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DEHRADUN: In a key step to support womens empowerment and ensure their safety, the Uttarakhand government has made written consent compulsory for employing female staff for night shifts in shops and commercial establishments. This crucial amendment was approved on Wednesday during the state cabinet meeting, integrating it into the Uttarakhand Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2022. The new regulation stipulates that women employees can only be a

RAIPUR: A total of 41 Maoist cadres carrying a cumulative award of Rs 1.19 crore surrendered in an edgy district of Bijapur, about 400 km south of Raipur, on Wednesday. Twelve among the 41 are women cadres who took a decision to renounce the armed and violent ideology of CPI (Maoist), joined the path of peace and progress under the Poona Margham - Rehabilitation to Rebirth initiative in Bastar division, the police said. As many as 39 Maoist cadres were from the South Sub-Zonal Bureau. In additio

NEW DELHI: In its first advance estimate of food production for the kharif season, the Ministry of Agriculture said the country's rice production during the kharif season that ended in October reached a record 124.5 million tonnes, up 1.4 per cent from the previous year. However, the output of pulses, oilseeds and cotton declined. The total foodgrain production for the kharif 2025-26 season is estimated at 173.3 million tonnes, up from 169.5 million tonnes a year earlier, according to the minist

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday opposed the pleas to defer Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala. Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing ECI, told a bench comprisingChief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that 99% of voters have been supplied with the enumeration forms, and 50% of the forms have been digitised. The Kerala government had earlier filed petitions to postpone the revision of electoral rolls as the local body ele

CHANDIGARH: In a unique initiative to mark Constitution Day and inspire young minds, the Punjab Government organised a mock Punjab Assembly session for government school students at Anandpur Sahib, where 117 participants performed their roles so realistically that the proceedings resembled an actual Vidhan Sabha sitting. The mock session was held at the makeshift Punjab Vidhan Sabha building set up at Anandpur Sahib to hold a Special Vidhan Sabha Session commemorating the 350th Martyrdom Anniver

India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistans remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the flag ceremony at Ayodhyas Ram temple. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Pakistan, given its own long history of repression of minority communities, has no moral standing to lecture others. We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression, and systemic mistreatment of

LUCKNOW: The Noida police have submitted a 500-page chargesheet in court in the Nikki Bhatti murder case. Nikki was allegedly set on fire by her husband, Vipin Bhatti, with the assistance of her mother-in-law, Daya Bhatti, after thinner was poured on her. The chargesheet reportedly states that the prime accused, Vipin Bhatti, tried to escape by jumping from the roof to avoid the CCTV installed at their residence. According to police, Nikki was quite active on social media platforms and used to m

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Wednesday denied involvement in Sunday's anti-pollution protest during which pro-Maoist slogans were allegedly raised. The union also called for action against police brutality and demanded the release of all detained students. JNUSU said it has epeatedly informed the Delhi Police that it was either the organiser nor a participant at the demonstration on Sunday. The FIR dated November 23, states in Hindi: It was known from s

The Congress High Command faces the difficult task of managing the ongoing power tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that the dispute over the Chief Ministers post would be settled soon, adding that the final decision would be taken by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and himself after consultations. Reports suggest that the central leadership plans to make a decision on any change in leadership in Ka

CHANDIGARH: Haryana has recorded a total of 63,073 challans for drunk driving this year in a major crackdown, with Gurgaon topping the list, followed by Faridabad and Karnal. Haryana has recorded a total of 63,073 challans for drunk-driving this year, with Gurgaon topping the list, followed by Faridabad and Karnal District-wise data from the Haryana Police shows that between January 1 and November 24, Gurgaon recorded the highest number of challans at 24,972, followed by Faridabad (7,402), Karna

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, once again, slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the plights of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise in the State. Mamata, while delivering her speech in a state government programme to commemorate the Constitution Day on Red Road in the city today, said, BLOs have died in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bengal. The ongoing

CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Soyab of Dhauj near Al Falah University in Faridabad for allegedly providing shelter and logistic support to Dr Umar-un Nabi, the main accused in the Red Forst blast case. The blast took place on November 10. He is the seventh accused arrested by the apex investigating agency in the case, as a part of a 'white-collar' terror module. Sources claimed that Soyab allegedly gave refuge to Umar shortly before the attack and helped him fa

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea by jailed Jammu and Kashmir parliamentarian Engineer Rashid seeking custody parole or interim bail to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma was hearing the plea filed through advocate Vikhyat Oberoi on behalf of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid. He has sought either interim bail or custody parole on the grounds that Rashid was a parliamentarian and needed to atten

KOLKATA: Expressing serious concern over the safety and security of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), other officers and staff, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from Manoj Verma, Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, within 48 hours. Surjeet Kumar Mishra, ECI secretary, on Wednesday, has written a letter to Verma, stating, an action taken report may be sent to the commission within 48 hours of receipt of this letter. The national poll bo

SRINAGAR: The ruling National Conference has hit back at groups opposing the admission of Muslim students to the Vaishno Devi Medical College, asserting that the J&K government provides crores of rupees as grant-in-aid to the Vaishno Devi University. According to J&K National Conference chief spokesman and MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who is close to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has given grant-in-aid to Vaishno Devi University, with which the medical college is affiliated

BALLIA: Sixteen people, including the organiser of a 'Jal Pari' show at Ballia's Dadri Mela, have been booked for allegedly killing an advocate over a dispute at the ticket counter, police said on Wednesday. The 50-year-old man collapsed after the alleged assault on Sunday and later succumbed to his injuries, they said. An FIR was filed late Tuesday night at Ballia City Kotwali against show organiser Himanshu Dixit and 15 unidentified people under Section 103(2) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya S

NEW DELHI: The CBI has arrested Abul Hossen Molla alias Duronto, who was wanted in connection with the alleged attack on an Enforcement Directorate team at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal on January 5 last year, officials said on Wednesday. A mob attacked the ED team when it went to Sandeshkhali to raid the residence of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh in an alleged ration distribution scam, they said. The agency arrested Molla, who did not join the probe in spite of repeated not

KANGRA: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks that if the Bharatiya Janata Party tries to touch the state, the Trinamool Congress would shake the entire country. Speaking to the media in Kangra, Thakur said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured the mandate in Bihar and now it is the turn of West Bengal. The public is ready to shake them up and oust them from power. This statement can be seen as a frustration ahead

BIJAPUR: Forty one Naxalites, 32 of them collectively carrying a reward of Rs 1.19 crore on their heads, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday, officials said. The cadres, including 12 women, turned themselves in before senior police officials here, citing they were impressed by the government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy and Poona Margham (rehabilitation for social reintegration drive of Bastar range police), Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yad

CHANDIGARH: A national-level cager died in a freak incident on a basketball court in Haryana's Rohtak after the iron pole of a basketball hoop fell on his chest during practice, police said on Wednesday. The tragic incident on Tuesday, which was captured on CCTV camera, claimed the life of 16-year-old Hardik, who had participated in the sub-junior national championship, they said. Officials said the circumstances leading to the collapse of the iron pole, including the condition of the equipment,

NEW DELHI: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday urged everyone to work together towards achieving the goal of 'Viksit Bharat', and asserted that the soul of our Constitution has proved that Bharat is one and shall remain so forever. Addressing a Constitution Day event at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building, now called 'Samvidhan Sadan', Radhakrishnan urged public representatives to adopt dialogue, debate and discussion to serve the people's rightful aspirations. No country c

DEHRADUN: The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham, a cornerstone of the revered Char Dham Yatra, were formally closed for the winter season on Tuesday at 2:56 PM. The closure marks the end of a highly successful pilgrimage period, which saw a significant rise in devotees compared to the previous year. The solemn closing ceremony was conducted by the Rawal (chief priest), Amarnath Nambudiri, in the presence of a large gathering of devotees, adhering strictly to ancient traditions. The season witness

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the Constitution is the guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adopt nationalistic thinking. Addressing the Constitution Day event at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building, now called 'Samvidhan Sadan', Murmu said India is presenting a new model of development for the world. Our Constitution-makers wanted our personal, democratic rights to be always protected. Constitution is guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adop

A former United States Congressman and economist, Dr. Dave Brat, has alleged large-scale fraud in the H-1B visa programme, claiming that one Indian consular district- Chennai accounted for more than double the annual statutory cap for the visa category. His remarks, made on Steve Bannons War Room podcast, come at a time when the Donald Trump administration is escalating its scrutiny of skilled-worker visas. Dr. Brat argued that the programme had been captured by industrial-scale fraud, pointing

SRINAGAR: The controversy over MBBS admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Jammu and Kashmirs Reasi district intensified on Wednesday, with the Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (VDSS) threatening large-scale protests if the newly released admission list is not withdrawn. VDSS convenor Colonel (Retd) Sukhbir Singh Mankotia told TNIE that the group, which comprises around 60 organisations, is demanding immediate cancellation of the 202526 MBBS selection l

MUMBAI: Police have arrested a woman of Nepali origin at Mumbai international airport for trying to travel to Oman by allegedly using a forged Indian passport, an official said. The woman approached the immigration counter at the Shivaji Maharaj International Airport last week to board a flight to Muscat. She identified herself as Kajal and produced an Indian passport, showing her place of birth as Nohra, Himachal Pradesh, the official from Sahar police station said on Tuesday. However, her faci

THANE: Police have arrested the live-in partner of a woman for murdering her after her body was found stuffed in a suitcase on the banks of a creek in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Wednesday. The accused allegedly killed the woman on November 21 following a fight and dumped the body near the creek the next day, they said. The body of Priyanka Vishwakarma (22) was spotted under the creek bridge near Desai village on Monday. The words 'P V S' were found tattooed near the wrist of

NEW DELHI: I ndia's pharmaceutical sector is currently transitioning from a focus on generic drugs to the development of next-generation innovative biologics, as highlighted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. This transition is driven by an innovation-focused ecosystem that emphasizes biosimilars, peptides, complex generics, and next-generation biologics. Dr. R. Chandrashekar, Joint Drugs Controller at CDS

BHOPAL: Inability of the police to arrest a 23-year-old youth who abducted a six-year-old girl and raped her before abandoning her in a serious condition in the jungles on November 21, led to the removal of Raisen district police superintendent Pankaj Pandey on Tuesday night. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Dr Mohan Yadav, chaired a high-level emergency law and order review meeting at the state Police Headquarters (PHQ) in Bhopal on Tuesday night, where he expressed displeasure with the polic

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Faridabad resident for harbouring Umar Un Nabi, the suicide bomber who carried out the Delhi car blast near the Red Fort. The accused, Soyab, a resident of Dhauj in Faridabad, is the seventh person to be arrested in connection with the case. According to the NIA, he provided Umar with logistical support immediately before the November 10 suicide bombing, which killed several people and left many others injured. The agency has so f

LUCKNOW: Adityanath said the completion of the Ayodhya Ram Temple construction was not the end of a yajna but the addition of another chapter in the spiritual history of the country. While welcoming the dignitaries, including PM Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and others, the UP CM emphasised that the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram reflected the faith, honour, and self-respect of 1.4 billion Indians. PM Modi, prior to raising the flag on top of the flagpole constructed in the traditional N

NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS had no role whatsoever in the making of the Constitution On Saturday, November 26

Calling the Constitution the protective shield of the poor, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged citizens to pledge that they will not allow any attack on it, asserting that he would be the first to stand up against any such assault. In a Constitution Day message on X, Gandhi said the document is a sacred promise guaranteeing equality, respect and justice to every Indian, regardless of religion, caste, region, language or economic status. As long as the Constitution is protected, the ri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on citizens to place their Constitutional duties at the forefront, describing them as the bedrock of a strong and vibrant democracy. In a letter marking Constitution Day, Modi stressed the importance of strengthening democracy by responsibly exercising the right to vote. He suggested that schools and colleges celebrate the day by honouring first-time voters turning 18, thereby fostering a sense of participation in nation-building. Invoking Mahatma

KOLKATA : Nearly 14 lakh SIR enumeration forms have so far been identified as uncollectable in West Bengal, the Election Commission said. These forms are uncollectable since the voters were either absentee, duplicate, dead or permanently shifted, an official said. As of Tuesday noon, the number stood at 13.92 lakh. We expect this figure to continue rising daily as more updates roll in, he said. The figure was 10.33 lakh on Monday evening, he added. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been actively

JANJGIR: Five persons were killed and three others injured when a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district, police said on Wednesday. The accident occurred near Sukli village under Janjgir police station area on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday when the victims, all residents of a locality in Nawagarh, were returning after attending a wedding, they said. The impact of the collision was so severe that the SU

NEW DELHI: Amid strain in bilateral ties, Bangladeshs High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah used the occasion of Bangladesh Armed Forces Day to honour the sacrifices made by both nations during the 1971 Liberation War and to underline the enduring strength of the relationship. Speaking at a reception at the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi on Monday, marking the day in 1971 when Bangladeshs Army, Navy and Air Force formally came into being, Hamidullah recalled the coordinated push again

NEW DELHI: The soldiers of the Indian Army and the Nepalese Army on Tuesday began Joint Military exercise Exercise SURYAKIRAN XIX - 2025 at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. Being conducted from November 25 to December 8, 2025, the 14-day exercise is the 19th edition of this institutionalised bilateral Army exercise. Apart from the conventional training exercise, the soldiers will also be undergoing simulation of situations demanding the use of niche technology. The Indian Army in a statement said, Th

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has said that the marriage should not be taken as broken down irretrievably just because the parties are living separately, adding that courts must find out who among the couple was responsible for breaking the marital tie. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi made the observation in an order passed on November 14 while setting aside a high court ruling, allowing husbands plea for divorce, and directed the HC bench to consider the matter afr

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the states and union territories to file within three weeks their compliance reports in a matter relating to the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across the country. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the directions after being told that only 11 states have responded to the queries that the court had raised. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, the amicus curiae in the matter, further informed the bench that the

NEW DELHI: At the request of the Centre, the Gujarat government submitted a concept note outlining a model aimed at making the public distribution system (PDS) cashless and more transparent. However, implementation of this Gujarat model of a transparent and efficient PDS has encountered opposition from the national fair price shop (FPS) dealers association, which perceives it as a strategy to eliminate PDS dealerships. The concept note, seen by this newspaper, outlines how the state government w

NEW DELHI: Learning from years of stalled excavations and delayed reports, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is preparing a structured framework to ensure that major archaeological projects no longer hinge on individual officers or collapse when they are transferred or retire. The proposed guidelines, officials said, will clearly define objectives for every excavation, establish continuity regardless of personnel changes, and impose stricter accountability across branches. At present, exc

BENGALURU: One of Indias most accomplished and quietly influential diplomats, Ambassador P S Raghavan passed away on November 24 at his home in Bengaluru after a resolute battle with cancer. He leaves behind his wife, their two sons, and a large circle of colleagues, protgs and friends who felt enriched simply by having known him. Those who met Amb Raghavan rarely forgot the experience. He carried seniority lightly, with an easy graciousness that disarmed even the most nervous visitor. Yet benea

AYODHYA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoisted the Dharma Dhwaj (sacred flag) atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, marking its formal completion. Calling it a moment of healing for the wounds of centuries and an answer to the prayers of lakhs of devotees, he said saffron flag hoisted atop the spire of the temple was not just a flag but a symbol of Indias cultural renaissance. Reflecting on the significance of the event, he said: Centuries of wounds are healing, centuries of pain is finally

AYODHYA: Reflecting on the fulfilment of a Ram temple dream in Ayodhya through tireless efforts and countless sacrifices, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday called upon the countrymen to unite in building an India that embodies supreme glory, spreads happiness and peace, and delivers the fruits of development. This is what the world expects from us and fulfilling it is our bounden duty, the RSS chief said. Joining PM Narendra Modi in hoisting the Dharm Dhwaja on the spire of the temple, Bhagwat

Lucknows Sahara Shahr, which used to be thronged by whos who of the country, today remains sealed telling the story of a shattered empire of business tycoon late Subrat Roy. Now, his wife Swapna Roy and 18 other residents of his mansions in the township are set to lose their voting rights. During SIR, BLO teams found not a single voter present in the township as the residents vacated it after its acquisition by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation on October 6. Of 19 registered voters in the area,

NEW DELHI: Tensions flared between the Election Commission (EC) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday, following the ECs invitation to a five-member TMC team for a Friday meeting over the contentious SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal. While the EC wrote to West Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday that a five-member delegation can meet its top brass on Friday, TMC insisted that the party would dispatch a 10-member delegation. In a letter to EC on Tuesday, TMC Rajya Sabha l

NEW DELHI: Delhi continues to record some of the highest air pollution levels in the country, with a new nationwide satellite assessment indicating that the crisis extends far beyond the capitals borders. According to a report released on Tuesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the city has emerged as Indias most polluted state, with annual population-weighted PM2.5 levels touching 101 g/mtwo-and-a-half times the national standard and 20 times the World Health Organiza

BHOPAL: Forty-one years after he performed the last rites of several people who died in the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, a 68-year-old advocate, Shiv Kumar Verma, died by suicide at his residence in the Madhya Pradesh capital, due to threats from cyber fraudsters who claimed he would be implicated in the funding of the Pahalgam terror attack. Before hanging himself on Monday late night at his house in the Barkhedi area under Jahangirabad police station limits, Verma left behind a suicide note statin

NEW DELHI: The chaos in Indian skies on Monday night, triggered by the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia and the eastward drift of ash, subsided on Tuesday after the ash cloud moved towards China. While Air India cancelled seven of its domestic flights as a precautionary move, other airlines have reported normal operations. An Air India statement said the following six domestic flights stood cancelled on Tuesday (November 25) - AI 2822 ChennaiMumbai; AI 2466 HyderabadDelhi; AI 2444 MumbaiHyderabad a