. Police rushed to the spot and stopped the violent scuffle from snowballing. Though neither side had filed police complaints, the Jabalpur district administration has ordered a probe into the activities of the group that had organised the lunch event as part of Christmas celebrations. The students, however, rubbished the religious conversion allegations made by the Bajrang Dal activists. The second incident happened on Sunday in Shakti Nagar locality under Madhotal area of Jabalpur. According to circle SP (CSP-Madhotal) BS Gathoria, Hindu right-wingers came to the concerned place in Shakti Nagar, claiming that they had received information about religious conversion being carried out by the Christian missionaries at a Sunday religious prayer. The two groups clashed before the police rushed to the spot and prevented the matter from escalating. Both sides have submitted complaints at the Madhotal police station, after which the police have started investigations into both complaints.
NEW DELHI: Over the years, citizens voice has become a strong tool for assessment in Swachh Survekshan, which consistently reflects the strength of citizens perception and engagement with swachhata, especially visible cleanliness. To further amplify the initiative, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has designed its 202526 toolkit to give citizens opinions greater power and weightage. Starting this year, citizens will be able to share feedback round the year through multiple platforms, including the Vote For My City App and Portal, MyGov App, Swachhata App, and through QR codes. The citizen validation weightage has been increased considerably. Following the release of the toolkit, the field assessments are expected to begin from mid-February to March 2026. The GFC (Garbage Free Cities) and ODF (Open Defecation Free) certification assessment will also commence from mid February. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal released the toolkit for the 10th edition of Swachh Survekshan in Bhopal on Saturday. To reinforce quality assurance and institutionalize strong feedback and grievance redressal, Swachh Survekshan has introduced a tightly monitored, protocol-driven assessment framework. A national oversight team anchors the process, complemented for the first timeby a dedicated single-point-of-contact in-charge for each state or union territories (UTs), said officials. Over 3,000 trained field assessors from across the country will conduct a 45-day, on-ground survey covering all ULBs, supported by real-time, GPS-enabled monitoring. The entire processfrom evidence submission to verificationis fully digital, transparent, and rigorously quality-checked. Swachh Survekshan has been assessing Ganga towns as part of its urban cleanliness framework. Expanding its scope, the assessment will now include river towns across the country. A separate matrix has been introduced for coastal areas to bring it under the Swachh Survekshan ambit. Fostering a healthy competition amongst cities, Survekshan has defined the matrix for swachhata. It has helped in benchmarking of assessment parameters, creating a roadmap for Swachh Shehar, steps and components to become a Swachh Shehar and ultimately enabling cleaner cities through on-ground visible swachhata. The ministry MoHUA launched the largest time-bound and structured mentorship framework in urban waste management mentorship programme under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U); Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ), in September. As part of the initiative, 72 mentors and 200 mentee cities signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to foster knowledge transfer, peer learning, and replication of best practices. To strengthen mentorship and peer learning, a new award category has been introduced to recognize Swachh Shehr Jodis, based on the average score of jodis, with recognition across each population category, said officials.
India to Surpass USA in Metro Rail Network in 2 Years : Khattar
Mr. Khattar along with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav flagged off the metro rail in Bhopal and travelled on the metros new 6.22 km-seven km Orange Line priority corridor
Bhopal gets its long-awaited metro rail connectivity
BHOPAL: Bhopals long wait for operationalisation of the metro rail project ended on Saturday evening, as the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, joined the CM Dr Mohan Yadav to flag off the first metro train on the around 7-km-long and eight-station-strong priority corridor. Following the operationalisation of the first metro train in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to witness the operationalisation of metro railway service in its two big cities in the span of seven months. Importantly, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had flagged off the MPs first operationalised metro railway service in Indore on May 31, virtually from Bhopal. The corridor will connect Subhash Nagar and AIIMS stations, via Kendriya Vidyalaya, Board Office, MP Nagar, Rani Kamlapati, DRM Office and Alkapuri stations. It forms part of the planned Orange Line, covering a 30-km route between Karond Circle and AIIMS. The first phase comprises two lines the Orange Line (traffic on whose priority corridor was operationalised on Saturday) and the Blue Line, which will connect Bhadbhada Crossing with the Ratnagiri Trisquare. Its a big and historic day for MPs administrative capital, Bhopal, with the formal start of metro railway services on the elevated corridor. Travelling on an elevated metro corridor makes citizens feel elevated. Were hopeful that the two lines of the 30-km-long first phase will be completed over the next two years, Khattar told journalists. Operationalisation of metro rail service in Bhopal makes MPs administrative capital, the 26thcity in the country, have a functional metro rail network. Back in 2002, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the 5-km-long first line of the Delhi Metro railway. 23 years later, with the start of metro rail service on this 7-km-long line in Bhopal, India now has a 1090 km-long metro rail network spread across 26 cities, Khattar said. Further, 900 km-long metro rail lines are in the pipeline in various parts of the country. Once 300 km of those lines are completed and operationalised, India will surpass the USAs 1400-km-long metro rail network and be second to China only in terms of length of metro rail network in the world, Khattar announced. India is expanding its trade day by day with various countries. Weve signed trade pacts with the UK and Oman. The India-New Zealand trade agreement too has attained the Union Cabinets nod on Friday. The manner in which were gradually expanding our trade ties with different nations, the days arent far when India, like China, will compete with the US. India is moving towards that position; it's the US and not India that should be concerned, Khattar said. Khattar also informed that confusion about the work on a 7-km metro rail line in Indore has been cleared now. There were differences between the metro rail-related officials at the centre and in MP, about whether that future stretch in Indore should be elevated or underground. The issue has been resolved as the line will be underground, as planned by officials in MP. Earlier in the day, the Union Minister laid the foundation and unveiled 262 urban development projects worth Rs 8500 crores in MP. He also unveiled the blueprint/roadmap of the Bhopal Metropolitan Region (BMR), one of the two metropolitan regions (the other being the Indore Metropolitan Region) planned in MP on the lines of the National Capital Region (NCR). The BMR is envisaged to cover 12 urban areas, 2500 villages spread in 12,019 sq km area of 30 tehsils of six districts of central MP, including Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Rajgarh, Narmadapuram and Vidisha. For the overall development of BMR, the Bhopal Metropolitan Region Development Authority has been formed, while the creation of the Bhopal Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also planned for a 360-degree development of the region.
Bhopal Metros Orange line inaugurated, commercial services to begin on December 21
India to soon leave U.S. behind in Metro rail network length, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said
Madhya Pradesh: 41.80L set to be removed from voter list
BHOPAL: More than 41.80 lakh voter names have been identified for deletion from the electoral rolls across Madhya Pradesh after the completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the 2025 voter list, election officials said. The exercise covered all 230 assembly constituencies across 55 districts. The outcome of the revision will be reflected in the preliminary draft of the electoral roll, scheduled for publication on December 23. The SIR was undertaken to clean and update the voter list of over 5.74 crore registered voters ahead of future elections. The first phase, which involved door-to-door enumeration and verification, concluded late Thursday night. The 41.80 lakh names marked for deletion account for over 7.28% of the total electorate. The largest category consists of 22.5 lakh voters who have permanently shifted from their registered addresses, forming nearly 45 of the voter base. Another significant portion comprises absent and deceased voters, with 8.40 lakh names in each category. Together, they account for roughly three percent of the states voters. In addition, over 2.5 lakh voters, or 0.43 percent, were found to be duplicate entries, with names appearing at more than one address. Indore district recorded the highest number of proposed deletions. Of its total 28.67 lakh voters, more than 4.40 lakh names are set to be removed. Bhopal followed closely, with around 4.30 lakh deletions from its 21.25 lakh-plus voters. Gwalior ranked third, with over 2.50 lakh names marked for deletion, while Jabalpur stood fourth with more than 2.40 lakh voters to be removed from the list. In percentage terms, Bhopal will see the highest impact, with nearly 20% of its voter names facing deletion. Indore and Gwalior will see about 15% each, while Jabalpur will see around 12% deletions. Explaining the next steps, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ram Pratap Singh Jadaun said, The EC is moving ahead with the process of deletion, correction, and verification. The first draft electoral roll will be released on December 23. Discrepancies found in over nine lakh cases The SIR was undertaken to clean and update the voter list of over 5.74 crore registered voters ahead of future elections. The EC is moving ahead with the process of deletion, correction, and verification. The first draft electoral roll will be released on December 23. Officials added that discrepancies between current voter details and the 2003 base records were found in about nine lakh cases.
BHOPAL: More than 41.80 lakh voter names have been identified for deletion in 230 assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, following the completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in the state. The result of the SIR can be seen in the form of a preliminary draft of the electoral roll, which will be published on December 23. The first phase of the SIR ended on Thursday night after a gruelling 44-day exercise of collecting filled up enumeration forms from voters through the network of booth level officers (BLOs). The 41.80 lakh voter names (7.28% of total voters in the state) that are up for deletion include 22.50 lakh voters who have permanently shifted from their registered addresses. They form around four percent of the total voters of the October 2025 list. The two other heads under which a major chunk of voter names will be deleted include absent and dead voters, which were 8.40 lakh each, collectively accounting to around 3% of the total 5.74 crore plus voters forming part of the October 2025 voter list. Over 2.5 lakh voters (0.43% of the total voters in the 2025 voter list) are duplicate voters, whose names are featured at multiple addresses. Indore, which is Madhya Pradeshs most populated district, housed the maximum number of absent, dead, shifted and duplicate voters. More than 4.40 lakh voter names out of the total 28.67 lakh voters are to be deleted when the preliminary draft list is published. The state capital Bhopal is next with 4.30 lakh voter names to be deleted out of the total 21.25 lakh plus voters named in the 2025 list. Gwalior is third in the list of districts with maximum deletions. More than 2.50 lakh voters, out of the 16.49 lakh-plus voters, will be deleted when the draft list is published. Jabalpur is fourth with 2.40 lakh-plus deleted voters, out of the total 19.25 lakh voters named in the 2025 list. In percentage terms, Indore, where all nine assembly seats were won by the BJP in the 2023 polls, will see more than 15% of voter names getting deleted. But the state capital Bhopal, where the BJP won five out of the seven assembly seats, stands to see deletion of the maximum 20% voter names. Jabalpur district, where the BJP won seven out of the eight assembly seats in the 2023 elections, will see the deletion of 12% voters from the 2025 list, while Gwalior district, where the BJP won four out of the six assembly seats in the last state elections, will see 15% of the names of the 2025 list getting deleted. The joint chief electoral officer, MP, Ram Pratap Singh Jadaun said, The Election Commission is now moving ahead with the process of deletion, correction, and verification. The first draft electoral roll will be released on December 23. If a voters details do not match the 2003 base records or if discrepancies are found, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will issue a formal notice to those voters. Such mismatches have been found in nine lakh cases.
Bhopal Contractor Loses Rs 30 Lakh In Online Game, Dies By Suicide: Police
A 32-year-old civil contractor allegedly died by suicide in his house in Bhopal on Thursday after losing nearly Rs 30 lakh in an online game, the police said.
The results for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT 2026) have been announced, and once again, students from the Bhopal-headquartered institute, Toprankers-Legal Edge ,have delivered an exceptional performance in this prestigious national-level exam for entry into National Law Universities (NLUs). According to the released results, students from this institute have secured the top three spots All India Rank (AIR) 1, 2, and 3 . Geetali Gupta from Toprankers-Legal Edge This marks thefourth time in the last six yearsthat the institute's students have achieved a 'Clean Sweep' of thetop three ranks. Data released by the institute indicates a dominant hold over the results, with7 students in the Top 10and51 students in the Top 100hailing from Toprankers-Legal Edge. " Guidance Received Exclusively from Legal Edge " AIR-1 GeetaliGupta, a resident of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, secured AIR 1. Expressing her thoughts on social media, Geetali said, "My parents taught me discipline since childhood, and Legal Edge gave that discipline the right direction. Throughout my preparation, I placed the utmost emphasis on consistency." Clarifying the role of the coaching institute, she added," I have been a student exclusively of Legal Edges 'Warriors Gold Batch'Classroom Program. The mentors at Legal Edge played a pivotal role in identifying and fixing my weaknesses. This success is the result of my parents' sacrifices and the guidance of my teachers. " Performance Analysis: As per the details shared by the institute,AIR 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10are students of the' Regular Classroom Program .'Meanwhile,AIR 3 (Rohan, Karnataka Topper)achieved this feat through the institute's 'Distance Learning' course. Experts believe that securing AIR 3 through a distance course is a testament to the sheer quality of the institutes study material. Furthermore, the fact that6 out of the Top 10students were from the direct classroom program proves the successful impact of Legal Edgesmentorship. Consistency and Selection Standards Clean Sweep: This is the4th time in the last 6 yearsthat AIR 1, 2, and 3 are from the same institute in CLAT. Selection Ratio: This year, 51 students in the Top 100 are from Legal Edge. This means nearly 50% of the students entering the countrys top law colleges have been trained by this institute. Top Rankers: The institute has now produced the CLAT All India Rank 1 (AIR 1) a total of 7 times. Harsh Gagrani , Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of the institute, stated," This result validates our academic process. For us, AIR 1 is as important as the last student who worked hard to improve their rank. We have always prioritized right guidance and hard work, and we will continue to do so in the future ." The CLAT 2026 results indicate that in an era of social media and aggressive advertising, success ultimately stems from a disciplined routine, right mentorship, and the synergy between teacher and student. About Toprankers Toprankers runs 50+ centres across India, teaching 20,000+ classroom students and serving 30,000+ learners overall, while operating Indias most-searched non-STEM test-prep platform, with 1.5M monthly users and 20M+ page views across Law, Management, and Design & Architecture.
Decomposed bodies of couple found in Indore residence
BHOPAL: A middle-aged couple identified as Kanhaiya Lal Paranwal and Smriti Paranwal were found dead under c inside their duplex house in Madhya Pradeshs Indore city on Thursday. Their residence is located at a Satellite Junction residential colony, just outside the Indus Satellite Green township under the Lasudia police station area. While Kanhaiya Lal (50) was found dead on the bed in the room, his wife Smriti was found dead inside the toilet adjoining the room. Intolerable stench and the heavily decomposed bodies suggested that the couple had died more than 20 days ago. While Kanhaiya Lal was bedridden after being paralysed for the last six months, his wife was also reportedly in depression due to her husbands bad health. The couple hailed from the Azamgarh district of eastern Uttar Pradesh and had built the duplex house around ten years back in the residential locality on Indores outskirts. According to informed sources, Kanhaiya Lal worked till a few years back at a pharmaceutical company in Pithampur in neighbouring Dhar district. After quitting the job, he was possibly engaged in stock trading and investment from home. He had suffered a paralytic attack and was bedridden for the last six months. The couple led a secluded life and hardly had anyone visiting them. According to neighbours, Smriti was last seen outside the house on November 26, after which she had never been spotted. The newspaper hawker, milkman and even the teams who visited the locality for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists related work didnt find any response after visiting the house recently, a neighbour said. Feeling suspicious over the couple not being spotted for more than 20 days, neighbours peeped into the room on the houses first floor of the house from the balcony of an adjoining house on Thursday morning and reported to the police about the intolerable stench emanating from the closed house. Cops subsequently rushed to the duplex house, broke open its entrance and climbed upstairs, where the two bodies were in a heavily decomposed state. Lasudia police station sources said only the findings of the autopsy will reveal the cause of the deaths.
Concerns mount over suspected bird flu outbreak in Kuttanad
Samples have been collected and sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for analysis to determine the cause of deaths
Newborn found dead in toilet commode at government hospital in MP's Chhindwara
BHOPAL:In a chilling incident, a newborn female child was found dead in the commode of the toilet at the Civil Hospital in Parasia town of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. The incident was reported on Monday night, when a sanitary staff member proceeded to clean the toilet. The flush was choked. On checking the commode, she found the hand of the newborn baby stuck inside. Immediately, the other staff of the hospital were called on to retrieve the body. The newborns body was extricated after breaking the concerned commode, a senior official of the state health department in Parasia told TNIE on Wednesday. According to Dr Sudha Bakshi, the Parasia block medical officer (BMO), the local police were immediately informed about the incident. The body was subsequently sent for a post-mortem. While the local police officials are tight-lipped about the entire incident, sources privy to the ongoing probe said that the autopsy of the newborn baby points towards the newborns death having been caused due to pulmonary oedema (fluid buildup in the lungs). Primary police investigations revealed that at least 15 pregnant women had come for a prenatal check-up at the hospitals outdoor patients department on Monday. Based on the details mentioned in the hospital records, while 14 of those pregnant women have been traced and identified, one womans details remain incomplete, and her presence at the hospital on Monday has consequently been found suspicious. There is a strong possibility that the same woman might have delivered the baby in the toilet and then tried to destroy evidence by flushing the newborn through the commode. The investigating cops are now scanning footage of all 26 CCTV cameras installed at the Parasia Civil Hospital. The Parasia area of Chhindwara is the hub of coal mining activity in Chhindwara and was in the news in September-October this year, following the deaths of more than 20 kids due to cough syrup poisoning induced acute kidney injury.
Aishwary wins 3P gold with world record, Gurjoat clinches skeet event
NATIONAL SHOOTING NEW DELHI/BHOPAL, Dec 16: World Championship silver medallist Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar delivered a landmark performance at the 68th Shooting Nationals on Tuesday, firing a world record 470.5 to clinch gold in the mens 50m rifle 3 positions final at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Range. Aishwarys score is 1.6 points more than []
Four children test HIV positive in MP government hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
SATNA/BHOPAL: Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday. The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said. Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children. MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report. It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital, he said. The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official. Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected. Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause, he told PTI Videos. All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said. A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use. After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said. After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added. The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla. Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said. The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident, Yadav said. Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged. Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of, he added.
Genetic researchers probe nuclear genome to explain exceptionally high TB burden among MPs Sahariyas
BHOPAL: Genetic science researchers from across the country have turned their focus to genomic factors that may underlie the abnormally high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) among the Sahariyas, one of the three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Madhya Pradesh. The Sahariya population is largely concentrated in the GwaliorChambal region of Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Gwalior, Morena and Bhind districts, with some presence in adjoining parts of Bundelkhand. Reported TB prevalence among the community ranges between 1,518 and 3,294 cases per 100,000 population, at least eight times higher than the national average of 187 per lakh. According to the World Health Organizations Global TB Report 2025 , India, despite remaining among high-burden countries, has recorded a 21 per cent decline in new TB cases, from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh in 2024. Against this backdrop, the Sahariyas stand out as an extreme outlier. The ongoing research is being led by Prof Gyaneshwar Chaubey, a noted geneticist and biological anthropologist at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, in collaboration with researchers from several institutions, including the University of Calcutta and the Forensic Science Laboratory, Jabalpur. The team has already made a significant breakthrough by linking rare maternal mitochondrial haplogroups, N5 and X2, to heightened TB susceptibility among the Sahariyas. A haplogroup refers to a group of people who share a common ancestor, identified through specific mutations in mitochondrial DNA (inherited from the mother) or Y-chromosome DNA (inherited from the father). The findings, published in the international journal Mitochondrion in August 2025, were based on the analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes from 729 individuals, including 140 Sahariyas. The study revealed that the rare N5 and X2 haplogroups, absent in neighbouring populations, likely entered the Sahariya gene pool through ancient gene flow from western India during the early Iron Age. A subsequent founder effect may have compromised mitochondrial function, weakening immune responses to TB. Researchers noted that this genetic vulnerability, compounded by chronic malnutrition, poverty and limited access to healthcare, offers a compelling explanation for the tribes extraordinarily high TB burden. Building on these mitochondrial findings, the research team has now initiated whole-genome sequencing of Sahariya individuals to investigate the contribution of the nuclear genome to TB susceptibility. This phase aims to identify risk alleles or genetic variants in nuclear DNA that may act independently or in concert with mitochondrial factors to heighten disease vulnerability. The study is also examining long-standing patterns of endogamy within the community. High levels of marriage within the group, combined with a historically small effective population size, may have amplified harmful genetic variants through genetic drift and inbreeding. Preliminary analyses suggest that this demographic history could further intensify TB risk by concentrating deleterious alleles. Expanding from mitochondrial insights to nuclear genomics will give us a far more comprehensive understanding of genetic susceptibility among the Sahariyas, said Debasruti Das, the studys first author. This knowledge is crucial for designing targeted interventions for communities bearing the heaviest TB burden. Senior author Prof Prashant Suravajhala added that the ongoing work would also assess how genetic predisposition interacts with environmental and cultural factors. Such integrated insights can pave the way for personalised public health strategies and more effective TB control among tribal populations, he said.
BHOPAL: A fateful blaze at a Dalit familys house in Madhya Pradeshs Sagar district, which killed two teenage boys, has taken a communal turn ten days after the incident. Activists related to various Hindu outfits reached out to a charitable trust hospital in Sagar city on Monday, alleging that the fire at the house in Chandamau village on the intervening night of December 4-5 was ignited by Muslim youth Fahim Khan alias Sonu. Sonu was allegedly stalking and troubling the familys 20-year-old daughter. The victims family members, including the mother and her elder daughter, supported the allegations of the activists in the saffron outfits. The elder daughter, a 23-year-old young woman, is currently recuperating from 60 per cent burn injuries at the same hospital, where her 17-year-old brother died on Sunday night. The mother-daughter duo alleged that Fahim Khan, who resides in the same village, was regularly troubling the younger daughter, and on being asked by the family to stay away from her, Fahim had threatened to kill the entire family. The elder of the two daughters, who is hospitalised, claimed that she had seen Fahim running away from near their house just when the blaze was triggered. While alleging it to be a Love Jihad incident, the Hindu outfit members demanded that a case be registered against Fahim, followed by his arrest. When the incident took place, the elder daughter and her two brothers, aged 14 and 17, were present in the house. Their father, mother and their younger daughter were away when the killer blaze happened. While the 14-year-old younger son died the same night, his 17-year-old elder brother died at the charitable trust hospital in Sagar city ten days later on Sunday night. Based on the initial police investigations, which suggested that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a kind of 'negligence', a fire-related case was registered at the Naryawali police station on December 5. But, with the mother and elder daughter now accusing the Muslim youth of setting their house ablaze, the cops have started a fresh probe into the entire matter. A team led by the sub-divisional officer police (SDOP) was sent to the concerned village, and a fresh probe is underway to cover all possible angles in the case, particularly following the recent statements of the family members, Sagar district police superintendent Vikas Kumar Sahwal said on Monday. Sources privy to the ongoing probe confided to TNIE that the SC familys younger daughter was regularly talking with the Muslim youth. Her family had caught her talking to him over the phone, after which he was asked to stay away from her. While the mother and elder daughter are alleging that Fahim had set their house on fire, the younger daughter and father are not blaming him for the inferno. Ongoing probe also suggests that Fahim had only helped the family to rush the severely burnt teenage brothers and their elder sister to the hospital.
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Rajendra Shukla, is once again targeted by the Opposition party, following a fire at the Gynaecology Operation Theatre (OT) in a government hospital in Rewa district. The state Congress chief has also demanded Shuklas resignation while sharing a video of rats at a hospital, which he claimed was at the Jabalpur district hospital. On Sunday afternoon, while a caesarean surgery was underway at the Gynaecology OT of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Rewa, smoke suddenly started emanating, followed by a blaze. With the surgery being in the last stages after the birth of the stillborn child, the mother was safely evacuated out of the OT, and the babys charred body was left behind in the surgical tray. While a probe has been initiated in the matter to find what triggered the blaze and fix accountability for the lapses, the state Congress chief Jitu Patwari demanded the resignation of Rajendra Shukla over the incident. When the health minister cannot manage the health system in his own district, what can be expected from him for the entire State. Notably, the hospitals medical superintendent, Dr Rahul Mishra, is the nephew of Lok Sabha member from adjoining Sidhi district, Rajesh Mishra. Previously too several incidents of negligence have come to light at the same hospital, but no one has been held accountable. Even after hundreds of deaths across the State due to the governments negligence, why has Rajendra Shukla not been asked to resign? Patwari questioned. On Monday, Patwari shared on X a video of rats at a hospital, claiming it to be visuals from the Jabalpur district hospital. When the government hospitals arent safe, where on earth will the commoners go for treatment? If you have even the slightest concern for the state, then resign immediately and do justice to the people of MP. The deputy CM has been regularly on the Congresss radar in the recent past due to the deaths of 24 kids due to cough syrup poisoning in Chhindwara and adjoining districts, and also due to the deaths of two newborn babies following rat bites at the MY Hospital in Indore.
Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader Dr Ramvilas Vedanti passes away at 67
LUCKNOW: Former BJP MP and senior saint Dr Ram Vilas Das Vedanti (67), a prominent figure of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Madhya Pradeshs Rewa district early on Monday. Dr Vedanti had been admitted to Rewas Super Speciality Hospital for the past two days. On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla had planned to airlift him to AIIMS, Bhopal, for advanced treatment, but the air ambulance could not be deployed due to adverse weather conditions. His health deteriorated subsequently, and he passed away at 12.20 am on Monday. Earlier, Dr Vedanti had travelled from Ayodhya to Delhi on December 7 and attended a meeting of the VHPs Central Margdarshak Mandal on December 10. From Delhi, he reached Rewa, where a Ramkatha discourse by him was underway at Bhatwa village near Lalgaon. The programme had been scheduled to continue till December 17. His successor, Mahant Raghavesh Das Vedanti, said the mortal remains were being taken to Ayodhya, where the last rites would be performed with full religious rituals. Born on October 7, 1958, Dr Ramvilas Das Vedanti was a disciple of Mahant Abhiram Das of Hanumangarhi. He resided at Hindu Dham, Naya Ghat, in Ayodhya, and also headed an ashram known as Vashishth Bhawan. For several decades, he recited Ramkatha before Ramlala and at Hanumangarhi, and was widely regarded as a distinguished Sanskrit scholar and a leading saint associated with Ayodhya. Dr Vedanti played a significant role in the Ram temple movement. He was a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and later served as its Executive President. He was also a two-time Member of Parliament on a BJP ticket, having represented Machhlishahr in Jaunpur district in 1996 and Pratapgarh in the 12th Lok Sabha. In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, he won the Pratapgarh seat by a large margin, defeating Congress candidate Ratna Singh. A native of Gudhwa village in Rewa district, Dr Vedanti lost his mother at the age of two. His father, Ram Suman Tripathi, was a priest and guru of former Union Minister Arjun Singh. Dr Vedanti arrived in Ayodhya at the age of 12 and devoted his life to religious and social service. His role in the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992, remained controversial, as he had publicly admitted to ordering the demolition and was named as an accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. However, his statement was widely seen as an attempt to shield senior BJP leaders. In 2020, a special CBI court acquitted him, ruling that there was no conspiracy behind the demolition. , . ! , Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) December 15, 2025 Condoling his death, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on X: The passing of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan's key pillar, former MP, and revered saint of Vashishtha Ashram at Shri Ayodhya Dham, Dr Ramvilas Vedanti Ji Maharaj, to Goloka is an irreparable loss to the spiritual world and Sanatan culture. Humble tribute to him! His departure marks the end of an era. His life of sacrifice, dedicated to the service of religion, society, and nation, is an inspiration to us all. We pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet and bestow strength upon the grief-stricken disciples and followers to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti! he added. According to his disciples, Dr Vedanti regarded the consecration of the Ram temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the fulfilment of two major resolutions of his life. Political observers note that he significantly altered the political landscape of Pratapgarh district, becoming the first BJP leader to win the seat by mobilising support around the Ram temple movement.
Ram Vilas Vedanti dies: Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader passes away at 67; last rites in Ayodhya
Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader and former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti passed away at the age of 67 in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, due to a heart attack. He was admitted to the hospital with severe blood poisoning and kidney failure. Efforts to transfer him to AIIMS Bhopal by air ambulance were unsuccessful due to poor visibility.
Probe ordered after goats seen eating midday meals with children at an Anganwadi in Madhya Pradesh
BHOPAL: A probe has been ordered and preliminary action initiated after videos went viral showing goats eating midday meals from steel plates alongside children, allegedly outside an Anganwadi centre in Madhya Pradeshs Katni district. Multiple viral clips show children seated in two parallel queues with food served on steel plates, while two goats are seen eating from plates kept at the end of one queue. Officials said the incident pertains to an Anganwadi facility operating from a rented private building in Sehra Mohalla of Kothi village, located in the tribal-dominated Dhimarkheda block. The arrangement was made due to the absence of an adequate government building for the Anganwadi or school, they added. Katni District Collector Ashish Tiwari said a team of officials was dispatched to the village immediately after the videos surfaced. The Anganwadi centre has been functioning from a private rented building since last year, while construction of a permanent facility is underway at another location, he told this newspaper on Sunday. According to Tiwari, the preliminary probe found that the Anganwadi supervisor, assistant and worker were not present when the midday meal was being served. Based on the initial findings, the salary increment of the Anganwadi supervisor has been withheld, and show-cause notices have been issued to the assistant and the Anganwadi worker, he said. The incident has drawn attention coming barely a month after a separate video from Sheopur district sparked national outrage. In that case, children at a government primary school in Hullpur village of Vijaypur block were seen being served midday meals on scrap paper. The November incident reportedly led to the suspension of the school principal and termination of the contract of the self-help group responsible for preparing the meals. The Sheopur episode had also prompted sharp political reactions, with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioning the BJP-led central and state governments over the issue. Residents of Kothi village said the Anganwadi centre has been operating from the private building since January 15. No supervisor or worker ever comes here. Since 2024, children have been coming only to study and have midday meals. Around 60 to 65 children are beneficiaries of this centre, a villager said.
BHOPAL: Already facing a criminal case over his sister of terrorists remark about Indian Army officer Colonel Sophia Qureshi, BJP-ruled Madhya Pradeshs senior cabinet minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has sparked fresh controversy with comments on the beneficiaries of the CM Ladli Behna Scheme, the financial support program for women, which proved to be a key factor in the saffron partys success in the 2023 assembly elections. Shah, chairing the district development advisory committee meeting in Ratlam on Saturday evening, said, This district has 2.5 lakh Ladli Behna Scheme beneficiaries, at least 50,000 of them should come forward to honour the CM for completing two years in power. We should plan an event where the Ladli Behnas would honour the CM. When the government is giving crores of rupees at a Rs 1,500 monthly rate to each beneficiary, then honouring the CM at least once in two years is justified. In the video of the meeting, which has gone viral, Shah (the minister in charge of Ratlam district) can be heard telling the officials, Plan an event where the Ladli Behnas would honour the CM in the new year. We will arrange food for them. Those who dont come, we will then see what happens to them. Such beneficiaries would be investigated; if someones Aadhar isnt linked, their application will be put on hold. That means it will automatically be stopped. Then everyone will come. The remarks were enough to trigger a fresh political controversy. The BJP should honour its beloved sisters, it is instead having its pampered ministers insult them. First, the vile remarks against the nations pride Col Sophia Qureshi, and now threats to mothers and sisters of the state, this is clear proof of BJPs frustration and anti-women mentality. The CMs silence is tantamount to endorsing the entire insult. The minister who first insulted the countrys army and now millions of sisters in the state, he doesnt have any right to remain in the government, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari wrote on X. My linguistic mistake has hurt countrymen: Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah apologises for 'sister of terrorists' remark Former CM and ex-state Congress chief Kamal Nath, also took to X on the same issue. The minister is threatening the women that failure to come to the CMs event will lead to them being dropped from the list of Ladli Behna Scheme beneficiaries. The BJP and its minister seem to be considering the Ladli Behnas as their bonded labour. It amounts to an open challenge to the civil rights and independent existence of women in the state. Importantly, the Ladli Behna Scheme was launched in June 2023 by then Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in the state. Currently, Rs 1500 are being credited into the accounts of around 1.27 crore beneficiaries monthly under the pro-poor women scheme. Making an objectionable remark about Colonel Sophia Quereshi in May 2025 or this latest remarks about Laldli Behnas in Ratlam, isnt the first time that the senior cabinet minister Vijay Shah has made women-targeted remarks. In September this year, Shah had come out in support of his senior cabinet colleague and former BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya over the latters controversial remark related to the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, kissing MP sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, publicly. His (Vijayvargiya) statements are correct, as in the Indian culture, no brother kisses his sister in public. Kissing ones sister in public is not our culture and not at all in line with our customs and traditions. For those who indulge in such acts, they should do it in their homes and not on the crossroads, Shah had said in home district Khandwa in September. In April 2013, BJPs 62-year-old tribal politician Shah had to resign as the states scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare minister, reportedly in the wake of his sexual innuendos about some women BJP leaders and then MP CM (and current union agriculture minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhans wife Sadhna Singh. In March 2024, he had suggested that the Department of Posts appoint actor-turned-BJP MP Hema Malini as brand ambassador to get more deposits into its investment and savings schemes. Make her (Malini) the brand ambassador and then tell me, as were Hema Malinis patthe. Well get all the money of poor people out from the banks and put it in the post office, he had said while inaugurating the post office passport service centre in his native Khandwa district in March 2024.
Security increased at Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Bhopal residence
BHOPAL: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans open-to-all official residence, Mama Ka Ghar, in the Madhya Pradesh capital has now turned into a heavily barricaded fortress following an increased security threat perception. A large number of metallic barricades have been erected outside the B-8B-9 combined bungalow in the high-security 74 Bungalows area of Bhopal. The bungalow, which has been Chouhans official residence since January 2024, was named Mama Ka Ghar after he shifted there from the Chief Ministers residence, weeks after Dr Mohan Yadav took charge as CM. Chouhan ruled Madhya Pradesh as chief minister for over 16 years. Highly placed sources in the state police said security at the residence has been augmented following specific alerts from New Delhi, indicating that the former chief minister and present Union minister is increasingly on the radar of across-the-border handlers of terrorist groups and separatist elements operating in the country. The security here has been beefed up since Friday night, with round the clock Dial-112 emergency response vehicle and a strong police picket having been deployed outside the big bungalow, a senior police officer, part of the enhanced security apparatus, told TNIE on Saturday. Chouhan already enjoys Z+ personal security cover, which was approved by the Union Home Ministry in December 2018, days after his 13-year-long BJP government lost power to the Congress in the Assembly elections. The Z+ category is extended to individuals facing severe threats and includes crack commandos, bulletproof vehicles and advanced security equipment. It is second only to the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover provided to the Prime Minister. Confirming the enhancement, Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said, The security of the highest level of protectees is reviewed periodically and based on the periodic review of the union ministers security, the security apparatus at his residence in Bhopal has been enhanced. While state police sources maintained that the security has been stepped up based on specific intelligence inputs from the national capital, political circles in Bhopal offered varying interpretations. Sections within the state BJP were abuzz with speculation that the move could signal Chouhans strong prospects of becoming the partys next national president. However, Congresss state media wing head and former minister Mukesh Nayak disputed this narrative. Enhancement of Chouhans security is being used by his followers for spreading it as a harbinger of his appointment as BJPs next national president. If it actually turns out to be true, then the entire state will be happy. But according to us, the security has been beefed up following a missive from the central government to the state government, about Chouhans security in the state not being adequate, which is why the security cover is being suddenly increased, Nayak claimed. Located on the main road in the 74 Bungalows area, Chouhan formally named the residence Mama Ka Ghar on January 3, 2024. Speaking on the occasion, he had said, The address has changed, but Mama ka Ghar will remain Mama ka Ghar. My bond with sisters, nieces, nephews and brothers is of love, trust and affinity, my doors will always remain opened for them. Whenever you remember me, come here without hesitation, because this is your maternal uncle and brothers house.
MP CM hails naxal cadre elimination as top achievement ahead of two-year government milestone
BHOPAL: A day before his government completes two years in power, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav termed the end of naxal cadres through the elimination and surrenders policy as the biggest achievement of his government so far. The naxal menace is as old as 37-38 years. Various naxal dalams had been formed way back in 1988-89. In 1995, an entire bus carrying 17 police personnel was blown into pieces. Four years later, a minister in the then Congress government (transport minister Likhiram Kanware) was brutally hacked to death by the outlaws. Despite Congress governments ruling the centre and states for decades since independence, the naxal problem wasnt adequately addressed, Yadav told journalists in Bhopal on Friday. In the three naxal-affected districts of MP, Dindori, Mandla and Balaghat, eliminating the naxals was a cumbersome task. Searching for and acting against 35-40 outlaws in the vast forests was difficult. They ran parallel courts, police stations, and councils of ministers. The fear of the Laal Salam extremist ideology among forest dwellers made anti-naxal operations even more difficult, Yadav added. But the situation dramatically changed when Union Home Minister Amit Shah set a March 2026 deadline for eliminating the naxal menace. I was initially sceptical about whether it was achievable, but he was confident, and the results are for all to see. The numbers in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Zone dropped to zero on Thursday the biggest and most historic development. Ten hardcore naxals were gunned down in 2025, the maximum in any year. First Dindori, then Mandla were freed from left-wing extremism (LWE), and on Thursday, Balaghat also recorded zero listed naxal cadres, Yadav said while congratulating the police forces involved in the operations. All credit for eliminating naxal cadres through the surrender or get killed policy goes to our brave cops. For the first time, IPS officers volunteered for postings in naxal-infested areas and set targets to uproot naxalism. Our IG in Balaghat Range, Sanjay Kumar, moved on a motorcycle like a regular jawan such was the commitment and dedication of our police force. We also pay rich tribute to all cops who sacrificed their lives, including young Inspector Ashish Sharma. The 42 surrenders in 42 days wouldnt have been possible without the proactive approach of our brave cops. Salute to their efforts, he added. They once ran a parallel regime in the jungles and terrorized villagers. Now, the same outlaws were competing among themselves to surrender first to save their lives. Mobile phone conversations between them reveal their urgency. With naxal cadre numbers now down to zero in Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori, we will now ensure a proper framework and system to prevent naxalism from reviving, Yadav said. The MP CM also highlighted inter-state river linking projects like Ken-Betwa, Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal, and the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project as other major achievements of his two-year tenure. The river linking projects, once implemented, will enhance irrigated land from 52 lakh hectares to 100 lakh hectares in five years, he maintained. While reiterating his governments commitment to ending drug abuse in MP, Yadav said, We have begun by banning liquor in 19 religious towns and cities. With cooperation from society and social organisations, we are confident of eliminating the drug menace completely within the next three years.
Study flags sector-specific gaps in Indias ESG push
Collaborative research by Kerala University and the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, publishes the findings
MP government moves to sack IAS officer over forged documents, controversial remarks
BHOPAL: Already in the eye of a storm following his controversial public statements about Brahmin girls and the judiciary, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Santosh Verma now faces possible dismissal from the IAS cadre. In a late Thursday night development, the state government said the general administration department (GAD) has decided to move a proposal to the central government for Vermas dismissal from the IAS cadre. It has been found that his promotion from the State Administrative Service (SAS) to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre was obtained through forged and fabricated orders. Criminal cases are pending against him in various courts. Therefore, a proposal for his dismissal from the IAS cadre is being sent to the central government, the state government said in an official statement. The departmental inquiry against Verma for obtaining a character certificate based on forged and fabricated documents is in its final stages. The reply submitted by Santosh Verma to the show-cause notice in the present case is not satisfactory. He is continuously issuing undignified statements. Therefore, it has been decided to issue a charge sheet against him, the statement added. The state government has decided to remove Verma from the post of Deputy Secretary, Agriculture Department, and attach him to the GAD pool without any department or work. Importantly, Verma is also the president of the Madhya Pradesh Scheduled Castes and ST Officers and Employees Association, also known as AJJAKS. The late-night statement came just three days before the Brahmin caste outfit, Brahmin Samaj United Front, was slated to stage a massive protest with a gherao of the Chief Minister's residence on December 14, pressing for action against Verma for his recent controversial comments about Brahmin girls. Back on November 23, while addressing the provincial convention of AJJAKS in Bhopal as the associations state president, Verma had made the objectionable remarks about Brahmin girls. Verma had reportedly said: Reservation should be given to only one person in a family until a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son or allows my son to have a relationship with her. Massive protests have since been held across the state by upper caste outfits. Upper-caste politicians from both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress also recently met Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, demanding stern action against Verma. Even before the controversy over his remarks about Brahmin girls could subside, another viral video showed him accusing the High Court of blocking Scheduled Tribe candidates from becoming civil judges. He alleged that the judicial recruitment process was deliberately designed to exclude SC and ST candidates. Reacting to the controversy around his statements, Verma has claimed that the issue is being manufactured to target him due to leadership-related internal disputes within AJJAKS.
MP government recommends dismissal of controversial IAS officer Santosh Verma
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government has sent a proposal to the Centre recommending the dismissal of IAS officer Santosh Verma, state president of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Officers and Employees Association (AJAKS), for his undignified remarks. In addition, Verma has been removed from his post as deputy secretary of the Agriculture Department and attached to the General Administration Department without any department or work. According to an official statement released on Thursday, the GAD has also decided to issue a charge sheet against Verma. The action comes after Verma, at the AJAKS state level convention in Bhopal on November 23, said, Until a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son and he has a relationship with her, he (son) should get reservation. A video of his statement was uploaded on social media, sparking outrage among the Brahmin community. Following Verma's remarks, demands for action against him were made not only in the state but across the country. Furthermore, 65 Brahmin organisations, enraged by Verma's remarks, announced a protest on Friday and a siege of the chief minister's residence on December 14. They also warned that if no action was taken, preparations would be made for a statewide shutdown. Meanwhile, another recent comment by Verma added fuel to the fire when, while addressing an event, he said, It is the High Court itself that is preventing ST category children from becoming civil judges... It is the High Court from which we demand a guarantee of constitutional compliance. The controversy intensified as a video of his remarks surfaced. Subsequently, an official statement issued late on Thursday night said that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had taken cognisance of the Santosh Verma case and directed the GAD to take strict action. It said that Verma had fabricated and forged a promotion order from the State Administrative Service to the Indian Administrative Service, and criminal cases are pending against him in various courts. The government sent this proposal to the central government shortly thereafter. According to the government, a departmental inquiry against Verma on the charge of obtaining an integrity certificate based on forged and fabricated documents is in its final stages, and that his response to the show-cause notice in the current case is unsatisfactory. The government also said that he has been continuously issuing indecent statements, and hence, the decision to issue a charge sheet against him was taken. An official said that the state government can suspend IAS officers but cannot dismiss them, as this power lies with the central government, which comes into effect after the President signs it.
Two top Naxals surrender in Balaghat; MP now free of all listed MMC zone cadres, says CM Yadav
BHOPAL: Continued surrenders by armed Naxal cadres in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, driven by surrender or get eliminated anti-Naxal operations, resulted in two more hardcore Naxalites laying down arms in the forests of MPs Balaghat district on Thursday. Two wanted Naxals carrying a combined reward of 43 lakh surrendered at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in the Korka area of Balaghat district. They were identified as Deepak Uike, a Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRB) divisional committee member carrying a reward of Rs 29 lakh, and Rohit, who had a Rs 14 lakh bounty. With their surrender, Madhya Pradesh is now free of all listed CPI (Maoist) cadres from the Maharashtra-MP-Chhattisgarh (MMC) special zone. Based on interrogation of the armed Naxal cadres who surrendered recently, after the latest two surrenders, all listed Naxal cadres of the MMC zone have now been eliminated or have surrendered. This is a historic development, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced on Thursday evening. Deepak Uike was considered the poster boy of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Balaghat district, as he hailed from Palagondi village in the same region. Both Deepak and Rohit were part of the Malajkhand Dalam of the GRB divisional committee, which operated largely in the southern stretches of the MMC Zone. The dalam, led by CPI (Maoist) central committee member and MMC Zone chief Ramder Majji, saw 12 cadres surrender in Chhattisgarh on December 8. However, Deepak and Rohit had stayed away from the December 8 surrender. In the last 42 days, as many as 42 hardcore Naxalites carrying a collective bounty of Rs 7.75 crore have surrendered in MP, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, the MP CM said, congratulating anti-Naxal police personnel. The chief minister also paid tribute to the 38 police personnel who have died in anti-Naxal operations in undivided and divided Madhya Pradesh since 198889. The elimination or surrender of all listed cadres in MP assumes special significance as it comes just two days before the Mohan Yadav-led BJP government completes two years in office. In 202324, four wanted Naxalites, including a woman cadre carrying a total reward of 71 lakh, were gunned down in encounters. In 2025 so far, ten armed Naxal cadres all of area committee rank carrying a total bounty of 1.46 crore have been killed, marking the highest Naxal casualties in any year, Yadav added.
BLS International secures renewal of attestation, apostille services contract with MEA
MUMBAI, Dec 11: BLS International Services on Thursday said it has secured the renewal of its contract for attestation and apostille services with the External Affairs Ministry. The renewed contract covers its existing service operations across Delhi, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Panaji, Kochi, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Patna and Puducherry, BLS International said in a statement. Under this agreement, BLS International will provide MEA attestation and apostille services for educational, non-educational, and commercial documents across [] The post BLS International secures renewal of attestation, apostille services contract with MEA appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Bhopal Diary | Sandalwood tree cut on assembly premises
An attempt by some people to cut and steal sandalwood trees from the Vidhan Sabha premises has exposed the state of security at the assembly complex. Notably, it happened while the winter session was underway. While one tree was felled, two others bore deep saw marks. Just two weeks earlier, thieves had cut down a sandalwood tree outside the DFO office in the VVIP 74 Bungalow area of Bhopal. In November last week, six sandalwood trees were felled and three of them stolen from the Gufa Mandir premises. Felling of sandalwood trees has happened a few days after the MP HC directed that no tree shall be cut, pruned or transplanted in Bhopal. White horse rent for wedding reaches Rs 11L Demand for white horses in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in states commercial capital Indore, is on the rise as the marriage season peaks. Most horse owners are getting demand for white horses from families preparing for weddings. The bookings for white horses range from Rs 51,000 to Rs 11 lakh. Decorating the same horses in the best manner is additionally costing Rs 2.5 lakh. Some horse owners have recently brought white horses from Pushkar to meet the surge in demand in the ongoing wedding season. The priciest white horse in Indore is 5-ft-tall Padmavati whose rent has reportedly reached Rs 11 lakh. Woman mountaineer to get Vikram Award Ace woman mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya will be awarded the states highest sporting honour Vikram Award. The decks were cleared for the mountaineer to get the award after the MP High Court junked a petition challenging her selection for the honour by the state government. The petition was filed by another Everest climber Madhusudan Patidar who had scaled the highest peak in 2017, while Dehariya achieved the same feat in 2019. Dismissing Patidars petition, the HC stated that his Everest feat was outside the five-year eligibility period specified in the states 2021 award rules. The state had chosen Dehariya for the highest award under the Adventure Sports category in 2023. Anuraag Singh Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com
Four constables killed as their vehicle collides with truck in MP's Sagar
SAGAR: Four constables of a bomb squad from Morena were killed and another cop was seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a container truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday, an official said. The accident occurred at around 4 am on National Highway- 44 between Bandri and Malthone in Sagar district, the official said. The vehicle carrying personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad collided head-on with a container truck parked on the wrong side of the highway, Bandri police station in-charge Sumer Jagat said. The impact was so severe that the police vehicle was severely damaged. Four personnel died on the spot. They have been identified as constable Pradhuman Dixit, constable Aman Kaurav, driver Paramlal Tomar, all residents of Morena, and dog master Vinod Sharma, hailing from Bhind, the official said. Another constable, Rajiv Chauhan, sustained serious injuries. He was immediately taken to Bansal Hospital in Bhopal, where his condition was reported to be critical, the official said. A dog that was part of the squad was safe, he said. After being alerted, local administration and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue and relief operation. Prima facie, it seems the police vehicle's driver lost control of the wheels, which led to the accident, the official said. The police registered a case, and a search was on for the truck driver. The bodies were sent for post-mortem, the police added.
Khajuraho cabinet meet for Bundelkhand revamp
BHOPAL: A special meeting of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved series of proposals focussed on the development of states Bundelkhand region which has been counted among the most backward and underdeveloped regions of the country since decades. Chaired by CM Dr Mohan Yadav in the states tourist city Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district the state cabinet meeting approved a special industrial incentive package for Bundelkhand, ushering investments worth Rs 24,240 crore and direct employment for nearly 29,000 people in the region. Under the package which is meant for the Maswasi Grunt industrial area in Bundelkhands Sagar district, the land allotment and annual land lease rate have been fixed at just 1 per square metre. Additionally, a facility of 20 equal annual instalments has been provided for payment of development charges, while the maintenance fee has been set at Rs 8 per square metre per year. To encourage investors, 100% reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fees has been approved. Industrial units will also be exempted from electricity duty for five years from the date of commencement of commercial production. Large industrial units will be governed by the provisions of the Industrial Promotion Policy 2025 and Investment Promotion Scheme 2025, while MSME units will be covered under MSME Development Policy 2025 and MSME Incentive Scheme 2025. Cement manufacturing units will not be eligible for this special package, which will remain in force for the next five years. The cabinet also approved an administrative sanction of Rs 2,059.85 crore for the upgradation and construction of the 76.680 km SagarDamoh road as a four-lane carriageway with paved shoulders under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The project will include construction of 13 underpasses, 3 major bridges, 9 medium bridges, one ROB, 13 major junctions and 42 medium junctions. It approved 990 regular and 615 outsourced posts for operating the new government medical colleges at Damoh, Chhatarpur and Budhni. For each of the three medical colleges, 330 regular posts will be created and 205 personnel will be engaged on an outsourcing basis. The cabinet also gave in principle approval to develop Virangana Durgavati Tiger Reserves Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary as the third cheetah habitat in the state.
Three hotel staff die of suspected food poisoning in MP's Khajuraho; several critical
BHOPAL: At least three lower-rung staff/workers of a prominent three-star hotel-cum-tourist resort in Madhya Pradeshs world-famous tourist city, Khajuraho, have died due to suspected food poisoning, while at least three to four are stated to be in critical condition at a government hospital in Gwalior. The tragic incident happened after the lower-rung employees had a delayed lunch at around 5 pm in their portion at the Gautam Hotel and Resort on Monday. The condition of 11 of the staff members deteriorated a short while later and they started vomiting, after which they were rushed to the Chhatarpur district hospital in the late evening. Potato and cauliflower curry is suspected to have caused the health emergency. With their condition continuing to worsen, the doctors at the Chhatarpur District Hospital referred them to adjoining Gwalior for life-saving treatment. Three of the critical workers identified as Pragilal Kushwah (54), Ramswaroop Kushwah (47) and woman staffer Girija Rajak (35) died during the course of treatment at the Jai Arogya Hospital (JAH) in Gwalior, official sources in MPs Chhatarpur district said. Out of the 11 workers who took ill, nine were referred to Gwalior. While three died during the course of treatment at the JAH Hospital, six others have been admitted at two other government hospitals in Gwalior. Three to four of the remaining staffers, who are admitted at two hospitals in Gwalior, are stated critical. Three workers died due to suspected food poisoning. Immediate funeral assistance of Rs 5,000 each has been approved for the three deceased. Also, financial assistance of Rs 20,000 each has been released for the three bereaved families. Further, action is being taken to provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh each under the Sambal Scheme. Primary probe revealed that the workers of the hotel-cum-resort had lunch out of the food prepared by them only. Food poisoning is suspected in food which was prepared and consumed by them and not the food prepared at the hotel-cum-resort for the guests, which included officials of the state government, Chhatarpur district collector Parth Jaiswal told TNIE . The concerned portion where the food was cooked and consumed by the workers has been sealed and the samples of the food leftover sent for testing. The report will be with us in a day, based on which further action will be taken, he added. Food samples have also been taken for testing from other hotels and resorts, which are reporting major tourists/visitor occupancy presently, Chhatarpur district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr RP Gupta said. Angered over the incident, the family members of the deceased workers and other ailing workers blocked the Khajuraho-Bamitha Road, demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for each bereaved family from the government. The tragic incident happened on a day when the states CM Dr Mohan Yadav was in the tourist hotspot Khajuraho with his entire council of ministers, for a special cabinet meeting and other related events. Most of the hotels and resorts in Khajuraho housed state government ministers and officials for two long days.
Mohit Chauhan performed at a live concert at AIIMS, Bhopal, and it turned dramatic after the artiste tripped over stage lights and fell in mid-concert.
Training aircraft crashes after hitting electricity wireline in MPs Seoni district
BHOPAL: A training aircraft crashed after hitting a 33 KV electricity wire line in Madhya Pradeshs Seoni district on Monday evening. The instructor pilot Ajit Anthony and the trainee pilot Ashok Chawda, who were on board the aircraft were injured and rushed to the hospital, where they are now stated out of danger. The incident occurred around 6:30 pm near the fields of Amgaon, about two kilometres from the Suktara airstrip. Villagers said they saw sparks, heard a loud explosion, and then witnessed the aircraft crash in a nearby field. According to Seoni district police superintendent Sunil Mehta, the aircraft belonged to the Redbird Aviation Academy and had taken off from Suktara airstrip. It was preparing to land when its wing struck the electricity wireline. The impact caused the line to trip, preventing a larger accident. Several nearby villages reportedly experienced temporary power outages following the mishap. Primary investigations suggest that it was perhaps some snags in the aircrafts engine which could be behind the crash. The actual reason for the mishap will, however, be clear only after the DGCA probe, SP Mehta said. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.
MP ministers brother held as police bust inter-state ganja racket in Satna
BHOPAL: An alleged inter-state ganja smuggling racket has been busted in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh with the arrest of two men, including Anil Bagri, the elder brother of MPs minister of state for urban development and housing Pratima Bagri. Acting on a specific tip-off, a police team from Rampur Baghelan police station raided the house of one Pankaj Singh in Marahuan village late Sunday night and seized more than 46 kg of ganja worth over Rs 9 lakh, stashed in sacks under a tin shed. The seizure led to Pankaj Singhs arrest. He later told police that Anil Bagri had brought the ganja consignment to his house in an SUV on December 4. A subsequent probe led the Rampur Baghelan police to Anil Bagri, the ministers brother. Both Pankaj Singh and Anil Bagri have been arrested and booked under the NDPS Act. They were produced in court on Monday and sent to judicial custody, Rampur Baghelan police station in-charge Sandeep Chaube told TNIE . Bagris questioning revealed that he transported the consignment to Pankajs house at the behest of his brother-in-law, Shailendra Singh Shibbu, who was recently arrested in a ganja smuggling case in Uttar Pradesh and is currently lodged in Banda jail. Shailendra is no stranger to narcotics cases - he was arrested in September 2024 in a cough syrup smuggling case in Satna district. We will bring Shailendra Singh on a production warrant from Banda Jail to investigate this racket further, the police officer added. Further investigation suggests the ganja consignment was sourced from Beohari (Shahdol) and that key players in the racket may have links to Chhattisgarh.
Bhopal Metro BIG update: CM Mohan Yadav says metro services to start from...; check details
The 6.22-km-long first phase of the Bhopal Metro to be inaugurated will cover eight stations. Check details below.
10 days, 33 surrenders leave Naxal ranks in MMC Zone on brink of collapse
BHOPAL: Ten days and 33 surrenders have shrunk the number of armed Naxal cadres to single digits, for the first time in more than three decades in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone. The CPI (Maoist) MMC Zone comprises bordering districts of the three neighbouring states MP, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh including Balaghat district and parts of Mandla district (MP), Rajnandgaon, KCG, MMA and Kabirdham districts of Chhattisgarh, and Gondia district of Maharashtra. Around 40-45 armed Naxal cadres were active in two major parts of the MMC Zone. Three Dalams, Khatiya Mocha, Bhoramdev and Borla, formed the Kanha-Bhoramdev Division in the northern MMC Zone, covering Balaghat and Mandla districts of MP and Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. At least two Dalams, Malajkhand (including the defunct Tanda Dalam cadres) and Darre Khasa, formed the Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRB) division in the southern MMC Zone, where cadres armed with AK-47s, INSAS rifles and Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs) remained active. A series of bulk surrenders began on November 28, when 11 Darre Khasa Dalam cadres, led by MMC Special Zonal Committee spokesperson Vikas Nagpur alias Anant, surrendered in Gondia (Maharashtra). Nagpure had recently appealed for an end to armed struggle and sought time from the CMs of the three BJP-ruled states to surrender, amid intense pressure from joint anti-Naxal operations. Just nine days earlier, on November 19, cadres of the same Darre Khasa Dalam had killed Ashish Sharma, a young inspector of MP Polices elite Hawk Force, in an encounter at the tri-state border. Before surrendering with 10 cadres, Nagpure had left behind four armed cadres, likely to persuade other Dalam members. who later surrendered in Chhattisgarh on Monday. Nine days later, Madhya Pradesh reported its biggest-ever Naxal surrender when ten cadres of the KB Division surrendered before the MP Chief Minister in Balaghat district on Sunday (December 7). They collectively carried a bounty of Rs 2.36 crore, including two top leaders MMC Zone secretary Surendra alias Kabir Sodi and Special Zonal Committee Member Rakesh Odi alias Manish. This surrender ended the northern MMC Zones KB Division and its three Dalams, effectively freeing the non-tourist forest areas of the Kanha National ParkTiger Reserve from the LWE presence. On Monday, the surrender of MMC Zone head and CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Ramder, along with 11 cadres of the Malajkhand Dalam (GRB division), nearly cleared the southern MMC Zone of Naxals, leaving only six armed cadres on the run. Two cadres from Ramders Malajkhand Dalam and four from Nagpures Darre Khasa Dalam are still absconding. They may also surrender soon due to mounting pressure under the Surrender or Get Eliminated policy, a senior MP police officer told TNIE. Earlier, between November 1 and 6, eight other wanted cadres including two women, Sunita and Taruna had surrendered in MP and Chhattisgarh. In the last 38 days, around 40 LWE cadres have surrendered in the MMC Zone. Only six remain. Once they surrender or are neutralised the armed Naxal presence, already nearly wiped out in MP due to the 22 surrenders on Sunday and Monday, will disappear from the entire MMC Zone, the officer added.
Tide Now Supports Over 1 Million Small Businesses in India
Gen Zs and millennials make up over 85% of Tides MSME community a powerful reminder that young India is steering the country's entrepreneurial momentum Tier 2, 3, 4 and beyond cities driving growth with over 96% members (MSMEs) on the platform, from towns like Bareilly, Bhopal, Murshidabad, Lucknow and North 24 Parganas Tide , the UKs leading business management platform, today announced that it has surpassed 1 million members (MSMEs) in India. This rapid growth reflects the deep trust that Indian small businesses from nano to micro and emerging SMEs have placed in Tide to simplify how they register, run and grow their businesses. The platform has doubled adoption since its launch in December 2022. India has emerged as Tides largest and fastest-growing market globally in member acquisition, showcasing the success of its India-first strategy and strong product-market fit. Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO, Tide in India, said, This milestone is more than a number its a story of trust. In just under three years, one million Indian entrepreneurs have chosen Tide to be their partner in growth. This reflects our commitment to helping small businesses who have been gravely underserved save time and money by giving them business critical tools across finance, admin and related commercial services that they need, to grow. India is where some of Tide's most innovative products are being developed, creating strong use-cases to be implemented globally . A trusted business partner for Indias entrepreneurs Tides success has always been rooted in scaling responsibly and delivering real-world impact. The company is doing so by building a unified, highly-connected digital platform that reduces the burden of business finance and admin. Over the past year, Tide has delivered product innovation at pace across India with products including: Bill Payments: SMEs in India can pay their utility bills with no extra costs and earn rewards. The product is backed by enhanced security. Udyam Registration: Enabling MSME registration and access to priority government benefits including low-interest loans, subsidies on electricity certifications, protection against delayed payments, etc. GST Registration: help obtain a Goods & Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN), enabling compliance, marketplace selling, input tax credit claims, and vendor trust. Scheme Discovery: Smart matching of government benefits and subsidies to business eligibility. Fixed Deposits Intermediation: Helping SMEs to earn competitive returns on their balances in a seamless and paperless experience. NCMC Card Integration: A single smart Tide card that doubles up as a national mobility card, accepted across multiple transport modes. Structured partners: Provides disbursement of funds to freelancers and vendors via a secure partner portal. Analytics on spending deliver real-time data so SMEs can make faster decisions about cashflow, a key pain point for SMEs. Tides member make-up Tides growth in India is being driven by a new generation of business owners, with over 85% (865,000) of its members under the age of 40, including 58% Gen Z and 42% millennialsreflecting the strong entrepreneurial momentum among Indias youth. And, with our oldest member at 95, simply proves that its never too late to do what you love. The platform is scaling rapidly across emerging business hubs, with 63% of its members from states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, and a majority comprising small and micro entrepreneurs like local retailers, freelancers and service-led solopreneurs. With strong adoption in Tier 2, 3, 4 and beyond towns namely Bareilly, Bhopal, Murshidabad, Lucknow, North 24 Paraganas, Jaipur, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur and Kota with not a single Tier 1 city in the top 10 Tide is playing a significant role in enabling the digital transformation of Indias most underserved business communities. Championing entrepreneurs beyond business tools Tide believes progress happens when entrepreneurs are supported not only with products but with recognition, access and ecosystem change. Women in Business mission: On track to bring 500,000 women entrepreneurs onto the platform by 2027. Tides Bharat Women Aspiration Index brings forth voices from beyond metros to shape better policies for women entrepreneurs across Tier 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 towns in India. Udaan Chronicles: Tides flagship mentoring roadshow, created to help small business owners in semi-urban and rural India, brings expert-led mentoring directly to entrepreneurs who lack access to formal networks and financial resources. UK-India collaboration: Enabling SME expansion across borders through industry delegation. Contributing to critical dialogue shaping future trade for small businesses under the provisions of the UK-India FTA. Tides progress in India is rooted in accountability and global investor backing. The company recently secured a $120 million strategic investment, in a funding round led by TPG. Tide is also deepening its long-term commitment to India with a 500 million investment over the next five years, starting 2026. This investment underscores Indias role as a cornerstone of Tides global growth strategy, which will be used to fuel product innovation tailored for Indian SMEs, technology and AI-led development and expansion of Tides financial ecosystem including payments, credit, and investment solutions. Tides strategy in India emphasises digital inclusion to bring formal financial and business services to underserved entrepreneurs outside major metros, in smaller towns and rural clusters. This approach aligns with the Government of Indias efforts to formalise and digitise MSMEs and increase their access to credit, markets and exports. Among some of the exciting new features to be launched next year, include investments, acquiring, insurance, easy access to formal credit, banking services and advanced payment acceptance solutions. Tide is here to make managing business smoother and more successful. About Tide Launched in 2017, Tide is the leading business management platform in the UK. Tide helps SMEs save time (and money) in the running of their businesses by not only offering business accounts and related admin services, but also a comprehensive set of highly usable and connected administrative solutions from invoicing to accounting. Tide has nearly 800,000 SME members in the UK (14% market share) and 1,000,000 SMEs in India. Tide launched in Germany in May 2024 and in France in September 2025. Tide has also been recognised with the Great Place to Work certification three years in a row. Tide has been funded by Anthemis, Apax Digital Funds, Augmentum Fintech, Creandum, Salica Investments, Latitude, LocalGlobe, SBI Group, Speedinvest and TPG, amongst others. It employs more than 2,500 Tideans worldwide. Tides long-term ambition is to be the leading business management platform globally. www.linkedin.com/company/tide-banking twitter.com/TideBusinessIND www.instagram.com/tidebusinessindia/ www.facebook.com/TideBusinessIndia
NEP aims to infuse Indian ethos into Macaulay-era education system: Pradhan
BHOPAL, Dec 7: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the objective of the National Education Policy was to infuse the Indian ethos into the Macaulay-era education system. Addressing a workshop on Implementation of National Education Policy-2020: Challenges and Possibilities in Bhopal, he said the time has come to connect Indias traditional education systems with artificial intelligence to gain global recognition for the countrys rich cultural and knowledge traditions. He described Madhya Pradesh as an ancient centre of scientific, [] The post NEP aims to infuse Indian ethos into Macaulay-era education system: Pradhan appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
10 Maoists surrender before CM Mohan Yadav in MP's Balaghat district
BHOPAL: In a landmark development in Madhya Pradeshs anti-Naxal operations, ten hardcore Maoist cadres, including four women, surrendered before Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Sunday in Balaghat district. The group, associated with the CPI (Maoist) Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) special zone, carried a combined bounty of Rs 2.36 crore and laid down two AK-47s and two INSAS rifles at a special programme attended by the CM. Addressing journalists in Balaghat, Dr Yadav said, Today is a big day for the success of anti-Naxal operations of MP Police. Though Dindori and Mandla district had already become free of LWE, todays big development will result in Balaghat district also getting majorly free of the outlaws. This speaks volumes about the success of the targeted anti-naxal operations based on the prime principle of surrender or get eliminated and will go a long way in freeing Kanha National Park-Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh National Park-Tiger Reserve of any remnants of the naxal cadres. The ten surrendered cadres belonged to the Kanha-Bhoradev (KB) division of the MMC Zone, which operated in northern parts of the zone covering Balaghat and Mandla in Madhya Pradesh and Kabirdham in Chhattisgarh. Among them were MMC Zone secretary and special zonal committee member Surendra alias Kabir Sodi (50), SCZM Rakesh Odi alias Manish, and area committee members Lalsingh Marawi, Salita alias Savitri, Navin Nuppo alias Hidma, Jaisheela alias Lalita Oyam, Vikram alias Hidma Vatti, Zarina alias Jogi Musak, and Samar alias Somaru. The cadres, aged between 26 and 50, hailed from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, with the two SZCMs having been linked to multiple past killings of villagers suspected of being police informers. Key sources in the state polices anti-Naxal establishment said that with this surrender, the northern part of the MMC Zone running through Kanha National Park is now free of Naxal activity. This development is expected to allow anti-Naxal camps of the MP Police and central paramilitary forces to shift focus to the southern MMC Zone, which includes the Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRP) division, where 18 armed Naxals, including a 14-member group led by central committee member Ramder, are still active. The surrender comes just a day after an encounter between MP Police and Ramders group along the MP-Chhattisgarh border and 36 days after another hardcore Naxalite, Sunita, became the first cadre to surrender under the states special surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy of 2023. In 2025, MP Police also eliminated 10 hardcore Naxalites, who carried a total bounty of Rs 1.86 crore. The mass surrender in Balaghat marks the largest-ever surrender by armed Naxals in Madhya Pradesh, significantly strengthening the states efforts to curb left-wing extremism and secure sensitive areas, including Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves.
Cheetah cub killed by speeding car hit as Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradeshs cheetah population suffered a second blow in three days after a 20-month-old male cub born to South African cheetah Gamini was fatally hit by a speeding car in Gwalior districts Ghatigaon area early Sunday. The incident occurred around 6.30 am when the two cubs were crossing National Highway-46 near the Ghatigaon forests. According to an official statement from the field director of the Cheetah Project, A speeding vehicle (car) struck one of the cubs, killing it instantly. The cheetah tracking team and the local forest staff were continuously monitoring both cubs. The accident happened suddenly even as the tracking team attempted to stop the speeding vehicle from hitting the cheetah. The vehicle suspected to have caused the collision was traced hours later in Rajasthans Kota district, and a forest offence case has been registered. Officials at Kuno National Park (KNP) said the second cub is safe, though its exact location has not been disclosed yet. This is the first recorded death of a cheetahadult or cub due to a vehicle strike since the Cheetah Project began in September 2022 with the arrival of eight Namibian cheetahs. Sundays death comes just two days after a 10-month-old cub of South African female Veera was found dead in the KNP forests on December 5, a day after it was released into the wild with its mother and sibling. The cub is believed to have been separated from them the same night and is suspected to have died after falling and colliding with rocks near a hillock. The cub killed on Sunday had been roaming freely since March 17, 2025, when Gamini and her four cubs were released into the open forests of the Khajuri area. With the loss of both cubs aged 10 months and 20 months, the cheetah count inside KNP now stands at 27, including 19 cubs and eight adults. Three more adult cheetahs housed at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary bring the total in Madhya Pradesh to 30. Reacting to the twin deaths, Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said, The unnatural death streak of cheetahs continues in Madhya Pradesh. A cheetah was run over by a vehicle in the Gwalior district. The MP government has failed to fix responsibility for the criminal negligence.
