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NEW DELHI: The India-Russia collaboration is not directed against any country and it is solely aimed at safeguarding the national interests of the two sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said against the backdrop of Washington's aggressive approach towards New Delhi and Moscow. In the context of India's energy ties with Russia, Putin said certain actors dislike New Delhi's growing role in international markets in view of its close relations with Moscow and these elements are aiming to co

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court's order quashing the prohibitory order issued by the Madurai District Collector in the Thiruparankundram region. The prohibitory order had been issued following clashes that erupted during the implementation of a court order passed on Wednesday, which allowed devotees to visit the temple and light lamps at the stone pillar. Tamil Nadu government sources told The New Indian Expr

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, IndiGo airlines on Thursday informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it expects to fully restore normal and stable operations by February 10, 2026. The airline said that flight cancellations would continue over the next three days and that it would start scaling down flight operations from December 8 to minimize disruptions. IndiGo has also sought exemptions for its A320 aircraft from certain Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms,

NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) lashing out at Indigo on Wednesday for the freeze on pay as well as hiring of pilots, another leading organisation, the Association of Indian Pilots, on Thursday said the spate of cancellations raise significant questions about the airlines management, the regulatory oversight by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the alleged slot hoarding' tactics by the airline. In a release on behalf of the organisation, Capt. S

AHMEDABAD : The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Gujarat has revealed that more than 17 lakh deceased voters were still included in the existing voter list across the state, said a release by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Thursday. The SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 with booth level officers (BLO) distributing enumeration forms in their designated areas, said the release, adding the campaign is to continue till December 11. Duri

BHOPAL:Tourists craving to relish rides on the Shikara boats, but finding the iconic Dal Lake in Kashmir or backwaters of Kerala too far, now have the option to enjoy the same ride in the heart of India Madhya Pradesh. With a 20-strong fleet of Shikaras, the Shikara Boat service was launched in the Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopals Upper Lake on Thursday. The 20 Shikaras, which were launched by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, are equipped with food and comfortable seating arrangements for visitors,

RANCHI: At least two women allegedly died while several others complained of vomiting tendency and headache due to leakage of toxic carbon monoxide gas for the last two days near Children's Park in Dhanbad's Kenduadih, affected by underground fire for more than a century. Though efforts are being made to seal the leaking spots, authorities have urged people to vacate the area as a precautionary measure. According to locals, the impact of the gas is being felt in the Rajput Basti, Masjid Mohalla

GUWAHATI: Assams Tribal Affairs (Plains) Minister Ranoj Pegu on Thursday met the leaders of the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations, Assam (CCTOA), amid concerns that the state governments decision on granting Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to six communities will affect the interests of existing tribals . Pegu, who laid the report of the three-member Group of Ministers (GoM) in the Assembly recently, took to X, stating that he had explained the GoMs recommendations to the CCTOA leaders

BHOPAL: A South African female cheetah, Veera, and her ten-month-old twin cubs were released into the free-ranging forests of Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP) on Thursday. The release by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, marked International Cheetah Day at KNP, the first Indian home to African (Namibian and South African) cheetahs since September 2022. The mother and cubs, born in India in February, were released in the Parond forest area, a designated tourism zone. Their presence is expec

JAIPUR : A bomb threat to Ajmers revered Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah has triggered panic among security agencies just days before the annual Urs celebrations. An anonymous email claimed that the shrine would be blown up using RDX and IEDs and alleged that explosives had been planted at four locations inside the complex. The sender also warned that the blast would coincide with Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to India. Following the threat, security agencies were placed on high alert

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah has alleged that he was prevented from raising in Parliament the demolition of Jammu journalist Arfaz Daings house and the humanitarian gesture of his Hindu neighbour, Kuldeep Sharma, who gifted Daing five marlas of land after the demolition. For the last three days, I have been submitting notices in Parliament to raise the issue of the demolition of Arfaz Ahmads house in Jammu and the demolition of houses in Ganderbal district. I want

DEHRADUN: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued a new seismic map, placing the entire state of Uttarakhand, including its plains and mountainous regions, into seismic zone 6the highest category for earthquake vulnerability. This revision supersedes the previous classification, which had divided the state between Zone 4 and Zone 5. The new classification signals that any future seismic event could cause uniform, high-level damage across all parts of Uttarakhand. The shift mandates a com

CHANDIGARH: A major political storm has erupted in Punjab ahead of the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers stopped their candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming polls on the last day before the deadline ended. Alleging abuse of power by the ruling AAP government, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, This shows that the AAP has lo

NEW DELHI: Former Mizoram governor and senior advocate Swaraj Kaushal, the husband of late BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj, passed away on Thursday afternoon. He was 73. He was taken to AIIMS by his daughter, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, and other family members, following a chest pain complaint. However, doctors at the hospital declared him dead, the Delhi BJP said in a statement. The mortal remains of Kaushal were cremated at Lodhi Road crematorium in the presence of Union minister Arjund Ram Meghwal, Del

DEHRADUN: Ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive set to commence in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed that several senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, could be struck off the electoral rolls due to alleged voter duplication. The claims were made by BJP spokesperson and sitting MLA, Vinod Chamoli, who alleged the Congress was protesting against the SIR process because its members were facing removal as illegal voters. Chamoli asser

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees Bhawanipore Assembly seat under the Kolkata South electoral district has recorded 41,495 uncollectable enumeration forms (EFs) so far till Thursday afternoon, Election Commission of India (ECI) says. According to the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 41,495 EFs in Bhawanipore Assembly remained uncollected so far till today. Uncollectable EFs means that they cannot be collected by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during th

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Mohammed Sadeeque, former President of Alfurkan Educational Trust in Rajasthans Bikaner, on Thursday for money laundering linked to forced religious conversions and radicalisation activities, the agency said. The federal investigations allegedly reveal systematic diversion of public donations, extensive cash-based criminal operations and suspicious foreign associations and conduct indicative of radicalisation. The arrest of Mohammed Sadeeq

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a two-day state visit that would further expand a nearly eight-decade India-Russia partnership. The visit holds significance amid India's recent downturn in ties with the United States. This is also the Russian president's first visit to India since the start of the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for Putin this evening, signalling the political weight both sides are placing on th

KOLKATA: With the assembly polls scheduled next year in West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has intensified her attacks on the BJP. She was addressing a TMC rally in Murshidabad's Berhampore, a strong citadel of Trinamool Congress that has a 70 per cent Muslim population. Trinamool had bagged 20 out of the 22 assembly seats in the 2021 elections. She claimed that more than half of those who died in incidents linked to the enumeration exercise across the cou

GUWAHATI: Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has warned of an existential crisis for the state, highlighting the destruction of forests due to poppy plantations. He shared a video on X showing purported poppy fields in the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district. This video, recorded today (Wednesday), shows why recurrent floods have taken place in the state. The footage shows poppy plantations at Kolten and Selsi hill ranges of IT Road under T. Waichong Sub-division in Kangpokpi district, he

Amid continuous disruption to its services, affecting hundreds of passengers across the nation for the past few days, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IndiGo Airlines on Thursday acknowledged that the company could not live up to the promise of providing a good experience to customers. In a letter to IndiGo employees,Pieter Elbers apologised for the cancellations and delays of hundreds of flights operated by the airline in the past few days. These past few days have been difficult for many o

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has prohibited all forms of 'radical or jihadi' literature, both print and digital, connected to Bangladeshi terror organisations or any other similar outfits under Section 98 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). An order in this regard, issued by the home department, followed the examination of a communication received from the police and the views of the judicial department. The order said intelligence inputs, cyber-patrolling reports and recent investig

CHANDIGARH: The Union Government has stated that under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 23.79 lakh cases were flagged in Punjab. Over 2.90 lakh beneficiaries have been deleted, and the verification of 20.69 lakh has not been completed. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had alleged that the centre had deleted 8 lakh beneficiaries, and he would not allow any beneficiary to be removed. In reply to a question asked by Punjab Congress president and Member of Parliament from Ludhiana,

NEW DELHI: Out of the total 6,833 treatment requests raised by road accident victims under the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme so far, only 5,480 victims have been found eligible, and the remaining 1,353 cases (nearly 20 per cent) have been rejected by the police, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said the total fund disbursed under the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund is Rs 73,88,848.

Amid the rising number of suicides and deaths allegedly due to work pressure during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, hundreds of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on Thursday protested outside the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata. Breaching police barricades, a group of over 400 BLOs marched towards the office of CEO Manoj Agarwal and staged a sit-in demanding further extension of the enumeration deadline of the SIR exercise by at

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that the proposed Health and National Security Cess will not be levied on essential commodities but would be imposed on the production capacity of pan masala units, which is a demerit good. Moving the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, for discussion in the lower House, Sitharaman also said the proceeds from the cess will be shared with states under specific health schemes. By levying the cess, we exp

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, on Thursday, issued a slew of directions to address the problems faced by the BLOs while working in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in various states. A two-judge Bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, in its order directed that the states which were affected would depute additional staff for SIR duty to reduce the working hours of persons engaged in SIR. Whenever any individual has a

JAIPUR: The Bhajan Lal Sharma Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rajasthan Jan Vishwas Ordinance, aimed at promoting ease of living and ease of doing business, mirroring the Centres Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. The Rajasthan Public Trust (Amendment of Provisions) Ordinance, 2025, cleared by the Cabinet on Wednesday, eliminates jail terms for minor or technical breaches under 11 state laws and substituties them with monetary fines. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel s

The United States has deported as many as 18,822 Indian nationals since 2009, including 3,258 this year since January 2025, the Union government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Responding to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said state governments and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have also investigated cases of human trafficking , in which Punjab has the maximum number of cases. Since 2009, a total of 18,822 Indian nationals have been deporte

As chaos over mass cancellations continues, an IndiGo flight from Madinah to Hyderabad was diverted to Ahmedabad on Thursday following a bomb threat, PTI reported. PTI reported that the aircraft landed safely at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 12:30 pm, and all passengers and crew were deboarded for a thorough inspection, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Atul Bansal said. Bansal said an email sent to IndiGo claimed a bomb had been planted on the aircraft. As Ahmedabad

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday tried to set the record straight on the scope of Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, saying discussion under this provision can only take place on any of the items already listed on the day's agenda and not on any unrelated subjects. Session after session, Opposition party MPs have been giving notices under Rule 267, seeking to set aside the agenda of the day to take up discussion on the subject they considered more important. But none of th

BIJAPUR: Six more bodies of Naxalites have been recovered following an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, taking the toll of cadres killed in the gun battle to 18, officials said on Thursday. Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard, a unit of the state police, were also killed in the gunfight which took place on Wednesday. Following a prolonged intermittent exchange of fire that lasted for around 12 hours, bodies of 12 Naxalites were recovered till late W

MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Thursday wondered why environmentalists opposing the felling of trees in Nashik ahead of Kumbh Mela were never seen opposing the slaughter of goats on Eid. Rane's remarks came amid protests by civil society members against the Nashik civic body's plan to cut down more than 1,700 trees in the Tapovan area to build a 'Sadhu Gram' (settlement for religious leaders) ahead of the Kumbh Mela, which will begin in October 2026. The environmental

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to former Delhi University professor Hany Babu, more than five years after his arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Ranjitsinha Bhosale allowed the bail plea of Babu. The detailed order was not available yet. The HC refused the request of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to stay the bail for enabling it to appeal before the Supreme Court. Hany Babu had sought bail primarily on th

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the government of barring visiting foreign dignitaries from meeting the Leader of the Opposition, calling it a sign of insecurity. His remarks came hours before Russian President Vladimir Putins two-day visit to India. Gandhi, who is the LoP in the Lok Sabha, said it has long been a tradition for foreign leaders to meet the opposition leader, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs were not following the norm. Normall

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the 16-year delay in the criminal trial of a 2009 acid attack case, calling it a shame and a mockery of the system, after being informed that proceedings were still pending before a Rohini trial court in Delhi. If the national capital cannot handle such a situation, then who will? This is such a shame! This (the delay in criminal trial) is a mockery of the system, remarked a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kantand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the 16-year delay in the criminal trial of a 2009 acid attack case, calling it a shame and a mockery of the system, after being informed that proceedings were still pending before a Rohini trial court in Delhi. If the national capital cannot handle such a situation, then who will? This is such a shame! This (the delay in criminal trial) is a mockery of the system, remarked a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kantand

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday deferred its order on framing of charges in the alleged land-for-job scam involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members and others. Special CBI Judge Vishal Gogne directed the CBI to file a status report after verifying the status of the accused persons in the case. Of the 103 accused persons in the case, four have died. Judge Gogne posted the matter for further proceedings on December 8. The CBI had filed chargesheets against Lalu Yadav, his wife

NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the current system of toll collection will come to an end within a year and an electronic system will take its place, ensuring a seamless experience for highway users. The new system has been rolled out in 10 places and will be extended across the country within a year, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour. This toll system will end. There will be no one to stop you in the name of toll. W

NEW DELHI: Leaders of various Opposition parties on Thursday staged a protest in Parliament complex over the issue of air pollution in the national capital, with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi asking the government to take action. Carrying placards, leaders of various parties raised slogans outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament asking the prime minister to stop making statements and take action. Some of the MPs also wore masks at the protest to highlight the problem of air pollution. It is the gove

KOLKATA: West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended its Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, who had triggered a storm with the proposal to build 'Babri Masjid' in Murshidabad district. Kabir, who has hogged the limelight over the last few years with his controversial statements on various matters, including the party's internal affairs, had announced that the foundation stone of the proposed mosque would be laid at Beldanga on December 6. Announcing his suspension, senior TMC leader

A Reddit user has posted a detailed account on r/delhi claiming he managed to expose and intimidate an alleged scammer by using an AI-generated geolocation and front-camera capture link, forcing the person to abruptly call off the operation. According to the post, the user, a young IT graduate, said the episode began when he received a message on Facebook from a number impersonating one of his college seniors, an IAS officer. The impostor allegedly claimed that a CRPF officer friend was being tr

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorates Shillong Sub-zone has conducted its first search operation in West Garo Hills Tura in connection with the case related to the alleged misappropriation of funds of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). The searches were carried out at five premises pertaining to the accused, Boston Ch. Marak, Ismail Marak, Kubon Sangma and Nikseng Sangma. The case relates to the non-execution of developmental works and the alleged diversion of funds allocated

Disruptions to IndiGo's operations continued on Thursday as the carrier cancelled services across several airports, a day after it scrapped more than 200 flights and delayed many others amid a nationwide crew shortage. As many as 33 outbound and 35 inbound IndiGo flights are expected to be cancelled from Hyderabad on Thursday, according to sources at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. More than 30 flights scheduled to depart from Delhi were also cancelled early Thursday, while Bengaluru airport

SRINAGAR: A confrontation is brewing in Jammu & Kashmir after the Omar Abdullah cabinet approved the Cabinet Sub Committees reservation report and sent it to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for final clearance. The move has triggered sharp reactions, with the Association of Residents of Backwards Areas (RBA) and several Kashmiri leaders warning against reducing the 10% RBA quota to increase the Open Merit share. Meanwhile, Open Merit (OM) students have rejected token cuts to select categories and demand

FM Sitharaman likely to table Health Security se National Security Cess Bill today Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to move the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha today. The Bill aims to boost resources for national security and public health. It proposes levying a cess on machines installed and other processes involved in the manufacturing or production of specified goods. Congress MPs move Adjournment Motions in Lok Sabha over Delhi-NCR p

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the government is actively working to frame new rules to curb fake news and regulate AI-generated deepfakes. During Question Hour, the minister highlighted the growing threat of fake news and AI-generated deepfake videos to Indias democracy. He stressed the need for strict action against those who create and spread false information and mentioned efforts to strengthen ins

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha will take up two major debates next week one marking the 150th anniversary of the composition of Vande Mataram and the other on electoral reforms, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Chairperson C P Radhakrishnan and attended by floor leaders of several parties, finalised the schedule on Wednesday evening. According to sources, the BAC decided to hold the Vande Mataram debate on

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday warned that countries erecting barriers to the movement of skilled professionals across borders will ultimately be net losers, urging nations to recognise that cross-border talent is a shared economic asset, not a political liability. Speaking at an interactive session during a conclave on mobility against the backdrop of rising concerns over the US move to impose higher fees on H-1B visas, Jaishankar said advanced manufacturing and

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked BJP MPs from West Bengal to counter the TMC government and work towards winning the assembly elections next year. BJP MPs from the state met the PM along with Khagen Murmu, Maldah Uttar MP who was attacked by a mob in October. The PM told us to keep fighting the West Bengal government to save democracy. We will remove this government, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said after the meeting. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said the PM highlighted