The Election Commission of India on Thursday said that all political parties and electors will be given a time period of one month to add names of eligible citizens or remove names of those they think are ineligible from the draft electoral rolls of Bihar. In a statement, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumarthe announced that as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the draft electoral rolls will be published on August 1. Physical as well as digit

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said there have been eight air accidents that killed 274 people in the country so far this year. Apart from the Air India plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people, there were three trainee aircraft accidents and four helicopter accidents. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha that the cause of these accidents is under probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). There have been a total of 08 accidents (in

BHOPAL: Several people, including school children, were stranded in parts of Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district due to a flood-like situation after heavy rains, prompting the authorities to call the Army for rescue and relief work, officials said on Wednesday. A flood-like situation has also arisen in Guna district, where a bridge on a culvert caved-in. People from several villages in Guna have been asked to move to safer places, they said. Due to heavy rains, Dindori, Vidisha, Jabalpur, Narmada

A day before the Supreme Court is set to hear petitions challenging its revision drive, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the successful completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

KOLKATA: The political slugfest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP over the alleged harassment and torture of Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal in various BJP-ruled states continued on Saturday as the BJP accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of compromising national security for vote-bank politics. In response, the Trinamool Congress alleged that the BJP is harassing the people of Bengal , while stating that as long as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is there, no one

Amid mounting criticim over the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar , the Election Commission on Thursday in a statement defended the exercise, asking if the poll body should instead be allowing he dead, those who have migrated permanently or have registered themselves as electors at multiple places be included in the voters' list. The Constitution of India is the mother of Indian democracy....So, fearing these things, should the Election Commission, getti

GUWAHATI: The eviction drives in Assam have left the Nagas worried about a possible influx of the displaced people into Nagaland. The Konyak Students Union, apex student body of Konyak Nagas in Nagaland, on July 23, directed its federating units, especially in Tizit and Naginimora areas, to deploy 100 volunteers daily to every entry point of Mon district. The volunteers are tasked with checking all non-locals entering Mon district to ensure they are carrying valid ILP (Inner Line Permit) and pro

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday slammed the BJP government in Assam for threatening Bengali-speaking people in the northeastern state, who want to peacefully coexist, respecting all languages and religions. Banerjee also asserted that the divisive agenda of the BJP in Assam has crossed all limits. The TMC supremo has been accusing the Centre and the BJP-ruled states of systematically targeting Bengali-speaking migrants by branding them as illegal Bangladeshi or Ro

KOTTAYAM: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday called on Congress leaders and members to emulate the legacy of former CM Oommen Chandy by striking an emotional chord with the people. Speaking after inaugurating a public meeting held to mark Chandys second death anniversary in Puthuppally, Rahul expressed his aspiration to cultivate more leaders like Chandy and told the attending leaders to touch the feelings of people to become a leader. If you do not feel for the people

PATNA: Lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India this week killed at least 33 people and injured dozens, officials said Friday. The deaths in Bihar occurred during fierce storms between Wednesday and Thursday, a state disaster management department statement said, with the victims mostly farmers and labourers working in the open. More heavy rain and lightning are forecast for parts of the state. Bihar state's disaster management minister, Vijay Kumar Mandal, told AFP that official

MOTIHARI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the RJD could not think of providing employment to youths as the party usurped the land of poor people before giving them jobs. He also accused the Congress-RJD combine of playing politics in the name of the poor and socially marginalised people and blamed both parties for the state's earlier neglect and stagnation. Addressing a public rally in Motihari ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the PM coined a new slogan, 'Banayenge n

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the BJP over the clash in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, alleging that people with serious criminal records were being inducted into the party. Speaking to reporters, Raut said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should dissolve his government, and the President's rule must be imposed in the state. Supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP (SP) legislator Jitendra Awhad came to blows inside the Maharashtra legislature complex on

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. Senior leaders of the party, including TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, joined Banerjee as she led thousands of people in the march, which began from College Square in central Kolkata around 1.45 pm. The march will terminate at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. The nearly 3-km route was wrapped in sec

AHMEDABAD: Just days after the Gambhira bridge collapse between Vadodara and Anand claimed 21 lives, Gujarat has been jolted by another alarming bridge mishap this time in Junagadhs Mangrol taluka. In Ajak village, a portion of a dilapidated bridge gave way, plunging over eight people and a breaker machine into the river from a height. Miraculously, all were rescued without fatalities. Even as panic spread, the Junagadh District Executive Engineer claimed, the bridge hadnt collapsed but was bein

AHMEDABAD: Just days after the Gambhira bridge collapse between Vadodara and Anand claimed 21 lives, Gujarat has been jolted by another alarming bridge mishap this time in Junagadhs Mangrol taluka. In Ajak village, a portion of a dilapidated bridge gave way, plunging over eight people and a breaker machine into the river from a height. Miraculously, all were rescued without fatalities. Even as panic spread, the Junagadh District Executive Engineer claimed, the bridge hadnt collapsed but was bein

NEW DELHI: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court it has no plans to introduce Rs 50 coin as people prefer banknotes. The submissions came in response to a PIL seeking directions to produce currency notes and coins, particularly Rs 50 and below, which would be easily identifiable by blind persons. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal on Wednesday noted though the counter affidavit was filed with the registry, it was not on record. Let necessary steps be t

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the ruling BJP of reneging on its pre-poll promises and asked people to remain united in the fight to protect their 'jal, jungle and zameen' (water, forest, land). He alleged the BJP was trying to intimidate everyone in the country and misusing central probe agencies against its opponents. Speaking at a public rally titled, 'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan-Jai Samvidhan' at Science College Ground in Raipur amid heavy rains, the Leader of Opposition in

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday appealed to citizens to preserve and nurture the knowledge shared by the state's saints and icons, calling it a responsibility. Maharashtra produced not just warriors, but protectors of dharma, visionaries of the nation, and architects of modern India, he said. Though we may not be the direct descendants of Dnyaneshwar, Shivaji Maharaj, Savitribai Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, we are the carriers of their intellectual legacy. With

NEW DELHI: Terming the framing and implementation of the three new criminal laws as the biggest reform in Independent India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that they are framed in such a way that all rights of citizens are protected and no criminal goes unpunished. Speaking at a function here to mark the one year of implementation of the three laws - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), Shah asserte

IMPHAL: The Manipur Police on Tuesday said security forces have launched search operations to arrest the gunmen who killed four people in an ambush in Churachandpur district a day ago. An FIR has been registered in connection with the killing of the four people, and security has been tightened to prevent any escalation of violence, a police statement said. Operations have been launched by security forces to arrest the culprits involved in the incident. An FIR has been registered in connection wi

SRINAGAR: Three Kashmir-based political parties have come together to form a new political alliance named the Peoples Alliance for Change. The alliance comprises the Peoples Conference, led by MLA Sajjad Gani Lone; the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), headed by former MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin; and the Justice & Development Front (JDF), a newly-formed party comprising former members of the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami. The announcement was made at a press conference in Srinagar by JDF President Sham

People think I am the next Lalu Prasad: Tej Undeterred by his ouster from the family and expulsion from the party for six years, Tej Pratap Yadav, the eldest son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and RJD MLA, now claims that there are conspiracies against him as people recognise him as the next Lalu Prasad. I would like my brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to become the CM after the elections later this year. I aim to play the role of a kingmaker, Tej said. He, however, made it clear that he would not change

KOLHAPUR: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the people of Maharashtra are not anti-Hindi, but it is not right to impose the language on young students in Class 1-4. Speaking to reporters here, he said 55 per cent of the country's population speaks Hindi, and one cannot ignore it. A language row erupted in Maharashtra after the state government last week issued an amended order stating Hindi will generally be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday alleged the BJP is trying to create a divide among people based on language and accused the ruling party of imposing a 'language emergency' in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters here, the former Maharashtra chief minister insisted his party, a former BJP ally, was not opposed to Hindi, but asserted it was certainly against the language's imposition in the predominantly Marathi-speaking state. We don't oppose or hate any language, but that

SHIMLA: Search operations have been intensified to trace 10 people missing since the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Himachal's Kangra and Kullu districts, officials said on Thursday. Two persons died while about 20 were feared swept away due to heavy rains on Wednesday evening but some of the missing people have since been rescued. In Manuni Khad in Kangra district, around 15-20 workers stationed at a labour colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site were feared sw

AHMEDABAD: The staggering scale of educated unemployment in Gujarat has come into sharp focus. Over 5.42 lakh aspirants have applied for just 2,389 Revenue Talati Class-3 posts, revealing an intense desperation for government jobs. Simultaneously, more than 2.48 lakh candidates are preparing for the written exam to fill 12,000 Lokrakshak Dal constable posts, highlighting the fierce competition. In a notable shift, the state has raised the bar for Talati posts, making a graduation degree mandator

AHMEDABAD: The National Food Security Act mandates the State to guarantee food access for every citizen, from the womb stage to adulthood. However, the system meant to safeguard this right in Gujarat is cracking. Startling data from the States own IPDS portal reveals that nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries were not able to receive ration during April, May, and June 2025, largely due to incomplete KYC formalities. This massive lapse exposes the gap between policy promises and on-ground delivery, leavin

RAIPUR: The Vishnu Deo Sai cabinet embarked on a singular initiative -- Chintan Shivir 2.0 -- where all state ministers shared their experiences, lessons learnt, accounts from the field, as they got an opportunity for introspectionon an attentive, thoughtful platform. Cited as no ordinary government meeting, the two-day extensive deliberations and exchange of better ideas held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur campus is exclusively designed for the ministers to reflect on their

RAIPUR: The Vishnu Deo Sai cabinet embarked on a singular initiative -- Chintan Shivir 2.0 -- where all state ministers shared their experiences, lessons learnt, accounts from the field, as they got an opportunity for introspectionon an attentive, thoughtful platform. Cited as no ordinary government meeting, the two-day extensive deliberations and exchange of better ideas held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur campus is exclusively designed for the ministers to reflect on their

NEW DELHI: With fresh violence rocking parts of Manipur, the Congress on Sunday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his insensitivity to the suffering of people in the state. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the pain, distress, and agony of the people of Manipur continues unabated as five districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Katching, and Bishnupur in Manipur have been rocked by violence in the last 24 hours. A day after violent protests erupted in M

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, instead of introspecting on the defeat in the 2024 state assembly polls, has been repudiating the mandate given by the people because they rejected him. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta. On Saturday, Gandhi, in

KOLKATA: West Bengal reported over 100 new COVID cases, according to official data available on Thursday morning. As per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 106 new COVID cases were detected in the state in the last 24 hours. At present, there are 538 active cases in the state, the data showed. During the same period, 61 people also recovered from the infection, it said. The toll remained at one with no new deaths reported.

WASHINGTON: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to the US, stressed that there can be no dialogue with Pakistan with a gun pointed at our head. He warned that the action taken by India now can be taken again if Pakistan does not control terror elements on its soil. During an interaction session at the National Press Club in the US on Wednesday (local time), Tharoor said he thinks the US has understood that India has a clear position that there will be o talks with

SRINAGAR: The President of India has promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 and reserved 85 percent jobs in the region. A gazetted notification stated that, In exercise of the powers conferred by article 240 of the Constitution read with sub-section (2) of section 58 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the President is pleased to promulgate the following Regulation made by her. This Regulation may be called the Union territory of Ladakh

Thirty-four people were evacuated from landslide hit Chhaten in North Sikkim on Tuesday, officials said. Two MI-17 V5 helicopters completed the evacuation mission landing safely at Pakyong Airport near here with 34 people on board, officials said. A team of 23 NDRF personnel has joined the operation to rescue six soldiers missing after a landslide hit an Army camp in North Sikkim. The NDRF team is equipped with satellite phones and essential emergency equipment. A landslide, triggered by heavy r

Hundreds affected by floods in Manipur

NEW DELHI : People of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are part of the Indian family and the day is not far when they will return to India's mainstream voluntarily, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. Laying out India's policy approach towards Pakistan, Singh said New Delhi has edesigned and redefined its strategy and response to terrorism and that possible dialogue with Islamabad will be only on terrorism and PoK. In an address at the CII Business Summit, the defence minister large

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Wednesday announced providing arms licenses to indigenous people living in vulnerable and remote areas. Addressing a press conference after chairing a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the arms licences would be given to tackle unlawful threats from hostile quarters. Assam is a very difficult and sensitive state. The government of Assam has taken a very important decision today in our cabinet. We have decided that we will give arms licence

NEW DELHI: India gave a firm, resolute and measured response by destroying terror centres and launchpads in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, and the country's right to defend its people against terrorism has also been recognised by nations across the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. In his address at an event held at the Italian embassy here, he also recalled the solidarity expressed by Italy following the arbaric terror attack on April 22 in which 26 lives were

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a sharp attack from Bhuj, said Indias fight is with cross-border terrorism, not Pakistans citizens. He said the fight is with those who fuel and fund terrorism, slamming Pakistans rulers for turning terrorism into profit. He also contrasted Indias rise as the worlds fourth-largest economy with Pakistans fall. Calling out the armys terror links, Modi warned of dark days ahead for Pakistan if its youth dont break free from this path. His remarks came whi

SRINAGAR: The TMC on Thursday called for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the local government should be fully empowered. A five-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at his residence on Wednesday, immediately after their arrival in the city. We believe that statehood is a legitimate aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We firmly believe that statehood must be fully restored to Jammu and Kashmir, said TMC Rajya

SAMBHAL (UP): An alleged fraud under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme has come to light in a village here, with over a dozen individuals shown as labourers and wages withdrawn in their names. The scam was unearthed in Atarasi village under the Panwasa block of Sambhal district, officials said. The current village head, Sunita Yadav, is accused of generating job cards in the names of deceased villagers and withdrawing wages by falsely showing 'work completed

CHANDIGARH: The border villages of Punjab witnessed a gradual return to normalcy on Monday. Explosions have stopped. Drone sightings have ceased. No more blackouts...Markets teemed with people but schools remained shut two days after the ceasefire announced between India and Pakistan. Nonetheless, people remained cautious. While talking to a cross section of people the common refrain one heard was that, Pakistan cannot be trusted. The state shares a 553-km border with Pakistan. The migrant worke

Residents across border districts in Punjab including Amritsar, Pathankot, and Ferozepur, spent a tense night on Thursday as authorities enforced a complete blackout in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Blackouts were also imposed in Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, and other regions, with power supply cut off in Chandigarh, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana for about two hours until midnight. The precautionary measures followed a fresh wave of attempted attacks

A fire broke out in a garment showroom located on the ground floor of a residential building on Peddar Road in south Mumbai early Monday morning, civic officials said. The blaze was brought under control after over two hours of firefighting operations. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the fire was reported at around 6.38 a.m. in the showroom situated in the Shukhshanti building, a six-storey residential structure. While no casualties were reported, eight residents and f

SRINAGAR: Amid the ongoing crackdown on militants in Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, local police have advised people to disassociate themselves from the J&K Awami Action Committee (AAC) and J&K Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (JKIM), both banned under UAPA. Srinagar police on Wednesday made announcement through the mobile Public Address System informing people that J&K government has declared J&K AAC and JKIM as banned outfits and that strict action will

Prasanna Kumar Bhat, a software engineer from Karnataka, shared a harrowing account on X of how he and his family narrowly escaped the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Along with around 35-40 others, Bhat was guided to safety by his brother, a senior Indian Army officer, as gunshots rang out and chaos unfolded in the picturesque Baisaran valley. The quick thinking and calm actions of the army officer saved their lives and those of others caught in the attack. On the fateful day, Bha

CHANDIGARH: Ensure exemplary punishment for the Pahalgam terror attack perpetrators but spare the regular folks from bearing the brunt. That was the common refrain among Pakistani visitors at the Attari-Wagah land route racing to exit India ahead of a short deadline. India has announced that all visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked from April 27 and advised Indians residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest, as tensions between the two countries escalated over the Pahalga

CHANDIGARH: A pastor and 12 others have been booked for rape and kidnapping at Dera Baba Nanak police station in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, following a complaint by a 22-year-old woman. Sources said that the victim in her complaint alleged that the accused pastor, Manjit Singh, used to beat her up and forced her to convert. In her complaint, she alleged that Sawar Masih procured her ID from her cousin brother, Napinder Singh and started following her on the social media platform. On January 19,

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Monday registered a case and arrested two individuals in connection with a WhatsApp group chat that allegedly expressed support for jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh and detailed plans to target senior political leaders. Screenshots of the chat, which surfaced on social media, reportedly included discussions about attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Sin