The New Indian Express News

GUWAHATI: Five of a nine-member group are missing after they reportedly ventured into the Brahmaputra River off Guwahatis Kharghuli area on Wednesday afternoon. According to locals, a group of nine people had visited Bhakti Kutir, a Krishna temple near the river, where the incident occurred. Around 12:50 pm, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) received a call reporting that four to five people were missing. The caller said there were eight to nine people and four to five of them were mis

NEW DELHI: IndiGo s top management has broken its silence on the massive travel chaos earlier this month, with Chairman of InterGlobe Aviation Limited, Vikram Singh Mehta, issuing a public apology and announcing corrective steps to prevent such disruptions in the future. In a 7.43-minute video released on Wednesday, Mehta apologised repeatedly for the ordeal faced by passengers and denied allegations that the crisis was engineered or mishandled deliberately. The Board has decided it will involve

NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry has formed an eight-member oversight team to monitor airports across the country after large-scale disruptions by IndiGo left thousands of passengers stranded . The team, drawn entirely from the DGCAs administration department, will track airline operations and passenger welfare on a daily basis. The DGCA members on the team include Captain Vikram Sharma, Deputy Chief Flight Operations Inspector; Captain Kapil Mangalik, Senior Flight Operations Inspector (S

JAIPUR: The first-ever Pravasi Rajasthani Divas began in Jaipur on Wednesday, marking a major step toward boosting industrial growth in the state. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inaugurated the event, which included a groundbreaking ceremony for investment proposals worth over Rs 1 lakh crore. The government said these projects would usher in a new era of economic development in Rajasthan. The state also unveiled the NRR Policy-2025 for overseas Rajasthanis and launched the Rajasthan Developmen

The Narendra Modi governments policy, Shah asserted, was unambiguous -- detect all aliens, delete their names from the rolls and throw them out of the country. Shah argued that the opposition had raised the issue only because it could no longer win elections through corrupt practices, asserting that the Congress repeated poll defeats stemmed from its leadership and not from EVMs or vote chori (vote theft). Intervening in the debate on electoral reforms, Shah rebutted the oppositions charges. His

NEW DELHI: Of the 265 complaints received on the SHe-Box portal, which serves as a unified platform for women across the country to file complaints of sexual harassment, 85 complaints have been disposed of, the centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, said, the ministry had launched the SHe-Box portal, which encompassed various provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibi

MUMBAI: Maharashtra moves closer to eliminating the Maoist threat by March 2026 as 11 senior Maoist cadres, including four commanders with a combined bounty of Rs 82 lakh, surrendered before state police chief Rashmi Shukla in Gadchiroli. Among the surrendered leaders were divisional committee members Ramesh alias Baju Lekami and Bhima alias Kiran Hidma Kowasi. Lekami, associated with the movement since 2004, served as president of the Edasgondi Gaon Panchayat Janatana Sarkar before becoming a d

GUWAHATI: A UK-based travel vlogger alleged she and her friend were harassed at the December 8 concert of American singer-rapper Post Malone in Guwahati. Taking to social media, the British woman alleged that the two of them were touched without consent. The alleged incident took place soon after they had entered the concert venue at the Veterinary College ground. The Assam Police took note of the allegation and made attempts to reach out to both. The British citizen complained about harassment

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the home minister, and the ruling party during the Rajya Sabha debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram , accusing them of deliberately distorting historical facts for political gain. Ramesh said the debate exposed far too little history in our politics and far too much politics in our history, claiming the ruling party aimed to malign Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that activist Sharjeel Imam's speeches can be attributed to other accused and can be used as evidence against them in the February 2020 Delhi riots. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, submitted before a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria that all participants are liable for each other's acts in a conspiracy. Acts of one conspirator can be attributed to others. Sharjeel Imam's speeches

LUCKNOW: Five people, including two women, two young girls and a man, were killed on Wednesday afternoon when two cars collided head-on and caught fire on the Purvanchal Expressway in Barabanki. Subehana police reported that a Maruti Suzuki Brezza travelling from Lucknow to Azamgarh collided head-on with a WagonR coming from the opposite direction. The WagonR caught fire first, soon followed by the Brezza. The Brezza carried four people three women and a young girl with the women surviving whil

RANCHI: Coal India Chairman, Sanoj Kumar Jha, after visiting the affected toxic gas leak area, said that with carbon monoxide levels reaching dangerous heights, relocation has become essential as a precautionary measure. Looking at the gravity of the situation, he visited the affected area on Wednesday to take stock. After receiving reports from technical teams, he termed the situation extremely serious, adding that it is unlikely to improve on its own. Therefore, temporary relocation of affecte

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has dismantled a highly organised cross-border drug cartel linked to foreign-based handlers who used WhatsApp communication and drone-based deliveries for smuggling, with the arrest of three operatives and recovery of 4.083 kg methamphetamine (ICE) and 1.032 kg heroin from their possession. Punjab Police said the cartel operated through Pakistan-based and other foreign handlers who relied on WhatsApp and drone drops to move contraband across the border. Director General

Speaking during the discussion on electoral reforms in Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the BJP-led Centre had not agreed to the Opposition's demands for a debate on the SIR due to technical reasons. For two days, we told the Opposition that this should be discussed later, after two Sessions. But they didn't relent. We agreed...Why did we say 'No'? There were two reasons for the 'No'. One, they wanted a discussion on SIR. I am very clear that there cannot be a discussion on SIR

The BJP and Shiv Sena have decided to bury their differences and contest the polls to Asia's largest civic body -- the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) -- together as part of the Mahayuti. They also agreed to set up a coordination committee to resolve any differences. In a meeting, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule decided to forget the bitterness that arose

PATNA: The newly formed Bihar government has started tightening its noose around land mafias operating in the state. Deputy Chief Minister and state land revenue and reforms minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Wednesday warned department officers and employees of stern action if they were found colluding with land mafias. Addressing a press conference at his official chamber, Sinha said reports had emerged about some departmental officers and employees having a nexus with land mafias. Nobody will be s

RANCHI: In a significant move, Jharkhand Government has made a proposal in the Assembly to name the Lok Bhawan in Ranchi as Birsa Munda Bhawan after the tribal icon, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, and the Lok Bhawan in Dumka after Santhal rebellion, Sido-Kanu Murmu. The proposal was made by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore in the Assembly on Wednesday. The minister announced in the House that Ranchi's main Raj Bhavan will be named as Birsa Bhavan, and Dumka's Raj Bhavan will be call

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Wednesday approved a series of measures to enable the withdrawal of criminal cases against Maoists who have surrendered under the states Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief & Rehabilitation Policy2025. To implement this, the government will set up a Cabinet sub-committee to review and scrutinise cases eligible for withdrawal based on the good conduct of surrendered Maoists and their contribution to curbing Left-wing extremism. After evaluation, the sub-committee wil

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Forest Department is once again engulfed in controversy over the appointment to its top post, as a decision by the state government to bypass seniority rules has prompted the most senior officer to challenge the appointment in the High Court. In an unprecedented move, the state government appointed Ranjan Kumar Mishra as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), the chief of the entire department, overruling the claims of his senior colleague, BP Gupta. Gupta h

LUCKNOW: Former IG and Chief of Azad Adhikar Sena Amitabh Thakur was picked up by Uttar Pradesh Police from SitapurMaholi border while he was on his way to Delhi from Lucknow on Wednesday. Police officers in plain clothes boarded the train and took him off in connection with an alleged case of fraud and cheating to secure an industrial plot in Deoria by misusing his official position in 1999. Police action came after the ex-cop did not cooperate with the investigation. Amitabh Thakur and his wif

GUWAHATI: The Assam government honoured the 860 martyrs of the Assam Agitation, also known as the Anti-Immigrants Agitation, on the Swahid Diwas on Wednesday. The Swahid Diwas marks the death anniversary of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first victim of the six-year-long agitation (1979-85). Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati. It is an honour of a lifetime to dedicate the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in memory of our bravehearts who fought for the pride of Aa

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheeted 30 people, including two Chinese nationals, for allegedly cheating people during the Covid-19 lockdown in the name of investment, the agency said on Wednesday. The case pertains to HPZ Token Investment Fraud case, where Shigoo Technology Pvt. Ltd. entity owned and controlled by Chinese, cheated people during the Covid-19 lockdown. The accused launched a fake mobile application titled HPZ Tokens, claiming that investments would be used for c

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday questioned the absence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawars son, Parth Pawar, from the FIR in the Pune land scam. Parth Pawar is linked to a 40-acre prime land deal in Pune. His firm, Amadea Enterprises LLP, purchased Mahar Watan land valued at around Rs 2,000 crore, allegedly securing a waiver of Rs 25 crore in stamp duty and registration fees by claiming plans to develop an IT hub. The massive transaction was executed on a Rs 500 stamp paper. During t

BHOPAL: Cops from Malhargarh police station in western Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district had reportedly kidnapped an 18-year-old student in August 2025 and then arrested him in a fake case of opium smuggling. The revelations came to the fore on Tuesday during the hearing of the petition filed by Sohans family in the Madhya Pradesh High Courts Indore Bench four months after the illegal arrest and framing of the teenager in the false case related to seizure of 2.7 kg opium. Contrary to earlier st

AHMEDABAD: Gujarats latest education statistics reveal a system caught between falling enrolments and stubborn secondary-level dropouts. The five-year dropout trend sets the stage. Primary-level dropout rates remained nearly negligible, touching 1.02% in 2020-21, falling to 0% for two consecutive years, and inching up slightly to 0.1% and 0.2% in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Upper primary dropout rates have fluctuated over the years rising from 4.54% in 2020-21 to 4.95% in 2021-22, peaking at 5.8% in 20

CHANDIGARH: In response to US President Donald Trump describing Indian rice shipments as 'dumping' and suggesting that new tariffs could be considered, basmati exporters said a false narrative is being spread and demanded a strong response from the Union government. They noted that the Union government does not give even a single rupee of subsidy for growing, buying, milling or exporting basmati rice or even premium non-basmati rice like Sona Masuri. The issue came up two days ago in a meeting t

Raisen (MP): A man from Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh has alleged that his village panchayat ordered a social boycott against him and his family after he ate food at a Dalit's family as part of a post-death ritual, prompting the authorities to launch a probe. The incident occurred in Piparia Puaria village of Udaypura, around 100 km from the district headquarters around a month back and came to light on Tuesday during a jan sunwai (public hearing) of the matter. The village panchayat alleged

NEW DELHI: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday alleged in the Lok Sabha that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is nothing but ackdoor NRC and a malafide exercise of power to selectively disenfranchise people on the basis of religion. Participating in the debate on 'election reforms', Owaisi also called for building a consensus and making the right to vote a fundamental right. I would like to point out at the outset that SIR is violative of parliamentary legislation. It

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, where a devastating fire claimed the lives of 25 people, failed to get interim relief from a Delhi court on Wednesday as it posted their plea seeking transit anticipatory bail for hearing on Thursday. Additional Sessions Judge Vandana, who was hearing the plea, also sought a response from the state government on the transit anticipatory bail filed by the two brothers. Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the two primary

AHMEDABAD: A fresh disclosure in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday has brought Gujarats food security framework under intense scrutiny, revealing 75,17,392 active ration cards but overshadowed by a persistent and rising wave of deletions across the past five years. In total, Gujarat has removed 6.34 lakh ration cards between 2020 and October 2025, revealing a continuous churn in its beneficiary list. The deletions signal an ongoing verification drive that has raised pressing questions on beneficiary id

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday demanded dedicated emergency lanes on roads for ambulance movement, saying that in India, groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes, but patients bleed to death due to the delay in reaching the hospital. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Bachchan demanded that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health should also look into the issue of patient death due to the delay in reaching the hospit

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Police on Wednesday arrested a former IPS officer in connection with an alleged case of fraud and forgery related to the allotment of an industrial plot in Deoria district in 1999, officials said. According to the police, the accused, Amitabh Thakur, allegedly misused his official position as the then superintendent of police of Deoria to facilitate the allotment of an industrial plot by the District Industries Centre, in the name of his wife, Nutan Thakur, by using forged d

A group of former judges on Wednesday slammed what they described as a motivated campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for his recent comments on Rohingya refugees during a hearing. In a statement titled 'Disparagement of the Supreme Court is Unacceptable,' the group of 44 retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts said attempts were being made to malign the judiciary or attribute political motives to the CJI. Judicial proceedings should only be subject to fair and reasoned

CHANDIGARH: A joint team of Haryana Police and state Excise Department seized a large consignment of 'illicit' foreign liquor from a high-end liquor vendor under the name Theka Wine Shop near Signature Tower in Gurugram. Around 42,000 bottles of liquor estimated to be worth Rs 10 crore were seized. The seized stock was smuggled into the country without paying customs or excise duty. These bottles of premium international brands are sold between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per bottle. It is believed

Aviation regulator DGCA has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear at its headquarters on Thursday at 3 pm, demanding a detailed briefing on the airlines recent operational meltdown. The directive, issued Wednesday, requires Elbers and key departmental heads to present comprehensive data on flight restoration efforts, pilot and cabin crew availability, recruitment plans, cancellations, and refunds. The move follows days of massive disruptions that saw thousands of IndiGo flights cancelled,

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday slammed the Union government for failing to prevent the chaos caused by cancellation and delays in flights of Indigo airline. A Division Bench of Chief JusticeDevendra Kumar Upadhyayaand JusticeTushar Rao Gedelaasked if the government was ' helpless' in acting againt IndiGo. The Bench noted that the government stepped in only after the situation in air travel turned worse. You allowed the situation to precipitate and only then did you take action. Why did you al

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government as to why the situation that led to the cancellation of a number of flights by IndiGo precipitated, and termed it a 'crisis'. The high court said besides trouble and harassment caused to the stranded passengers, the question is of the losses caused to the country's economy. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also asked how other airlines could take advantage of the crisis s

CHANDIGARH: The largest-ever consignment of illicit foreign liquor was seized from a high-end liquor outlet named Theka in Gurugram by a joint team of Haryana Police and the state excise department. Around 42,000 bottles, allegedly smuggled into the country, were confiscated, with an estimated black market value of Rs 10 crore. According to sources, the seized bottles, lacking valid holograms, were recovered from The Theka Wine Shop near Signature Tower. The stock, comprising premium internation

Amid the US governments new social media vetting policy for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, appointments across consulates in India have been postponed or rescheduled, with the US Embassy issuing an advisory on the immigration process. The US Mission in India confirmed that visa appointments scheduled for December and the coming weeks had been shifted, with immigration attorneys saying many were pushed to March to allow time for the social media vetting. The embassy warned that ar

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the government will cancel the licences of tourist establishments that do not comply with the fire safety norms. In the wake of a nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives , Sawant held a high-level meeting with officials of the North and South Goa district administrations, police and tourism stakeholders to ensure strict safety measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. State Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte also attended the m

NEW DELHI: CPI-M leader A A Rahim on Wednesday held the union government responsible for the recent IndiGo crisis, arguing that it was the direct result of unchecked privatisation and deregulation that has turned India's aviation sector into a duopoly. He urged the government not to dilute Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules to accommodate the airline. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Rahim said the crisis was not IndiGo's alone. The sole culprit behind this huge cris

Over a billion individuals worldwide aged 15 and above had experienced sexual violence during childhood, while around 608 million females were exposed to intimate partner violence in 2023, according to estimates published in The Lancet journal . Highest prevalence of both intimate partner and sexual violence were found to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In these regions, the health impacts of violence are compounded by high rates of HIV and other chronic conditions, researc

NEW DELHI: Deepavali was inscribed on the prestigious UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage list of humanity on Wednesday during the 22nd session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) being held in Delhi. New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritageList: Deepavali, #India Congratulations!, the UNESCO post read. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat termed the development as 'historic' and a 'matter of pride'. Deepaval

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday categorically stated that he would not accept an award named after VD Savarkar, nor attend a related event, even as a senior party colleague wanted the Congress MP to not accept any honour named after the ideologue whom he claimed owed before the British. Tharoor said that he will not accept the Veer Savarkar Award and also won't attend the event where it will be presented in the absence of clarifications about its nature or the organisation prese

DEHRADUN: A major political storm has erupted in Uttarakhand's capital after highly offensive, digitally manipulated images and videos targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi began circulating widely on social media. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) quickly filed a complaint at the Vasant Vihar police station, alleging a coordinated attempt to tarnish the Prime Ministers image using sophisticated AI tools. Devendra Bisht, Mahanagar President of the BJYM, submitted a written complaint namin

Ajay Gupta, one of the co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, was brought to Delhi Polices Crime Branch on Wednesday in connection with the devastating fire at the North Goa nightclub that claimed 25 lives. Speaking briefly to reporters while entering the office, his face largely concealed by a mask, Gupta insisted he was only a partner in the establishment. According to sources, Goa Police questioned Gupta in Delhi and have begun formal procedures to take him into custody, including seeking a transi

US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that he intervened to halt the brief conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year, reiterating a claim that he has now repeated nearly 70 times. Speaking at a campaign rally focused on the economy in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Trump listed several international disputes he claimed to have ended. In 10 months, I ended eight wars, including Kosovo and Serbia, Pakistan and India, they were going at it. Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia,

Parliament gears up for fresh debates on electoral reforms and Vande Mataram Both Houses of Parliament are set to witness fresh debates on Wednesday, with the Lok Sabha beginning discussions on electoral reforms and the Rajya Sabha taking up deliberations on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. During Tuesdays proceedings, leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Union Parliamentary Affairs M

JAIPUR: Four people were killed and 27 others injured after a bus collided head-on with a truck on Jaipur-?Bikaner National Highway in the Sikar district of Rajasthan on Tuesday night. The sleeper bus was travelling from Bikaner towards Jaipur when they rammed into each other. The police said that four persons died in the accident, adding that 15 injured were admitted to the Sikar district hospital while 13 were given primary treatment at Fatehgarh. One critically injured person referred from th

SAGAR: Four constables of a bomb squad from Morena were killed and another cop was seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a container truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday, an official said. The accident occurred at around 4 am on National Highway- 44 between Bandri and Malthone in Sagar district, the official said. The vehicle carrying personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad collided head-on with a container truck parked on the wrong side of the highway, B