Voting to the 288 seats in Maharashtra Assembly began on Wednesdayat 7 am, a high-stakes election that will see the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP take on the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine. As many as 4,132 candidates are in the fray. In Mahayuti, the BJP has the highest number of candidates at 149, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) has candidates in 81 seats while Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the opposition's MVA combine, the Congress has fiel

The drowning of three women in a beach resort near Mangaluru has raised questions on whether or not there were any safety measures for those who used the swimming pool. The incident occurred on Sunday morning at a private resort near Uchila Beach, on the outskirts of Mangalore. The three women, final-year engineering students, checked into the beach resort on Saturday. Around 8:30 am on Sunday, the trio, identified as Nishitha M D, Parvathi S, and Keerthana N, went for a swim. The initial report

The air pollution in the national capital plunged further in the hours leading to Monday morning, prompting authorities to impose measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). On Sunday at 7 pm, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi reached 457 by 7 pm. The Delhi government has suspended in-person classes for all except for students of classes 10 and 12. There is also a ban on trucks from entering Delhi, except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS

It was a pricey error of judgment on the part of the 10 armed militants, who opened fire at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Manipur on Monday, which cost them their lives. The attack happened at Jakuradhor in Manipur's Jiribam district. The militants, clad in camouflage uniforms, came armed with sophisticated weapons to attack the CRPF camp but got killed instantly. The militants first attacked Meitei settlements such as Lamtai Khunou and Jakuradhor Karong around 4 am. They targe

The war of words between Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the election campaign in Maharashtra has triggered a debate over minority appeasement politics. This time, the Hindu-Muslim binary is to pitch the Maratha Hindus against the Razakars. While Kharge chose to pick on Yogis poll slogan batenge toh kitenge (claiming Hindus would be slaughtered If divided), and said a true yogi would never use the language of the terrorists, Yogi is

Prime Minister Narendra Modis aircraft suffered a technical snag at Jharkhands Deogharairport on Friday, delaying his return to Delhi. According to reports, the aircraft will now have to remain at the airport until the technical issue is fixed. The prime minister was in Jharkhand today to take part in Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of revered tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Addressing the event, Modi said the previous Congress regimes at the Centre failed t

The move to set up Haryanas new assembly complex in Chandigarh, the joint capital for Punjab and Haryana, has set off a political controversy in the region. The political parties in Punjab have decried the move saying it was affront to Punjabs demands and sentiment. Currently, Punjab and Haryana share the Vidhan Sabha complex in Chandigarh. The Union territory offered 10 acres to Haryana last year to set up its own assembly. The move gained traction as the union environment ministry reportedly

The third day of the ceremonial closing of the doors (kapat) of the Badrinath Dham was marked by a stopping of the recitation of Vedas and Upanishads; and allied prayers. The recitation of mantras was also stopped. After the evening prayers later on Friday, all rituals will also be stopped. The temple's doors will be shut on the evening of November 17 at 9.07 pm. The stopping of the prayers and rituals was followed by a handing over of the holy scriptures to the Rawal- the chief priest of the

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has publicly snubbed his alliance partner Ajit Pawar for speaking against the BJPs batenge to katenge' slogan. Saying it will take some time for the NCP (AP) leader to under the mood of the public, Fadnavis added Ajit Pawars understanding was still influenced by his former allies. In an interview with ANI, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stayed with anti-Hindu allies for a long time and it will take time

The Jammu and Kashmir government led by Omar Abdullah has established a public relations and outreach cell at the chief minister's residence on Gupkar Road in Srinagar. The initiative aims to address public grievances and create a more accessible government. It is part of a broader effort to improve communication with the people of Jammu and Kashmir following the assembly elections held in September and October. According to chief ministers advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, the cell will improve commu

Cleaning Ganga involves preserving its rich biodiversity, particularly its endangered inhabitant, Dolphins. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the main body for cleaning the holy river, is set to start a special Dolphin Ambulance to rescue injured aquatic animal. Labelled as the national aquatic animal of India, Ganga Dolphin is also found in the river system of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Under the ambitious project approved for conservation of the Ganga River Dolphin, a specialised

Delhi continues to grapple with worsening air quality as authorities struggle to control damage by imposing restrictions under the third stage of GRAP, which will come into force on Friday at 8 am. Under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), all inter-state buses from NCR states -- except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses -- will be prohibited from entering Delhi. There is also a ban on construction and demolition activities and mining-related activities

The gruesome road accident that happened at ONGC Chowk in Uttarakhand's Dehradun on Monday night leaves unanswered questions as to why none of the family members of the deceased have filed a police complaint yet. The road accident involving an Innova killed six people, and one person was grievously injured. The vehicle rammed into a container truck before colliding with a tree. The effect of the collision was such that the bodies were mutilated beyond identification. While preliminary enquiry

Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM head Hemant Soren accused the BJP was behind exam paper leaks across the country and money garnered by leaking the question paper is used by the party to fund assembly poll campaigns in the state. Soren also took a dig at central agencies for not probing paper leaks. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha head charged the Bharatiya Janata Party of using funds generated using paper leaks to buy MPs and MLAs post-election. The pomp and show that you are seeing from the BJP i

Security has been heightened at Mumbai airport after an unidentified caller alerted the security personnel about a passenger carrying explosives. The airport personnel are verifying passenger details following the alert and efforts are on to identify the caller. According to reports, the Central Industrial Security Force personnel at Mumbai airport received a bomb threat alert on Wednesday afternoon. The caller reportedly contacted the CISF control room at the domestic terminal in the airport a

Delhi on Thursday morning recorded a severe AQI of 423, continuing the trend from the previous day. The Central Pollution Control Board said the AQI has worsened due to dense fog. Around 30 of the 36 AQI monitoring stations saw severe category in the past one day.Anand Vihar, one of the worst hit areas, recorded an AQI of 473 at 5am on Thursday, according to CPCB data. This year, the running average for PM10 was recorded at 193.25 micrograms per cubic metre. This is worse than 184.25 micrograms

An investigation has been ordered after a video of a bar dancer gyrating to a movie song atop a government vehicle in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district went viral on Tuesday. The video shows a man and woman dancing to a hit number atop a Bolero on which 'SDM' is written on it. The vehicle belongs to the OSD of Bundelkhand Industrial Development (BIDA), reported Jagran. The video shows a woman and a man dancing atop the bonnet of the vehicle while people around them seen showering money on them. Th

The first phase of polling for 43 assembly seats in Jharkhand will be held on Wednesday, with the ruling INDIA bloc and the opposition BJP locked in a fierce fight. The remaining seats will go to polls on November 23 while the votes will be counted on November 23. The 43 seats that go to polls on Wednesday included 17 general, 20 ST and six SC. While the Congress-JMM alliance looks to retain power, the BJP hopes to improve its tally in the tribal dominated state. In the 2019 elections, the JMM

Voting got underway in Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency on Wednesday morning, a political event that will mark the electoral debut of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Wayanad seat was vacated by Rahul Gandhi after he decided to keep the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency. Priyanka will contest against LDF's Sathyan Mokeri, NDA's Navya Haridas and 13 others in the constituency. The UDF expects the Byelections to be a cakewalk for her and the party as the seat is a Congress s

MNS leader Raj Thackeray has opened up about his party's decision to field his son Amit Thackeray from Mahim, stating that it was Amit himself who expressed willingness to contest from the Assembly seat. The MNS leader said during a campaign meeting at Mahim on Sunday that Amit informed his party of his interest in contesting polls during a meeting of MNS leaders and general secretaries organised a few months ago. In that meeting, Bala Nandgaonkar asked who all were interested in contesting the

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday. The ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 10 am. Justice Khanna, part of several landmark Supreme Court judgements such as scrapping the electoral bonds scheme and upholding abrogation of Article 370, succeeded Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired on Sunday. Justice Khanna will have a tenure of six months in the post. Known as a very strict judge, CJI Khanna is driv

Security forces intensified operations in the Kishtwar after the death of a para commando and injuries to three other soldiers in an encounter with militants. The operation was launched after the killing of two Village Defence Guards (VDGs), Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, at Munjla Dhar, while they were grazing cattle in the forest. A group of militants believed to be involved in the killing of the two VDGs were engaged in a firefight in the dense forests of Gidhri Top in the Thossar area. Naib

While India may be lagging behind the world in terms of the number of ships, it has an ocean of opportunity ahead in making shipping more sustainable, said Umesh Sharad Wagh, chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, at THE WEEK Maritime Conclave 2024 in Chennai on Tuesday. He was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Private Sector Role in India's 2047 Vision and the Government Support', which also had P.L. Haranadh, chairman, Paradip Port; J.P. Irene Cynthia IAS, managing director of Kamarajar

More than 93 per cent of days in the first nine months of 2024 were marked by extreme weather events, with Madhya Pradesh being the most affected. The greatest number of fatalities were reported from Kerala, as per a report released by the Centre of Science and Environment. In the first nine months of this year, 255 out of 274 days were marked by heat and cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rains, floods and landslides. These events claimed 3,238 lives, affected 3.2 million hectare (mha) of c

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dropped a bombshell today when he accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi of taking support from Jamaat-e-Islami in the upcoming Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election. The Congresss mask has completely fallen off in Wayanad bypolls. Priyanka is contesting as a candidate backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, Vijayan said in a Facebook post, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami does not recognise democratic institutions but now feels inclined to support the Congress-led UDF. Though th

A Kerala court granted bail to CPI(M) leader P.P. Divya, remanded in connection with the death of former Kannur Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu on Friday. Divya is likely to get released from prison in the evening itself. Hearing her bail plea, Thalassery Principal District and Sessions Judge K.T. Nissar Ahammed granted relief to Divya on Friday in the case in which she is accused of abetting the suicide of the revenue official. Her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on October 29

Months after the rape and murder of a resident doctor in RG Kar Medical College shook the nation, another resident doctor was found dead in West Bengal's Jhargram. The body of Dipro Bhattacharya, a resident anaesthetist of Jhargram Hospital, was found inside a hotel room, where he used to stay. Though the cause of death is unclear, a syringe was found near the body of Bhattacharya. Initial speculation is that he committed suicide. However, eyebrows are raised over Bhattacharya's last post in a W

On November 7, terrorists carried out another brutal attack in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir, abducting and killing two Village Defence Guards (VDG), Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, from Ohli Kuntwara village. This heinous act underscores the grave threat that Kashmiris face daily from terrorism that seeks to undermine peace, stability, and the fabric of community resilience. The loss of these men, whose courage and service were dedicated to safeguarding their village, is a devastating

A senior resident doctor of Jhargram Government Medical College & Hospital was found dead on Thursday. The victim, 29-year-old Dipro Bhattacharya, was a resident of Behala in Kolkata. He used to stay at a hotel in Jhargrams Ghoradhara. Dr Bhattacharya had returned to Ghoradhara from Kolkata on Thursday morning after a holiday break. However, his family members and colleagues were unable to reach him throughout the morning. Concerned, his wife contacted the hotel manager and a local friend of he

Two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) were killed by militants in the forests of Mujila Dhar, Kishtwar in Jammu on Thursday night. The deceased were identified as Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, residents of Ohli, Kuntwara. According to reports, they were in the forest grazing cattle when they were taken away and shot dead. The Kashmir Tigers, a group believed to be linked with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for the killings and shared photos of the deceased. Lieutena

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held its assembly session on Friday on the lawns of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after many of its legislators were either forced out or walked out in protest. They were demanding the withdrawal of a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir's special status. BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma took on the role of Speaker in this parallel session, allowing members to speak out against the resolution. The way our honourable members were forced out is nothing less than hoo

In a 4:3 majority verdict, the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court overruled the 1967 verdict which took away Aligarh Muslim Universitys minority status. Pronouncing the majority verdict, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ruled that an institution will not lose its minority status just because it was incorporated as per statute passed by Parliament. A seven-member Constitution bench led by Chief Justice Chandrachud delivered four separate verdicts in the case on Friday. While Chief Justice Cha

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned on Thursday after a heated clash erupted between Kashmir-based legislators and BJP MLAs over a recent resolution on special status. The trouble began when Langate MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh raised a poster demanding the restoration of Article 370 and the release of political prisoners, which immediately provoked a strong reaction from BJP members. Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather first adjourned the House for 15 minutes to calm things down, but the tension

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the One Rank, One Pension was a significant step towards addressing long-standing demand of the armed forces and the government will do everything possible to strengthen it. Commemorating a decade of OROP, Modi said in a post on X, This was a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of our veterans and ex-service personnel who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation. The decision to implement OROP was a significant step towards addressing this long-standing

The Supreme Court has set aside an order National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and ordered the liquidation of Jet Airways assets. The three-member bench rapped the NCLAT for its order and observed the appellate body acted against settled legal principles. Pronouncing the verdict, a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra set aside NCLATs verdict approving the resolution plan of the grounded airline and transfer of ownership to

Donald Trump is known for his U-turns and unpredictability but his presidency will be a boost for India. It's not just because of his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also due to his approach to the country. Congratulating Trump on Wednesday, Modi said he is looking forward torenewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, lets work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and p

The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Board Act, 2004, which the Allahabad High Court had declared the Act unconstitutional on March 22 this year. Challenging the High Court's decision, petitions were filed by Anjum Qadri, Managers Association Madaris Arabia (UP), All India Teachers Association Madaris Arabia (New Delhi), Managers Association Arabic Madrasa New Bazar and Teachers Association Madaris Arabia Kanpur. During the two-day hearing, the petitioner

Jharkhand may be the second poorest state in India with over 49 per cent of its population below the poverty line, but that has not stopped its politicians from buying luxury vehicles. The affidavits filed by the prominent candidates before the Election Commissioner ahead of the Assembly polls have revealed an interesting fact - the favourite vehicle of many politicians is Toyota's Fortuner SUV, according to local news media Jagran. Niranjan Rai, who is contesting as an independent from Banwar s

The last 10 years have set a massive stage for India to move from still playing catch-up to being champions in the private sector, said Dhruv Kotak, group managing director, JM Baxi, at THE WEEK Maritime Conclave 2024 in Chennai today. We are seeing a huge opportunity for Indian entrepreneurs not just in the infrastructure space or the maritime or the asset heavy space, but across the board, he said. Kotak asserted that there is no dearth of opportunity, be it port development, port-based indu

Commander Abhilash Tomy KC, NM, Indias first and only solo, non-stop circumnavigator delivered a special address at the Maritime Conclave 2024 organised by THE WEEK. The one-day event is being held at the ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on November 5. The retired Indian Navy officer wowed the audience with experiences from his two successful solo circumnavigations and the one in September 2018 which saw him dismasted in the Southern Ocean, and very close to permanent paralysis. He also requested the

The BJP in Karnataka has demanded the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government withdraw the 1974 gazette notification that identifies huge tracts of land as Waqf property. The saffron party which launched a statewide protest on Monday alleged that the Congress government was indulging in minority appeasement by trying to usurp lands belonging to the Hindus through the Waqf board and demanded the resignation of Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. The Waqf controversy was triggered last week after farmer

E-retailer Meesho sparked outrage after selling t-shirts with the image of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and late Durlabh Kashyap. The incident came to light when journalist Alishan Jafri posted screenshots from Meesho and less-known e-commerce platforms such as Teleshopper, where t-shirts with the images of the gangsters are sold. Lawrence Bishnoi recently hit the headlines after it was revealed that his gang was allegedly behind the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique in Bandra last month. His ga

Despite having one of the worlds longest coastlines, India has largely ignored the coast and the sea in the past, but it has changed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. India has a rich history of maritime trade. Indeed, the country's maritime history is magnificent. However, in modern times, we have been blind to the maritime economy, but this blindness is ending under the vision of PM Modi. We plan to rec

A war of words has ensued between the Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav and the Bharatiya Janata Party on the postponement of the date of polling for by election to nine Vidhan Sabha seats. On Monday evening, the Election Commission announced that voting to the nine seats would take place on November 20, instead of November 13. This is the result of multiple representations made to the Commission as the festival of Kartik Poornima falls on November 15- and many parts of the state celebrate t

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday strongly condemned the attack on a Hindu temple in Canada allegedly by pro-Khalistan activists and said such acts of violence will never weaken Indias resolve. Modi urged the Justin Trudeau government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law. I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken Indias resolve. We expect the

With days left for Jharkhand to elect its new state government, the ruling JMM and the BJP are engaged in a war of words over the alleged Bangladeshi infiltration. It was Union Minister Amit Shah who raked up the issue again while raining fire on the JMM, during an poll rally. Slamming the Soren government for patronising Bangladeshi infiltrators for vote bank politics, Amit Shah said if BJP is elected to power, it will come up with legislation that will prevent the transfer of land to illegal i

The first session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly begins on Monday, with veteran National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather elected as Speaker of the House. According to the notification issued by Assembly Secretary Manoj Kumar Pandit, Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, Javaid Ahmad Dar, will propose the motion for the Speakers election. The motion states, Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, a member of this House, be chosen as the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Leg

Over the last few years, the two most popular street food varieties that have flooded Hyderabad eateries are momos and shawarma. Even at midnight, food delivery apps offer plenty of these options. These dishes are also being sold by random vendors without proper branding or licenses. A case linked to one such vendor has shaken the administration as a woman died after consuming momos recently in Hyderabad. Further inquiries revealed that over a dozen who visited the same outlet were hospitalized

In a tragic incident, a bike-borne man was killed on Thursday afternoon after the firecrackers he was carrying accidently detonated. The man, identified as Sudhakar from Andhra Pradesh's Eluru, was reportedly carrying 'onion bombs', a powerful firecracker, for Diwali celebrations. The shocking video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the man riding a two-wheeler with a friend through an alleyway. A sudden blast occurs after which smoke and fire engulfs his vehicle. The pillion rider an

Independent MP Pappu Yadav has said that he is not worried about the death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Yadav reportedly received a threat call from UAE from someone who claimed to be a member of the Bishnoi gang. Yadav had reportedly called Bishnoi a petty thug and threatened to wipe them out in 24 hours in a post on X after Baba Siddique's murder. Reacting to the threats, Yadav said: I am not afraid of anyone. I just do my work and do not interfere in anyone's personal life. I am no