The Navhind Times

Panaji: With the 2027 Goa Assembly elections approaching, a political tussle has emerged between Marcaim MLA and Power Minister Ramakrishna Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which is an alliance partner of BJP, and sitting Cumbarjua BJP MLA Rajesh Faldessai over the constituency and the selection of candidates. The exchange of words reportedly []

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the state government is ready to acquire and develop the historic Shuddhikaran site at Chimbel, restore four deity idols and preserve the states cultural heritage, provided the community concerned formally seeks government intervention. The site is reportedly associated with the Shuddhikaran movement of February 26, 1928, when []

Inaugurates RBIs Rs169-crore data centre in Odisha Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said wars were no longer being fought only through conventional means but also by targeting economies, and underscored the need to protect Indias banking system from cyber terrorists. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Reserve Bank of Indias Rs 169-crore data centre []

Panaji: Goa Cyber Crime police have arrested two men from Pune, Maharashtra, in connection with an alleged fake online share investment fraud involving Rs 39.01 lakh, and secured Rs 23.12 lakh of the complainants defrauded money, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Sagar Prakash Dholvi and Ajinkya Ravindra Abhang, were arrested in separate []

Shahin Bepari Lambe Panaji: Portuguese can offer career opportunities in translation, teaching and international business, with demand for language skills extending from official documentation to corporate work involving Portuguese-speaking countries, said experts in the field. There are job opportunities for those who know Portuguese, including translation, teaching and translation work involving documents related to acquisition []

A large tree branch fell on parked cars and two-wheelers near the US Polo showroom, opposite Delhi Darbar Restaurant in Panaji, on Sunday, damaging several vehicles. No injuries were reported. Fire and Emergency Services personnel cut up and removed the fallen branch to clear the area. | Dhiraj Mhambre

Villagers to launch signature campaign for study Mapusa: Siolim residents have decided to launch a signature campaign demanding a carrying capacity study for the village, citing irregular water and electricity supply and growing pressure on infrastructure. They also plan to approach the Department of Drinking Water (DDW) and other authorities, alleging that construction projects are []

Deficit monsoon has not affected the tuber crop in the state much to the relief of farmers dependent on them for livelihood, writes Bhiva P Parab This year the rains are less, however tubers being a hardy crop have withstood the adverse climatic condition, according to farmers. They said that, the 31.7 per cent rain []

Demand for Indian rice remains strong across African markets, with international buyers highlighting Indias importance as a major supplier of the staple grain, even as higher prices and freight costs influence near-term purchasing decision. Overseas traders speaking on the sidelines of the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026, said they remain keen to source rice from []

NT Reporter Panaji Panaji MLA and Revenue Minister Atanasio Babush Monserrate on Saturday declared that he remains steadfast in his decision to contest the Panaji Assembly seat in the forthcoming elections, dismissing speculations surrounding recent political developments within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Monserrate affirmed that he has no intention of leaving the BJP, asserting []

NT Reporter Panaji The state government is considering setting up a data centre in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday, while stressing that such projects require careful consideration given publicsensitivities. Speaking at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Farmagudi-based Goa College of Engineering (GEC) held at Lok Bhavan, Dona Paula, the Chief Minister said []

Amresh Parab Panaji The Goa Traffic Police have booked an average of one case per day since 2023 against private vehicle owners illegally renting out two- and four-wheelers, primarily to tourists visiting the state. According to police statistics, a total of 1,471 cases of unauthorised private vehicle rentals have been registered over the past 45 []

DR. LUIS DIAS Touristification and casinofication sound like made-up terms, but they have unfortunately entered our lexicon. Touristification is the process where a neighbourhood, city, or region transforms from a place for local residents into a space designed and consumed primarily for tourists. The word was coined in the 1980s, and was initially used as []

Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat Hold your hands together and then try placing one over the other with both palms facing down. However you turn them, they cannot coincide perfectly. Many molecules possess this same property: their mirror images contain identical atoms joined in identical sequences, yet their spatial arrangements differ. This molecular handedness lies behind []

Frederick Noronha Old age isnt a battle. Old age is a massacre. Thats how Philip Roth described it in his short novel Everyman. Roth strips away the romanticism of aging. He frames the gradual loss of health, energy, and peers not as a heroic fight we can win, but as an inevitable, systematic dismantling of []

Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse! The famous star with the cool name has a big announcement: it has a sibling! For the first time, astronomers have captured a photo showing a smaller star next to the iconic red supergiant we all know and love. That Betelgeuse has a companion is not a major shock for astronomers. []

JOHN AGUIAR Brigadier Ian St. John da Costa belonged to a generation that witnessed Indias transformation from a young nation into a confident republic. A soldier, writer, administrator, and community leader, he lived a life defined by duty first to his country in uniform and later to society in civilian life. Born on September []

PRAJYOT MAINKAR Indias ornamental fish industry made the news this month for an odd reason. The government values it at about Rs. 3000 crore at home, yet exports totaled just Rs 16.94 crore in the latest year on record. The gap isnt peculiar to India. Live ornamental fish worth roughly $350 million cross borders each []

A clear tracking system could help prevent missing files and strengthen accountability The South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) has been strongly pursuing an important issue: delays in mutation, partition and revenue proceedings. Besides, they also flagged missing mutation files, and alleged corruption in the system pointing to private agents operating around government offices who expedite []

As Defence Minister, he attempted to streamline procurement processes and inject urgency into long-pending decisions, becoming famous for his hands-on approach October holds great significance in the life of Manohar Parrikar. On October 24, 2000, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa for the first time, going on to serve as Goas []

New Delhi: The Indian military must operate with a long-term strategic vision while remaining prepared for immediate and emerging challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, asserting that an integrated approach is crucial to success in modern warfare. In an address at the Army Commanders Conference, Singh urged the top brass of the force []

Imphal: Thousands of people across Manipurs five valley districts took to the streets on Friday evening to stage a sound protest against continued killings and the alleged governments failure to restore normalcy in the state. Protesters in different localities of Imphal banged utensils, struck electric poles with hammers and honked vehicle horns between 7.30 pm []

Itanagar: Protesters clashed with the police during a 12-hour bandh against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, prompting security forces to fire tear gas shells to disperse the agitators, officials said. The bandh was called from 5 am in Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts against the proposed 11,200 MW []

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and resident doctors of AIIMS Delhi have condemned the teaser of Sunny Deol-starrer Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak, alleging that it generalises corruption in the medical profession and risks justifying violence against doctors and healthcare workers. They demanded an impartial review of the content and appropriate corrective action []

NT Reporter Panaji Heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty windshit several parts of the state on Friday, with Canacona recording 101.6 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated to scattered rain and thunderstorms to continue on Saturday. Old Goa recorded 51 mm during []

NT Reporter Ponda Goa plans to build three small dams at Kajumol in Mollem, Gawal-Manke in Shiroda and Charawane in Sattari to strengthen water security and meet future requirements, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar said. The initiative is aimed at planning for the next 25 years rather than addressing any immediate water shortage, said Shirodkar, []

NT Reporter Panaji The Digital India BHASHINI Division launched a Konkani large language model (LLM) at the Goa AI Tech Conclave 2026, held at INOX, Panaji, on October 22 and 23. The model is intended to help artificial intelligence systems understand and generate Konkani in text and speech. During the inaugural session, the BHASHINI team []

On the occasion of Navratri, the programme, Srujan Sharada was held recently. It was jointly organised by Shaant Swar Brahma Sangeet Saunstha, Bicholim and Shri Mahamaya Devasthan, Borde Dicholi, in memory of Vaibhav Prakash Nayak, at Shri Mahamaya Devasthan, Dicholi. The programme began with the lighting of the traditional lamp (Samai Prajwalan) and inauguration. []

Docu aims to preserve heritage of Konkani Panaji : The state government on Thursday rolled out the Goa AI Policy 2026, aiming to generate 50,000 artificial intelligence jobs for local youth by 2030, integrate AI into citizen-centric governance, and preserve the cultural heritage of Konkani. The policy, framed for a three-year period (20262029), is aligned []

Dubai: An Indian national was killed and three others injured in two separate attacks targeting a major airport and an oil field in Saudi Arabia, officials said on Thursday, amid a spate of missile and drone strikes by Yemens Houthis on key infrastructure in the Gulf country. The Indian embassy in Riyadh said that Saudi []

NT Reporter Panaji To decongest vehicular traffic in Panaji, particularly near the casino point along the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday directed the authorities to notify the road stretch from the petrol pump near Panaji Residency to the Panaji Church as a no-parking zone. Vehicles linked to offshore []

NT Reporter Margao Public Works Department Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said the Centre had sanctioned three road projects worth a total of Rs 169.36 crore to improve connectivity and ease traffic congestion in Margao. I had placed three important road construction proposals before Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during my []

PTI Dushanbe India on Tuesday said that there can be no justification for terrorism and no double standards in addressing the menace, as it called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to make concerted efforts to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism. Addressing the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government []

NT Reporter Panaji/Ponda Discussions between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) over a possible alliance for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections are at a preliminary stage, with the final decision resting with the central leadership, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the []

NT Reporter Panaji Goa suffered a 68-run defeat against Uttar Pradesh despite a fighting 72 from Suyash Prabhudessai and an impressive 10-wicket match haul by Yash Kasvankar in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A encounter. Chasing a target of 236, Goa were bowled out for 167 in 46 overs after losing their last five wickets []

NT BUZZ The Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) has selected Konkani tiatr artistes Antonio Sebastiao Xavier Rodrigues, popularly known as Jack Rodson and Felipe Norman Fernandes, known as Normandez, for its Lifetime Contribution to Khell/Khell-Tiatr Awards. Instituted in memory of late Rosario Rodrigues, the awards recognise artistes who have contributed to the development and promotion []

NT Reporter Panaji Expressing displeasure over repeated job scams where individuals have lost lakhs of rupees, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday announced that a detailed inquiry has been ordered into the recent scam linked to the excise and accounts departments. Speaking to the media at Mantralaya in Porvorim, Sawant said investigation will also probe []

NT Reporter Panaji The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister PramodSawant on Saturday, approved a series of proposals, including the relocation of the proposed water supply project from Mirabag to Panchwadi, the creation of 100 posts under the Comunidades administration, and the extension of consultancy services for preparing a tourism master plan and policy. Addressing []

NT Reporter Margao Despite the cancellation of permission for the Goy Rakhonn Yatra, the Congress has said they will continue with the plan tohave their leader Rahul Gandhis participation on Sunday. Terming the yatra a grand success, the party said this success has caused worry for the BJP. Speaking to media on Saturday at the []

An Indian-born cheetah named KJP21 has given birth to five healthy cubs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, it was announced on Monday. The new births took the total number of the big cats in the country to 60. |ANI

Assistant commandant among deceased four Jammu: Four Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, including an assistant commandant, were killed after a colleague allegedly opened fire in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday evening, officials said. The incident took place around 7.30 pm at Sewa-III hydroelectric power project located at Mashka village in Basohli, []

Integrity report reveals failure to report approaches Panaji: Nearly nine months after the match-fixing case was taken up, Goa Football Association (GFA) on Tuesday announced disciplinary action against 13 players and a former team official, who also happens to be a police constable, suspending them from all football activities pending further investigation. The Navhind Times []

Amresh Parab Panaji: To boost crime prevention and public safety, the Goa police department has proposed introducing a real-time mobile application to record the details of individuals renting cars or bikes across the state. The police department informed transport officials that the existing Goa police app could also be adapted for this purpose. Under the []

Vasco: Mormugao police have arrested an 18-year-old youth for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl at his house on Monday night. Mormugao DySP and SP Gurudas Kadam said the accused and the girl are distant relatives and that their families live close to each other. The incident, police said, occurred after the family of the accused []

Centre approves funding for reservoir, subject to state water reforms Panaji: The states Salaulim Irrigation Project, Sanguem, is set for an overhaul after the Ministry of Jal Shakti identified it for extension, renovation and modernisation (ERM) at a cost of Rs 741.77 crore. The redevelopment aims to increase the area under irrigation of the Salaulim []

Panaji: To facilitate boat movement along a 2.1-km stretch of a tributary of the River Mapusa at Moira and to improve the flow of monsoon runoff to reduce flooding of adjoining paddy fields, the Captain of Ports (CoP) Department has proposed a desilting project. It has invited bids to prepare a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment []

Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday granted bail to Rohan Harmalkar in a money laundering case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Single judge Justice S G Chapalgaonkar said that prolonged incarceration without trial progress in predicate offences violates the constitutional right to a speedy trial guaranteed under []

PTI New Delhi Researchers have developed a new dataset aimed at helping AI systems acquire capabilities to monitor crops across vast agricultural areas, identify what is growing in individual fields and even estimate when crops are sown, harvested and how much they produce. A multi-satellite dataset has been developed by researchers from the Indraprastha Institute []

PTI New Delhi Upping the ante over the SIR row, the Congress on Friday staged protests by attempting to march towards state election commission offices in various parts of the country, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumars immediate arrest, removal from office, and an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made under []

NT Reporter Panaji Taxi travel in Goa is set for a major fare restructuring, with the State Transport Authority notifying new distance slab-based rates for yellow/black taxis as well as tourist taxis, motor cabs and maxi cabs, replacing the fare schedules notified in August 2021. The new rates come into force from their publication in []