The New Indian Express News

PUNE : A male adult leopard that had been intermittently moving within the Pune Airport premises since late April has been darted and captured safely, forest officials said on Friday. The feline was captured following a multi-agency operation led by the Forest Department, in collaboration with RESQ Charitable Trust, the Indian Air Force and Pune Airport authorities, they said. The presence of the big cat was first confirmed on April 28. On November 19, the leopard was spotted once again. Forest

NEW DELHI: Indian Railways (IR) has deactivated more than 3 crore suspicious user IDs since January 2025 and introduced new Aadhaar-based verification measures to allegedly curb misuse and strengthen the online ticket reservation system. Officials describe the reservation platform as a robust and highly secure IT system equipped with industry-standard, state-of-the-art cyber security controls. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that about 3.02 crore susp

NEW DELHI: In a move to strengthen the ticket reservation system, Indian Railways (IR) has deactivated more than 3 crore user IDs since January 2025 and introduced anti-bot measures to ensure genuine bookings. The reservation system is described as a robust and secure IT platform equipped with industry-standard cyber security controls. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said Indian Railways has taken several steps to improve the performance of the reservation system and increase

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided multiple locations across several states as part of a money-laundering investigation into an alleged illegal cough syrup trafficking racket in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The searches, which began around 7:30 am, are being conducted at 25 premises in Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The ED has registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hosted a dinner for all NDA MPs from both Houses at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence. The dinner, which featured a range of dishes including several millet-based items, doubled as a show of unity within the NDA under Modis leadership, which he described as a family working towards a Viksit Bharat and a self-reliant nation. Speaking on the meeting, the Prime Minister said the NDA represents a shared commitment to good governance, national develo

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government has sent a proposal to the Centre recommending the dismissal of IAS officer Santosh Verma, state president of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Officers and Employees Association (AJAKS), for his undignified remarks. In addition, Verma has been removed from his post as deputy secretary of the Agriculture Department and attached to the General Administration Department without any department or work. According to an official statement released on Thursday, the

KOLKATA: West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has felicitated the three men arrested for allegedly assaulting two chicken patty vendors at the Gita recital event in Kolkata, after they were released on bail. Adhikari said he stood by them as a Hindu performing his duty. The three persons, arrested on Wednesday night for allegedly attacking two vendors at the 'Gita Paath' programme on December 7 at the Brigade Parade Ground, were granted bail by the Bankshall court on personal

Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his home town Latur in Maharashtra on Friday morning. Patil, 90, passed away at his residence 'Devghar' after a brief illness, family sources said. He is survived by his son Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana, who is a BJP leader, and two granddaughters. The Congress leader was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He was the Governor of Punjab and also

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha witnessed uproar on Thursday after BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused an unnamed Trinamool Congress member of smoking an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha premises. The ruling party attacked the TMC, alleging that its lawmaker has set a new record of lowering the dignity of Parliament with his conduct. During the Question Hour, Thakur asked the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla if e-cigarettes, which are banned in the country, have been allowed in the House, stating, The TMC member has be

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed a protest during Zero Hour from the CPI(M) over allegations of spurious and substandard medicines in Kerala. The protest began when Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham launched a blistering attack on Keralas drugs control department, claiming that recent raids across the state had exposed the widespread availability of counterfeit and poor-quality medicines. As soon as Congress MP Hisham made her allegations, CPI(M) MP John Brittas and others sharply o

PATNA: For the first time, Bihar is set to conduct panchayat elections next year through electronic voting machines (EVMs), in a shift from traditional ballot papers. The elections will be held in April-May 2026 to fill around 2.46 lakh posts in the three-tier panchayati raj institutions, including mukhiya, sarpanch and district board chairpersons. An official of the state election commission said the state governments approval has been sought to procure more than 32,000 EVMs. In 2021, panchayat

Amid the debate over stray dogs, the Jharkhand government has drawn up an action plan to tackle the canine problem and released a standard operating procedure (SOP) to guide its implementation. Urban local bodies have been instructed to sterilise and vaccinate 70% of stray dogs within their jurisdictions. The SOP also makes it mandatory for pet owners to register their dogs with municipal or panchayat bodies. The cost of treatment in the event of a bite by a pet dog must be borne by its owner, w

MUMBAI: With continuous high-interest borrowing and the tabling of over additional Rs 75,000 crore supplementary demands in the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly, the cumulative debt burden of Maharashtra is projected to go up from Rs 7.82 lakh crore in 202425 to Rs 9.32 lakh crore by the end of the current financial year. If approved, the debt burden of Maharashtra would go up by a substantial Rs 1.5 lakh crore. This significant jump will also increase the per capita debit on Maharashtrians. Each ci

NEW DELHI: The regime of Mahmud of Ghazni has been highlighted extensively in the Class VII Social Science Studies textbook (Part-2) released recently by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The book also moves away from a North-centric narrative and showcasing the greatness of past dynasties in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country, said sources. The textbook, titled Exploring Societies: India and Beyond , dwells on the period between the 6th and 12th centu

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee finally filled up her own enumeration forms (EFs) and handed them over to the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO) at her Harish Chatterjee Street residence on Thursday afternoon, hours after she addressed a rally organised by the Trinamool Congress in Nadia district and claimed that she had not filled out her EF. Do I now need to prove my citizenship to a party of rioters? she said while addressing the crowd at the Nadia rally. Thursday was the

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a three-nation tour from December 15 to 18, with visits to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman aimed at strengthening Indias strategic presence in West Asia and Africa and finalising a major free trade agreement with Oman. The trip comes as New Delhi intensifies its economic diplomacy and deepens ties with key partners across the Global South. The most significant leg of the visit will be Modis stop in Oman on December 1718, where India and Oman are e

BHOPAL: Continued surrenders by armed Naxal cadres in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, driven by surrender or get eliminated anti-Naxal operations, resulted in two more hardcore Naxalites laying down arms in the forests of MPs Balaghat district on Thursday. Two wanted Naxals carrying a combined reward of 43 lakh surrendered at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in the Korka area of Balaghat district. They were identified as Deepak Uike, a Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRB) di

NEW DELHI: India strongly criticised what it termed trade and transit terrorism at a United Nations Security Council session on Wednesday, in a veiled reference to Pakistan, as it urged the international community to safeguard the economic rights of landlocked Afghanistan. Speaking during discussions on the situation in Afghanistan, Indias Ambassador to the UN, P Harish Parvathaneni, flagged concerns raised by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) over recent border closures that have

LUCKNOW: A Bahraich court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to nine convicts and handed the death penalty to the prime accused, Sarfaraz alias Rinku, in the sensational Ram Gopal Mishra murder case that took place during communal violence over the immersion of Durga idols last year. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge (First) Pawan Kumar Sharma. Those convicted include Abdul Hameed, Faheem, Saif Ali, Javed Khan, Zeeshan alias Raja alias Sahir, Nankau, Maruf Ali, Shoaib Khan, Ta

NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Parliamentarians Forum (IMPF), a cross-party collective of 45 medical professionals turned parliamentarians, have issued a public health alert, warning that dozens of children with ultra-rare Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs), a rare inherited metabolic conditions caused by a deficiency of specific enzymes, are at immediate risk due to preventable treatment interruptions under the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD 2021). In a letter addressed to Prime Ministe

JAIPUR: A major controversy has erupted in Rajasthan after the removal or forced resignation of five university vice-chancellors under the tenure of Governor Haribhau Bagde, who serves as Chancellor of state universities. The actions follow multiple inquiries into alleged financial irregularities, administrative misuse and contentious public remarks, but the departures have also been linked to sustained pressure from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Senior officials in the states h

CHANDIGARH: The Congress high command has stepped in to defuse the crisis triggered by former Punjab MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhus remark on Rs 500 crore for CM post, with senior party leader Rahul Gandhi calling a meeting with AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Bhupesh Baghel and other senior leaders later this week to discuss the issues. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring met Baghel on Thursday. Sources in the party claimed that a high-level committee wi

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday inaugurated a 3-day divisional-level annual Bastar Olympics at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium in Jagdalpur, where the athletes from all seven districts of the Bastar division presented an impressive march past. Around 3,500 athletes from districts of Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Jagdalpur, along with those from the Nua Baat category, are participating in the divisional-level Bastar Olympics. Maoists who

Amid the ongoing impasse between the Kerala Chief Minister and Governor over the appointment of vice chancellors in two technical universities in the state, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked a committee headed by Justice (Retd) Sudhanshu Dhulia to recommend one name each for the posts. The apex court's two-judge bench, headed by Justice JB Pardiwala and including Justice KV Viswanathan, was hearing the matter related to the appointments of VCs of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University an

LUCKNOW: A high-profile impostor, posing as an IAS officer for nearly three years, was arrested in Gorakhpur on Tuesday. Accused Gaurav Kumar Singh alias Lalit Kishor, 27, was nabbed after a probe exposed a massive fraud racket spanning several states, fake identities, luxury cars and promises of lucrative government jobs and contracts. As per police sources, Gaurav Kumar Singh was living as a 2022-batch IAS officer, meticulously maintaining a lifestyle equipped with a white Innova with red-blue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a telephonic conversation on Thursday, reviewing progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and discussing ways to expand cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, critical technologies, energy, defence, and security. Describing the conversation as warm and engaging, PM Modi posted on X that the leaders discussed regional and global developments and reaffirmed their commitment to work together fo

AHMEDABAD: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has intercepted a Pakistani fishing vessel operating illegally inside Indias Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the Gujarat coast and apprehended all 11 crew members on board, officials said on Thursday. The detainees have been handed over to the Jakhau Marine Police for further investigation. The operation, carried out on Wednesday, was confirmed by the ICG in a post on X, stating that it had intercepted and apprehended a Pakistani fishing vessel along wit

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked chief justices of all high courts to examine the status of pending trials in their states under laws such as the UAPA, posing a reverse burden of proof on the accused. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh also directed the State Legal Services Authority to make aware each undertrial of his/her right to representation, either by counsel of their own choice or through a legal aid counsel. For those who choose the latter, as

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday said there should be stringent condition that should be imposed on persons accused of committing acid attacks, calling them a hreat to the society, civilians and even rule of law. They (acid attack accused) are threat to the society, civilians and even the rule of law. There should be some stringent condition that should be imposed on these persons, observed, a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bag

Mexico's Congress approved Wednesday most of the tariff increases proposed by the government on more than 1,400 products imported from India, China and other countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico. The Senate passed the measure Wednesday evening, following the lower chamber, which had approved the increases before dawn. The governing Morena party of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said the tariffs were necessary to spur domestic production, controls both chambers. The Sena

PATNA: After disowning her family and quitting politics, RJD chief Lalu Prasads daughter Rohini Acharya on Thursday signalled further strain within the family, appealing to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to ensure that every daughter can return to her parental home without fear, guilt, shame or the need to justify herself. In an oblique reference to CM Nitish Kumar, she wrote on X that schemes like giving girls Rs 10,000 or distributing bicycles, though well-intentioned, fall short of address

NEW DELHI: The Central Government has dismissed any external climate risk rankings and air quality rankings for domestic policymaking. Recently, the Global Climate Risk Index assessed countries based on the human and economic impact of extreme weather events. The government also rejected global air quality rankings, stating that these rankings were not conducted by any official authority. It emphasized that the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines are advisory values rather t

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has signed MoUs with six state universities to launch a new academic course named Rakshak Curriculum that will focus on child rights and protection. Cited to be the first academic programme of its kind in India, the initiative is a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Child Rights & Protection. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that Rakshak Curriculum will play a significant role in creating a safer and more responsible future for

LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court came to the rescue of a Samajwadi Party leader who owns a banquet hall - Aiwane-e-Farhat - in Bareilly by restraining the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) from carrying out any further demolition of the residential structure and marriage hall. A division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Kunal Ravi Singh directed the parties, on Wednesday, to maintain the status quo and granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the Vice-Chairm

GUWAHATI: President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Manipur on Thursday on a two-day visit amid a shutdown called by a conglomerate of banned insurgent groups. The Coordination Committee had called the shutdown in protest against the Presidents visit. Two days ago, it had stated that the shutdown would remain in force till she left the ethnic violence-hit state. Shops and markets remained closed in the state capital Imphal. The movement of vehicles was also thin. The President, on her maiden visit to

AHMEDABAD: A recent survey by the Gujarat Health Department has revealed that, in district of Mehsana alone, 341 minor girls aged 13-17 have become pregnant in the past year between April and December. Female health workers, while compiling maternal health data, stumbled upon one case after another girls barely in their teens already carrying the burden of motherhood. In-charge District Health Officer Dr. Ghanshyam Gadhvi, speaking with stark clarity, laid out the disturbing numbers. Between Apr

AHMEDABAD: A recent survey by the Gujarat Health Department has revealed that 341 minor girls aged 13-17 have become pregnant in the past year between April and December. Female health workers, while compiling maternal health data, stumbled upon one case after another girls barely in their teens already carrying the burden of motherhood. In-charge District Health Officer Dr. Ghanshyam Gadhvi, speaking with stark clarity, laid out the disturbing numbers. Between April and December 2025, 22,812 pr

AHMEDABAD: Fresh Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha data on Thursday have highlighted gaps in Gujarats road management architecture, where road accidents and fatalities continue to rise despite an increase in e-challans and fines. The data showed an explosive rise in e-challans -- Gujarat issued 2.84 lakh challans in 2022, a number that shot up nearly six times to 16.04 lakh in 2023, and then spiralled to an astonishing 43.24 lakh in 2024. But the enforcement surge comes with a troubling twist: unpaid ch

DEHRADUN: As environmentalists continue to protest the felling of over 6,000 trees for a highway project in Uttarkashi, another major ecological concern has emerged from the Kumaon region. Authorities are preparing to clear more than 5,745 trees for the upgradation of the Bageshwar-Kanda National Highway. The ambitious project, aimed at improving connectivity between Bageshwar district headquarters and Ghingarutola, spans five phases and primarily impacts the Bageshwar and Almora districts, with

Delhi court on Thursday dismissed anticipatory bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, where fire claimed 25 lives. Earlier today, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, said the Luthra brothers will be brought back to India from Thailand at the earliest. A local panchayat official will also be arrested in the fire case, which took place, as he was not cooperating with the probe, Sawant told reporters here. The team of Goa Police and CBI would bring

DEHRADUN: The State Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has held ex-Superintendent of Police (SP) of Pithoragarh, Lokeshwar Singh (IPS, retired from service), guilty of brutalising a citizen who approached him with a grievance. The PCA, after reviewing evidence presented before its officials, concluded that the former SP subjected the complainant to severe physical abuse, including allegedly stripping him naked inside his office and then threatening him with false implication in criminal cases. Th

GUWAHATI: At least 18 people died when a truck, in which they were travelling in, plunged into a deep gorge near Metengliang in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. The mishap occurred on the night of December 8 but authorities learnt about it on December 10 after an injured survivor had managed to reach a camp of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) and narrated the incident. After first aid, he was shifted to Assam for further treatment. A group of 22 labourers had left from Assams Ti

JAIPUR: Farmers in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district continued their protest against an under-construction ethanol factory for the second consecutive day. From early morning, farmers began assembling at a gurdwara near Tibbi, even as internet services in the region remained suspended for the second consecutive day. Around 30 families living near the plant site have left their homes due to fear. Violence after farmers storm site The situation escalated sharply on Wednesday when hundreds of farmers

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has pulled up the district magistrates (DMs), who are traditionally engaged in the election process as district electoral officers (DEOs), for not acting on the ECI proposals for setting up of polling stations inside private housing complexes with multiple high-rise buildings across West Bengal. The ECI, on December 10, sent a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal, directing him to take immediate steps in this regard. The

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has pulled up the district magistrates (DMs), who are traditionally engaged in the election process as district electoral officers (DEOs), for not acting on the ECI proposals for setting up of polling stations inside private housing complexes with multiple high-rise buildings across West Bengal. The ECI, on December 10, sent a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal, directing him to take immediate steps in this regard. The

NEW DELHI: The case of two women migrant workers from West Bengal, who were deported to Bangladesh, was raised in Rajya Sabha on Thursday by Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose, who questioned the hurry in deporting the women without proper verification. Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha in the Zero Hour, Ghose also mentioned the Goa nightclub fire incident, and said most of those who died were migrant workers. On June 21, Sunali Khatun, a 26-year-old heavily pregnant migrant worker, was pic

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said the abrogation of Article 370 brought dynamic changes in Jammu and Kashmir, as militants, separatists and their patrons, are no longer being given government jobs but, identified and given the harshest punishment for their deeds. The LG handed over appointment letters to 22 beneficiaries in age relaxation cases and 19 wards of J&K Police martyrs under Compassionate Appointment Rules SRO-43 and Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS). Earl

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed former Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao , who is an accused in the phone-tapping case, to surrender before police by 11 am Friday. A bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan said the order was passed for the purpose of further investigation into the offences against Rao. We direct the petitioner to surrender before the Jubilee Hills police station and the investigating officer by 11.00 am tomorrow.

AHMEDABAD: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized a Pakistani fishing boat and apprehended 11 crew members operating illegally in the Indian waters, officials said on Thursday. The detainees have been handed over to Jakhau Marine Police in Gujarat for further investigation, they said. The Indian Coast Guard, in a swift action on Wednesday, apprehended a Pakistani fishing boat with 11 crew inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Gujarat Defence PRO Wing Commander Abhishek Kumar Tiwari said

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday--relaxing a bit the bail conditions--allowed former Union Minister's son Ashish Mishra , the main accused, to visit his native place in Lakhimpur from December 25-31, on the terms and conditions imposed on him by the Court in May. Liberty is granted to the petitioner (Ashish Mishra) to visit and stay in Lakhimpur Kheri from 25th December to 31st December, subject to the same terms and conditions which were there earlier. The two-judge bench of the apex co