VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the party rank and file to actively participate in the month-long door-to-door campaign from June 23 to explain the development programmes and welfare schemes implemented by the coalition government in its first year rule as part of the First Step in Good Governance initiative. We have fulfilled our promise by implementing the Talliki Vandanam scheme. We made it clear that the scheme will be implemented without any cap o

IN India, close to 60% of people with lived experience of mental illness in the urban areas remain unemployed, said Dr R Mangala, joint director at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation - India (SCARF(I)). She made this comment at the curtain raiser event for an exclusive job fair for persons with mental illness that they are organising today. To destigmatise the employment of people with lived experience of mental illnesses and provide a path for recovery and social inclusivity, the job fair is

BHUBANESWAR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch has arrested the promoter of 18football.com, a betting/gaming application, for allegedly cheating investors of crores on the promise of providing them higher returns on their deposited amounts. A native of Kabisuryanagar in Ganjam district, accused Jitendra Mallick was nabbed from Bengaluru on June 4, and brought to Odisha on June 9, EOW officials said. He has been taken on a four-day police remand for questioning. The agency had regi

MANGALURU: Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Wednesday visited the residence of Abdul Rahiman, who was murdered on May 27 in Kolathamajalu, Bantwal taluk, and offered condolences to the grieving family. Later, he told reporters that it is not just a murder but an attack on the harmonious social fabric of Dakshina Kannada. Stating that he spoke to the Chief Minister, Home Minister, DC, SP and City Police Commissioner regarding the case, he said the government is committed to ensuring just

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Wednesday reacted strongly to the criticism levelled by Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami that Chief Minister MK Stalin was indulging in publicity stunts by receiving grievance petitions directly from the public keeping the 2026 election in mind. In a statement, the DMK said Palaniswami had no moral right to question the governments grievance redressal mechanisms, given the AIADMK regimes own failure in addressing public complaint

BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday strongly defended the State Governments decision for a fresh caste census, even as he questioned the opposition BJPs double standards on the issue. We know the sentiment of people, and we respect every single human life, Shivakumar said, acknowledging concerns raised by several communities about the previous survey. We are not rejecting the earlier census, but only trying to correct its shortcomings, the state Congress chief s

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

MANGALURU: In the backdrop of recent landslides which claimed four lives, including three kids, the Dakshina Kannada dist administration has advised people living in landslide-prone areas to shift to safer areas briefly. The authorities will try to convince them; if not they will be shifted with the help of police. As many as 135 relief centres will be opened to accommodate them in case of any disaster, the highest being in Mangaluru, Ullal and Sullia taluks. With India Meteorological Department

TIRUNELVELI: Activists have raised concerns over the increasing practice of people discarding clothes, pillows, sandals, glass-framed photographs, and other items of their deceased family members into the Thamirabarani river at Papanasam during the thithi ritual, allegedly on the advice of priests and fortune tellers. They have also called for stringent action against those polluting the river. Led by B Moorthy (74), a retired assistant director of statistics, activists retrieved approximately 9

VIJAYAWADA: Taking strong exception to the arrest of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, YSRCP State coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the arrest is a blot on democracy. The anchor, while moderating a debate on a TV channel, had cautioned the analyst about passing the remarks, which were based on a media report. The presenter did not extend the discussion on the point, nor was it highlighted further. Regret only came later after witnessing the sinister design of Chief Minister N

CHENNAI: Despite being one of the busiest intercity terminals in Chennai, Egmore Railway Station remains largely inaccessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs) and elderly commuters. Existing infrastructure including foot overbridges (FOBs), lifts and battery car services fall short of providing inclusive access across the 11 platforms. Though the station has two FOBs -- one each at the Gandhi Irwin Road and Poonamallee High Road entry points -- each bridge is equipped with only a single lift,

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

MANDYA: Tension gripped Elechakanahalli village in Mandya taluk after Dalits were allegedly denied entry into Maramma temple by upper caste people. As the situation escalated, heavy police deployment was made to prevent any untoward incidents. The controversy began when upper caste villagers reportedly blocked Dalits from entering Maramma temple, leading to clashes between the two communities. Taluk authorities temporarily sealed the temple and enforced tight security in the area. Later, leaders

BHUBANESWAR: With an uptick in new Covid-19 cases, the state government on Friday urged people with Covid symptoms to avoid large gatherings during the upcoming Rath Yatra as part of precautionary measures to contain the possible spread of the virus. The annual car festival, scheduled to commence from June 27, draws lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad to the holy town of Puri. The event in several districts also witnesses huge congregations. Director of health services Dr Amaren

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM leadership has come out against senior Congress leader K C Venugopal for his remarks on social welfare pensions. Venugopals statement terming the welfare pensions an election bribe is a challenge towards the common people, said the CPM secretariat in a statement. The CPM urged the Congress leader to withdraw his statement and apologise to the people. In the last nine years, the LDF government has kept aside `72,000 crore for welfare pension distribution alone. In spit

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu commemorated the first anniversary of the TDP-led NDA governments landmark victory on June 4, 2024, describing it as a historic day in the States political landscape. In a heartfelt message shared on X, Naidu hailed the triumph as a peoples revolution that ended what he termed tyrannical and psycho-governance, ushering in an era of freedom, peace, and democratic restoration for the States citizens. The coalition, comprising the TDP, JSP and BJP, ach

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

BENGALURU: After the BJP accused police of harassing members of pro-Hindu organisations, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said common people need not worry and he would ensure that people are not harassed. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Parameshwara said one need not have to get scared in the Dakshina Kannada district. Those who work against law, those who indulge in anti-public activities, they might have to fear. But common people need not have to fear or worry, he said. He said in Coastal

GUNTUR: YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called for a statewide protest on Wednesday, observing Vennupotu Dinam (Betrayal Day), to highlight what he described as the governments betrayal of public trust, and the collapse of law and order in Andhra Pradesh. Addressing the media after meeting the families of three youths, who were allegedly assaulted by police in Tenali on Tuesday, Jagan condemned the incident as state-sponsored brutality. Rakesh, Victor, a junior adv

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

ONGOLE: The State government has resumed distribution of ration goods through Fair Price (FP) shops, replacing the earlier system of doorstep delivery via Mobile Distribution Units (MDUs). Vice Chairman and MD of AP Civil Supplies Corporation Dr Manazir Jilani Samun said the new system will operate from 8 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm from the 1st to 15th of every month. Speaking after inspecting FP shops at Ongoles Santhapet and Annavarappadu areas on Sunday, Dr Samun said only senior citizens a

Hundreds affected by floods in Manipur

MADURAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin advised party cadre to reach out to people with information about the state governments welfare schemes and destroy the propaganda of opposition parties. Delivering the presidential address at the DMKs general council meeting, Stalin said With 2026 Assembly elections fast approaching, opposition parties have started to unleash false propaganda against the government. If they (opposition) try to set a narrative against us, we should be ahead of

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

BHUBANESWAR: Around 12 people were detained from Odisha's Jharsuguda district on Monday in connection with the violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, police said. They were nabbed by a Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police, a senior Odisha Police officer told PTI. Among those apprehended were two sons of Ziaul Sheikh, one of the prime suspects in the murder of a man and his son in Murshidabad's Jafrabad, he said. After being detained, they were taken to the Banharpali polic

SRINAGAR: National Conference president and three-time former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday termed the flash floods and landslides in J&Ks Ramban, in which three persons were killed, as a natural disaster. He also said statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would definitely be restored. On flash floods and landslides in Ramban, Abdulah said, It is a major disaster and I am hopeful that the Government of India and the Prime Minister will take note of it and give maximum assistance of the a

DIPHU (Assam): A couple were killed and their three children grievously injured in an attack by unidentified persons in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, police said on Sunday. The attack took place at the residence of Julo Munda in Munda Basti in Namburnadi tea estate in Barpathar area on Saturday night. Police said Julo Munda and his wife Panchami were beaten up by the miscreants and kidnapped from their residence. The three children of the couple, aged between 9 and 13 years, were also assaulte

KOLKATA: Stating that the BJP and the RSS initiated a vicious false campaign in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the people to maintain peace, and stressed that the majority and the minority communities must take care of each other. Referring to the violence in Murshidabad , Banerjee said hese forces were using the backdrop of an unfortunate incident that happened on provocation to play divisive politics. BJP and its allies have suddenly become very aggressive in We

KOLKATA: A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairman Vijaya Rahatkar, met the riot-affected people in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Saturday and assured them that all steps would be taken by the Centre to ensure their safety in future. The affected women narrated their plight during the violent days and demanded that permanent BSF camps be set up in select areas of the district and an NIA probe into the communal clashes which claimed three lives. The NCW

Language debates are unfolding across the country, particularly in the southern states, where language is deeply intertwined with regional identity, cultural heritage, and pride. Supreme Court bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran, while dismissing a petition on Urdu signage, emphasised that language reflects people and communities, not religion. What Was The Petition filed? Varshatai Sanjay Bagade, a former councillor from Patur town, filed a petition challenging the use of U

SRINAGAR: Ex-RAW chief A S Dullat, in his upcoming book The Chief Minister and the Spy , revealed that former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah privately backed the Centre's decision to scrap Article 370 despite publicly opposing the move. People's Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Gani Lone remarked on this matter, saying that it ow seems 2024 was a prize for services rendered in 2019. On August 5, 2019, the Centre scrapped Articles 370 and 35A which granted special status and privileges to J