DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami swapped his official duties for the humble task of a farmer on Saturday, personally participating in paddy sowing on his private farmland in Nagra Terai, Khatima. The rare gesture was a powerful tribute to the unwavering hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of the state's farming community. Embracing traditional agricultural practices, CM Dhami offered fervent prayers to Bhumiyan Devta (the deity of land), Lord Indra (God of rains), and Me

DEHRADUN: The revered Kailash Mansarovar Yatra officially commenced on Saturday, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagging off the first batch of pilgrims from the Tourist Rest House in Tanakpur. Interacting with pilgrims hailing from 11 different states, Chief Minister Dhami described undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as a are fortune. He emphasised that the journey is not merely a religious ritual but a journey of spiritual and inner awakening, adding that pilgrims embarking on

BHOPAL: An unimaginable 168 labourers and 65 masons were engaged by a private contractor to apply just 4 litres of oil paint at a government school in Madhya Pradeshs Shahdol district which cost a whopping Rs 1,06,984 to the state exchequer. The bizarre bill, pertaining to the application of just 4 litres of oil paint at the Government High School in Sakandi village of Beohari, was not the only example of alleged financial wrongdoing. A similar bill was generated and paid for construction and p

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand is grappling with the relentless monsoon rains, it have not only severely disrupted daily life but has also brought the revered Char Dham Yatra to a grinding halt. Pilgrim numbers have plummeted from an average of 50,000 to just 15,000 daily over the past week, with the pilgrimage halted three times due to the hazardous conditions. Amidst the escalating crisis, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday telephoned Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to assess the situation ac

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) on Saturday urged people across the country to actively participate in 'digital protest' against Israel; switch off mobile phones for 30 minutes every day and abstain from posting, liking, or commenting on any social media platform during the protest period. Through a statement issued by the Polit Bureau, the party endorsed the global call Silence for Gaza, which urges people to switch off their mobile phones for half an hour everyday from 2

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) on Saturday urged people across the country to actively participate in 'digital protest' against Israel; switch off mobile phones for 30 minutes every day and abstain from posting, liking, or commenting on any social media platform during the protest period. Through a statement issued by the Polit Bureau, the party endorsed the global call Silence for Gaza, which urges people to switch off their mobile phones for half an hour everyday from 2

PATNA: Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was formally elected as national president of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday. Though he was elected unopposed on June 24, a formal announcement about him being elected for the 13th term was made at the partys national council meeting on Saturday (July 5, 2025). Addressing workers at the national council meeting, Lalu exuded confidence that a new government with coalition partners would be formed in Bihar after assembly elections, barely thre

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's upcoming panchayat elections are witnessing a significant paradigm shift, with highly qualified professionals -- from retired IPS officers and army colonels to teachers and IT specialists -- entering the fray, signalling a new era for rural governance. Voting for the two-phase polls is set to begin on July 24. Gone are the days when a village head was rarely educated beyond basic schooling. This election cycle sees a remarkable influx of candidates with impressive credent

LUCKNOW: The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Gangster/MP-MLA Court) in Mau district on Saturday dismissed the appeal of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris son and former MLA Abbas Ansari against his conviction in a 2022 hate speech case. However, the court allowed further hearings on the plea challenging the quantum of the two-year sentence awarded to Ansari. The CJM (MP-MLA) court will hear the plea on July 25. Meanwhile, Abbas Ansari and his co-accused Mansoor were gra

RAIPUR: Sharing a personal phone number on social media triggered a political wrangle between the leaders of two rival parties in Chhattisgarh. The state deputy chief minister, Vijay Sharma, when asked by a citizen on social media about the bad marshy road conditions and where to report it, shared the mobile number of former CM Bhupesh Baghel, holding him accountable for such pathetic roads. Sharma, on his microblog X-post, stated that such (faulty) existing roads are his (Baghels) contribution.

KOLKATA: Newly elected President of West Bengal State BJP, Samik Bhattacharya, on Saturday vehemently attacked the Trinamool Congress, while alleging that its misrule ruined the State. He also claimed that after the Assembly elections in 2026, the BJP would come to power in West Bengal, ousting the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government. In his first press conference after being elected as President of the West Bengal state BJP, Bhattacharya said, Before 2021 Assembly elections our leader

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh leaders Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao joined devotees in Dharmasala on Saturday on the eve of the 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama. A powerful gathering of hearts and hopes, united across generations and nations, seeking one blessing: May his light endure. May his compassion continue to guide. May his wisdom forever illuminate our path. Long Live His Holiness! Khandu posted on X. He met Hollyw

LUCKNOW: The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), led by Jayant Chaudhury, a minister in the Modi cabinet, has joined the league of BJP allies in Uttar Pradesh who have decided to contest next years rural local body polls independently. Prior to RLD, Apna Dal (S), SBSP, and NISHAD Party, another had decided to go their own way in the Panchayat elections due next year. The decision of the BJP allies to contest independently is seen as a politically significant development ahead of the 2027 assembly polls. As

LUCKNOW: The Chhota Imambara in City of Nawabs is buzzing with hectic activity for the last nine days during the ongoing sacred month of Muharram as the royal kitchen (Bawarchikhana) comes alive with traditional preparation of 20,000 servings of royal offering (tabarruk- blessed food) daily till the day of Muharram which falls on Sunday. Operated by the Hussainabad Trust, the Chhota Imambara Bawarchikhana prepares these offerings which are sent to various imambaras, mausoleums, and karbalas acro

Union Minister Gadkari warns against wealth centralisation, calls for decentralisation to uplift poor

In a sharp jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday likened his speech at the joint rally with Raj Thackeray to a udali (professional mourner) performance rather than a victory celebration, reported PTI . Speaking after the Worli event, where the Thackeray cousins shared the stage for the first time in years to mark the rollback of government orders mandating Hindi as a third language in state schools from Class 1, Fadnavis sai

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted searches at a location each in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and arrested two accused for their key roles in human trafficking to the US via the infamous 'dunki' route, officials said on Saturday. According to officials, the arrested accused Sunny alias Sunny Donker of Dharamshala of Kangra district in HP, and Shubham Sandhal alias Deep Hundi of Ropar, Punjab, who was living in Outer Delhis Peeragarhi, were arrested on Friday. The off

MUMBAI: BJP leaders in Maharashtra on Saturday said Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's joint rally in Mumbai was a desperate attempt to revive their political fortunes and recover lost ground ahead of civic polls, adding the event was more like a family reunion. Uddhav and Raj on Saturday shared the public stage and hosted a victory gathering titled 'Awaj Marathicha' in Mumbai's Worli to celebrate the rollback of two Government Resolutions (GRs) issued earlier by the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation i

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been declared ankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Takht Patna Sahib (one of the five supreme temporal seats of sikhs) due to his failure to appear before it and thereby undermining its authority. Sources said the decision is an outcome of Sukhbir's failure to appear before the Takht despite being summoned twice. It is understood that this development would further escalate clashes between Sikh religious authori

KOLKATA: A Thai Lion flight on Kolkata-Bangkok route was cancelled on Saturday after it returned to the parking bay at NSCBI Airport in Kolkata following detection of a technical snag. All 130 passengers were disembarked from the flight and taken to a hotel. According to the AAI officials at the NSCBI Airport the flight was scheduled to take off from Kolkata at 2.35 am on Saturday. The plane started moving from the taxiway towards the runway at the specified time. But it suddenly stopped on the

JAIPUR: A man was brutally beaten to death by a group of 8-10 people after a minor collision between a car and a handcart in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district on Friday evening. According to the local police, the incident occurred in the Jahazpur area, where four men Sitaram, Sikandar, Dilkhush, and Deepak were returning home after attending a social function. Just a short distance from home, their car allegedly touched a handcart. An argument broke out, during which the handcart operator, along w

MUMBAI: Five Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters were detained on Saturday for the attack on investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli here over the latter's social media post about not learning Marathi and his kya karna hai bol dare to Raj Thackeray. Hours after the attack, Kedia apologised for the social post claiming he had overreacted and also professed admiration for Thackeray. Kedia said he had uploaded the post in a wrong state of mind under duress and stress and wished to correct it uneq

NEW DELHI: NGO, Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) revision of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar. The NGO seeks from the top court setting its direction to set aside the ECIs SIR order of 24, June, 2025. Issue a writ, order or direction setting aside Order and Communication dated 24.06.2025 and accompanying guidelines issued by Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct Special Intensive Revision (

The younger brother of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi has been arrested in the United States based on extradition requests from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), news agency PTI reported on Saturday, citing officials. Nehal Modi was taken into custody on Friday, and US authorities have formally informed India of the development, officials told PTI. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 17, when Nehal is likely to seek bail. However, t

Bihar's deep connection with the people who migrated and have now settled as citizens in Trinidad and Tobago featured prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the Indian community there. Notably, this comes ahead of Bihar's legislative assembly elections later this year. Hailing the Bihar linkage of the Indian-origin population in Trinidad and Tobago as a heritage of Bihar, PM Modi remarked that the heritage of Bihar is the pride of not only India but the world as well. The major

RAIPUR: Security forces have neutralised a Maoist cadre during the ongoing search operation in Chhattisgarh's strife-torn Bijapur district, about 400 km south of Raipur, the Bastar police said on Saturday. Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of senior cadres of the banned outfit in the forested terrain of Indravati National Park area of Bijapur, a joint team of security forces left for a search operation on Friday, stated the police. The intermittent firing continues betwee

GUJARAT: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday laid the foundation stone of Tribhuvan, India's first national university for cooperatives, in Gujarat's Anand district. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Union ministers of state for cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Muralidhar Mohol attended the event held on the campus of the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) here. Shah performed a ritualistic pooja and unveiled a plaque. The university has been named afte

KOLKATA: With the 2026 West Bengal assembly polls on the horizon, the BJP has placed its bet on soft-spoken RSS loyalist and party veteran Samik Bhattacharya to steer its troubled state unit out of a prolonged phase of internal discord, grassroots disarray and 'cultural disconnect' with the Bengali electorate. But as Bhattacharya, a quintessential Bengali 'bhadralok' takes charge, a key challenge before him is whether the state BJP under his leadership pursues a moderate, inclusive Hindutva line

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate R S Cheema, representing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday argued that the AICC was not trying to sell the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), but rather attempting to save the institution, which was part of the freedom movement. Cheema began his rebuttal before Special Judge Vishal Gogne. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, as well as Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and

GONDA (UP): Special Judge (SC/ST Act) on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of a Dalit youth in 2020. The case relates to stabbing to death of a 20-year-old Rahul by one Sumitra Nandan and two others. Rahul had confronted Sumitra Nandan and two others for repeatedly molesting his sister when he was stabbed to death. The victim's mother, Mainavati, had lodged a case against Nandan, Rakesh Chauhan and Abdul Qadir under relevant sections at the local pol

Once-estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray reunited on Saturday, sharing a stage for the first time in nearly two decades to celebrate the Maharashtra governments reversal of a controversial plan to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools. Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), took a jab at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, crediting him, ironically, with reuniting the Thackerays. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray signalled

Once-estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray shared a stage for the first time in nearly two decades on Saturday, joining forces to celebrate the Maharashtra governments decision to roll back the move to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools. Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), took a swipe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, crediting him with bringing the two Thackerays together. I had said in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is

SRINAGAR: Heat wave conditions persist in Kashmir, with Srinagar recording the fourth most warmest night in July. A MeT official said Srinagar recorded the 24.5 degrees Celsius temperature during the night. It was 6.3 degrees Celsius above normal for Srinagar. According to independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif, at 24.5C, Srinagar recorded the 4th highest ever minimum temperature in July. The third-highest minimum temperature in Srinagar, 24.6C, was recorded on July 28, 2024. The second high

The Dalai Lama on Saturday put to rest rumours surrounding the announcement of his successor as he said he hopes to live for another 30-40 years more to serve people. Speaking at the long life prayer ceremony ahead of his 90th birth anniversary on Sunday at Tsuglagkhang, the main Dalai Lama temple in McLeodganj, Tenzin Gyatso said that he has clear signs and indications that the blessings of the Avalokiteshvara are with him. Looking in good health, dressed in traditional maroon monk robes and a

KOLKATA: One person was killed and another was injured in a crude bomb explosion in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, police said on Saturday. The incident took place around 8.30 pm in Rajoa village under Katwa sub-division triggering panic among residents. The blast was so intense that it blew off the tin roof of the house where bomb-making was going on, they said. Locals said the explosion occurred in an abandoned house, often frequented by anti-social elements, allegedly for manufacturi

KOLKATA: One person was killed and another was injured in a crude bomb explosion in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, police said on Saturday. The incident took place around 8.30 pm in Rajoa village under Katwa sub-division triggering panic among residents. The blast was so intense that it blew off the tin roof of the house where bomb-making was going on, they said. Locals said the explosion occurred in an abandoned house, often frequented by anti-social elements, allegedly for manufacturi

RAMBANJAMMU: At least 36 Amarnath pilgrims suffered minor injuries when five buses slammed into each other in Ramban district on Saturday, officials said. The buses were part of a convoy headed for Pahalgam base camp in south Kashmir from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar. The accident took place near Chanderkoot, along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, at around 8 am, officials said. Adding that the collision occurred due to the failure of the brakes of one of the buses in the convoy. The last vehicle

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a potential Indo-US trade deal , alleging that Modi would ow to US President Donald Trump ahead of an impending tariff deadline. The Lok Sabha LoP's comments came a day after Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India would not enter into any agreement under externally imposed deadlines. Piyush Goyal can beat his chest all he wants, mark my words, Modi will meekly bow to the Trump tariff deadli

RAMGARH: One person was killed and several others are feared trapped after a section of a coal mine collapsed during illegal mining in Jharkhands Ramgarh district, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred in the early hours at Karma area in the district. An administrative team has been dispatched for relief and rescue operation, they said. One body has been recovered so far and rescue operation is underway, as more people are suspected to be trapped, Kuju Police Outpost in-charge Ashutosh

PATNA: A local businessman was shot dead by an unidentified armed criminal in the state capital late Friday night, causing panic among residents. The deceased has been identified as Gopal Khemka (65). Police said the incident took place around 11.40 pm when he was returning home in his car from Bankipore Club near Gandhi Maidan under the jurisdiction of Gandhi Madian police station. He was driving the car himself. An armed criminal shot at him from close range when he was about to reach his apar

THANE: In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old man from Navi Mumbai allegedly forced his wife and mother-in-law to perform certain lack magic rituals in the buff to help his brother-in-law get married and circulated these images, police said on Saturday. A case was registered at Vashi police station on July 3 and the investigation was launched. No arrest has been made so far. Police stated the alleged incidents occurred between April and July this year in the house of the accused in Navi Mumbai.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order of the Madras HC that halted the recruitment for 2,569 vacancies across 16 different posts in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department in Tamil Nadu. A two-judge bench of Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh allowed the recruitment process to proceed, barring final selection for four posts. The bench issued notices to the petitioners, including S Sivakumar on whose plea the HC had passed the order on April 3. The

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice after hearing an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging a May 21 Madras High Court order that stayed the operation of nine state laws concerning the appointment of vice-chancellors (V-C) in public universities. A two-judge bench, comprising justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan, issued the notice to the union government, office of the Tamil Nadu Governor and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The bench, though refused to st

PM Modi arrives in Argentina on two-day visit, to hold talks with Milei

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday said under the initial phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar electoral rolls, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have so far covered nearly 1.5 crore households across the state. According to a statement issued by the EC, as of July 2, BLOs distributed over 6.86 crore Enumeration Forms, which amount to over 87% of the 7.90 crore enrolled electors in Bihar as per records updated till June 24, 2025. The poll panel stated, the remainin

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday said the Centre must agree to a discussion on India-China relations in Parliament so that a consensus can be built for a collective response to the geopolitical and economic challenges that the neighbouring country poses to India, directly and through Pakistan. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh has publicly confirmed what has been talk

On the first day of the Assemblys monsoon session, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the finance minister, tabled the Rs 57,000-worth supplementary demands. Of this, the allocation for the Public Works Department (PWD) was Rs 9,068 crore. Interestingly, the same PWD was given Rs 15,000 crore a few months ago under the States annual budget. It was learnt that the department could not spend a single paisa out of the original allocation. Yet, it also received a considerable share of the

NEW DELHI: Indias agricultural documented a transformation, as revealed by the recently published Statistical Report on Value of Output from Agriculture and Allied Sectors. Covering the period from 2011-12 to 202324, the data outlines a shift away from conventional crop dominance towards a more diversified, high-value, and animal-based production structure. Cereals remain the backbone, with paddy consolidating its leadrising from 50.6% to 52.6% of total cereal output. Wheat, however, declined fr

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, called the Enforcement Directorates money laundering case against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandh i unprecedented. Singhvi began his rebuttal after additional solicitor general S V Raju for ED on July 3 concluded his arguments on the point of cognisance of the chargesheet filed in the case. This is truly a strange case. More than strange. Unprecedented. This is an alleged case of money laundering,

NEW DELHI: Even as petitions challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 are pending before the Supreme Court, the Centre notified the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025, dealing with the portal and database of waqf properties. The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Waqf Amendment Act. According to the new rules, to ensure tracking and monitoring of waqf properties of all states, a cent