NEW DELHI: Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihars Chief Minister with a 26-member Cabinet crafted to carefully balance caste groups an exercise in social engineering that continues to shape the states governance. The lineup includes one Muslim, one Yadav, and three women, reinforcing the NDAs commitment to broad social representation. The central feature of the new Cabinet is its careful blend of senior leaders and 10 first-time ministers, making clear that caste equationsmore than overt development a

PATNA: Shreyasi Singh, 34, is an Olympian shooter and one of Indias leading sportswomen who has now become the youngest minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. The two-term MLA from Jamui joins the Bihar government carrying both her sporting laurels and a rising political profile. She is the youngest daughter of the late Digvijay Singh, a former Union minister in the Chandra Shekhar government, and of former MP Putul Kumari. However, her first stage was not a political rally; it was the shooting r

BHOPAL: The first Indian-born cheetah, Mukhi, has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, which was described as a breakthrough for Indias cheetah reintroduction initiated three years ago. The 33-month-old Mukhi, who was the lone surviving among the four cubs born to Namibian cheetah Siyaya in March 2023, was abandoned by the mother after birth and she grew up in the care of vets and other staff at KNP. Union environment minister said on X: This is the first time in rec

LUCKNOW: The Vedic rituals for the Dharm Dhwajaarohan (flag-hoisting) ceremony at the Ayodhya Temple will commence on Friday. The main ceremony will take place in Abhijit Muhurat between 11.58 am and 1 pm. The temple flag will be raised on the main 161-ft high spire of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya next Tuesday, on November 25. As per sources in the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, PM Narendra Modi will hoist the flag by pressing a button in the presence of dignitaries invited from across

BHOPAL: Three government school teachers in Madhya Pradesh were recently sent show-cause notices for missing e-attendance. Theyll never respondbecause the teachers are dead. This unusual set of notices was reported in the Mauganj district, Madhya Pradesh. The families of Devta Deen Kol, who passed away in April 2023; Ramgarib Dipankar, who died on February 13, 2025; and Chotelal Saket, who passed in May 2025, were surprised to receive official reminders demanding that the deceased justify their

SRINAGAR: Police and security agencies have expanded their crackdown on the interstate white-collar terror module linked to the Delhi blast by launching extensive search operations across hospitals, fertiliser and hardware stores, and multiple prisons in J&K to dismantle emerging militant modules and prevent radicalisation. The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of J&K Police has carried out raids and searches at several major prisons, including Central Jail Srinagar, District Jail Kupwara,

LUCKNOW / JAIPUR: Donald Trump Jr, son of US President Donald Trump, on Thursday visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. A group of 126 special guests from nearly 40 countries accompanied him during the tour of the 17th-century marvel. In view of the high-profile visit, the authorities had tightened security and spruced up the arrangements. According to sources, around 200 police personnel were deployed across key locations in the city and the security detail included officers of ACP and ADC rank. This i

India has achieved record total food production for the year 2024-25 compared to the previous year. This increase in production is primarily due to a significant rise in rice production, along with a moderate increase in wheat and coarse grains, while other major food categories, such as pulses and oilseeds, saw only minor increases. Overall, there was a 7.65% increase in food production compared to last year. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, released the

NEW DELHI: Indian Navy is shaping its future asset inductions in line with plans to counter such threats as arising consequent to the Chinese made weapons and systems, warships and Submarines being supplied to Pakistan, said the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) on Thursday. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, VCNS said, We are aware that China is supplying ships and submarines to Pakistan. We are monitoring everything closely and working on strengthening the defence. We Know what kind of anti-submarin

CHANDIGARH: Police in Punjab's Ludhiana on Thursday claimed they have busted a multi-state gangster-terror module, allegedly backed by Pakistan's spy agency ISI, following an exchange of fire in which two accused were injured. One of the accused was critically injured, officials said. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said the two had opened fire when they were intercepted in Ludhiana following information that they were roaming in the area. Two grenades and five sophisticated pistols w

GUWAHATI: Ahead of the winter session of Parliament, the tribal autonomous councils of the Northeast on Thursday stepped up the demand for reforms of the Constitutions Sixth Schedule. Additionally, Assams Bodo leaders raised the pitch for complete implementation of the historic Bodo Peace Accord of 2020 signed with the Centre. The Northeast has ten tribal autonomous councils three each in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and one in Tripura under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. A national sem

NEW DELHI: Hosting his Australian counterpart Penny Wong for the 16th India-Australia Foreign Ministers Dialogue on Thursday External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and Australia carry greater responsibility in the prevailing global environment. The current complex geopolitical situation, I think its evident that democracies like India and Australia carry greater responsibility, Jaishankar said, emphasising that both nations confront a shared set of challenges. There are common ch

MUMBAI: In a bid to consolidate its Hindu vote bank, the BJP has decided to drop the Ajit Pawar-led NCP as an ally for the elections to the BMC --Asia's richest civic body-- scheduled for January next year. The BJP has cited the presence of NCP Mumbai in-charge Nawab Malik --who faces serious charges allegedly linked to the purchase of a property belonging to an underworld don-- as the reason for refusing an alliance. Echoing the party's stand, senior BJP leader and former Mumbai BJP president A

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari on Thursday. The chargesheet has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi and the next hearing is scheduled on December 6, 2025. The agency had earlier filed the first chargesheet in the case in 2023 and was probing Bhandaris

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has carried raids at 15 locations in Chennai , Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu on Wednesday in connection with land compensation scam which caused a loss government exchequer. The scam relates to forgery of land records and wrongful claim of compensation in land acquisitions carried out by National Highway Authority of India [NHAI] and State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu [SIPCOT]. During the search, cash of Rs.1.56 crore, bullion worth Rs. 74

MUMBAI: Despite flagging the internal friction within the Mahayuti during his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reportedly did not receive any relief. Instead, Shinde was reportedly reminded that each party has the right to expand its base, and the BJP will continue to pursue its expansion agenda. Shah and Shinde reportedly held a 50-minute meeting in Delhi, during which the latter listed several complaints against Maharashtra BJ

NEW DELHI: India and France on Thursday elevated their strategic partnership by agreeing to collaborate in defence research and development too. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, A Technical Agreement has been signed between Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), France to deepen collaboration in defence research and development (R&D). The aim is o leverage the combined expertise and resources of both nations/entities to develop innovati

DEHRADUN: Wildlife activity in the diverse and heavily forested state of Uttarakhand, which spans 54,483 square kilometres, is increasingly dominated by the threat posed by leopards, authorities confirm. While tiger populations are surveyed every four years jointly by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India, accurate census data for leopards remains elusive, though officials estimate the population at roughly 1,200. However, recent trends indicate a s

RANCHI: Hemant Soren government will mark one year in office with one of the largest recruitment drives in the state, with the highest number of appointments being made in the education sector. According to officials, a total of 8,000 assistant teachers will be appointed across the government primary and middle schools. The event carries symbolic significance, as Chief Minister Hemant Soren had taken oath for his third term on November 28, 2024, at the same Morhabadi Grounds in a grand ceremony

GUWAHATI: Protestors on Thursday clashed with security forces outside the venue of the Sangai Festival in Imphal, a day before the tourism event was scheduled to begin, amid continuing ethnic tensions in Manipur. The confrontation erupted when the protestors attempted to storm the festivals main venue opposing the celebrations. Security personnel used tear gas and batons to restore order. The protestors said the authorities should prioritise resolving the ethnic conflict and resettling internall

NEW DELHI: Despite India making great strides in the reduction of poverty, about 206 million children in the country lack access to one of the six basic services like education, health, housing, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, which impacts the quality of life and opportunities, said the latest UNICEF report released Thursday. UNICEF's report State of the Worlds Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty - Our Shared Imperative said that out of the 206 million Indian children, less than a third

JAMMU: The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party reacted strongly to the State Investigation Agency's raid at the Kashmir Times office here on Thursday, terming it an attempt to exert pressure on the media. Both parties alleged that the action represented a broader pattern of intimidation targeting independent media in Jammu and Kashmir. The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police raided the office of the publication for allegedly promoting activities agai

THANE: Police have busted a fake call centre in Navi Mumbai, from where cyber frauds involving at least Rs 12 crore were allegedly committed mostly against US citizens, and arrested 20 persons in this connection, officials said on Thursday. The police suspect that the scale of the crime is very large and many wanted accused are involved in it. The action against this call centre, which was in operation in Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai was taken on Thursday, they said. Navi Mumbai Cyber police stati

NEW DELHI: Fate brought together three families living nearly a thousand kilometres apart, in Bihar, Odisha and Delhi, after each was confronted with the same crisis: a loved one battling end-stage kidney disease and a willing family donor deemed incompatible. Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, noticed an unusual compatibility chain while reviewing their medical records. Each familys donor matched a patient from one of the other families, enabling a rare three-way paired kidney tra

NEW DELHI: Eighty per cent of persons with disabilities have no health insurance, and 53 per cent of those who apply allegedly face rejection, often without any explanation, according to a white paper released on Thursday. The white paper, conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), said that despite constitutional guarantees, directives issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and the mandates of the Rights of

On Thursday, Nitish Kumar achieved yet another rare political milestone, becoming Bihars longest-serving chief minister, despite his party repeatedly finishing as the second-largest partner in both the Mahagathbandhan and NDA alliances in recent times. With this latest swearing-in , he joins the group of Indias ten longest-serving chief ministersa list long dominated by political stalwarts such as Sikkims Pawan Kumar Chamling and Odishas Naveen Patnaik. Chamling served as chief minister for 25 y

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday urging him to take immediate corrective measures to prevent loss of lives owing to SIR-related stress and work pressure. Hours after a Booth Level Officer (BLO) died by suicide in Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday, the chief minister came down heavily on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that precious lives were being lost due to the pressure generated b

AHMEADBAD: A 50-year-old school principal and Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Gujarat died of a heart attack after weeks of exhausting electoral roll duties. His family claims he was under severe work stress, riding nearly 100 km daily and working late into the night to complete voter list entries. Police and district education officials have taken note, while the school suspended classes in mourning. A shockwave has rippled through Kapadvanj taluka of Gujarat after 50-year-old school principal and

GUWAHATI : In the first known use of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 since its implementation was approved by the state cabinet earlier this year, the Assam Police are searching for five illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who were declared 'foreigners' by a Foreigners Tribunal (FT). The five, Hanufa, Mariyam Nessa, Fatema, Monowara and Amjad Ali, were declared 'foreigners' by the FT ex parte on 24 October. This was followed by an order directing their expulsion from India within 24 h

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was complaining against the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls and resorting to dramatics over it because her political survival depends on shielding a voter base created fraudulently. The assertion came after Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in the state

NEW DELHI: A soulful rendition of Vande Mataram by Jaewon Kim, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, mesmerised attendees at the inauguration ceremony of the WAVES Film Bazaar, South Asias global film market and a significant feature of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan, Secretary of the Ministry Sanjay Jaju, Festival Director Shekhar Kapur and renowned actor Anupam Kher were in attendance. Ki

KOLKATA: A 64-year-old rickshaw-puller on Wednesday night attempted suicide, reportedly owing to depression after his name was not in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the 2002 electoral rolls in West Bengal. The incident occurred near the CCR Bridge at Belghoria Railway station in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night when the rickshaw-puller Ashok Sarder, a resident of Kamarhati Municipality area, jumped onto the railway track and sustained severe injury. He was rushed to the sta

AHMEADABAD: A 65-year-old farmer from Gujarats Vadodara district died by suicide after being trapped in a terrifying digital arrest scam by cyber fraudsters posing as Delhi Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officers. The scammers subjected him to a day-long barrage of threats over a fabricated Rs 40-crore fraud case, leaving his family shattered and demanding strict police action as Dabhoi police launch a full investigation. A chilling and possibly first-of-its-kind case of a farmer driven to suicide a

NEW DELHI: The case of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi challenging his extradition will come up for hearing before Belgium's supreme court -- the Court of Cassation -- on December 9, officials said on Thursday. Choksi has challenged before Belgium's top court an October 17 ruling of the Antwerp Court of Appeal that upheld India's request for his extradition while terming it enforceable. In response to queries by the PTI , Advocaat-generaal Henri Vanderlinden said the Court of Cassation will

MUMBAI: Six young men out for a picnic were killed after their SUV fell into a 400-feet gorge at Tamhini Ghat in Maharashtra's Raigad district, police said on Thursday. While the accident apparently took place in the early hours of Tuesday, police were informed only on Thursday morning, an official said, adding that the vehicle was traced with the help of a drone camera. The victims, aged between 18 and 22 years, had set off from Pune in a Thar SUV late on Monday evening, the police official sai

LUCKNOW: A sudden gas leak in the science laboratory of a school in Hardoi triggered panic on Thursday morning, leaving 16 children affected, several of whom fainted, while others were left coughing and vomiting. As the smell of gas spread rapidly, students ran out of their classrooms in fear. According to local sources, teachers and senior students at Lions Public School immediately carried the affected children outside and transported them to RB Hospital using school vehicles. The sudden arriv

Ballia (UP): A case has been registered against Swami Anand Swaroop for allegedly spreading false information and rumours against Dr BR Ambedkar, at Bhimpura police station here, police said. According to the police, based on a complaint by a representative of district panchayat member Dhanpati Devi, a case has been registered against Swaroop -- head of Shambhavi Peeth and founder of Kali Sena -- under Section 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and pr

NEW DELHI: More than 80 per cent of Indians with disabilities remain uninsured, and over half of those who apply are often rejected without explanation despite legal safeguards meant to ensure equal access to health coverage, a new white paper released on Thursday has found. The report, titled Inclusive Health Coverage for All: Disability, Discrimination and Health Insurance in India, was launched by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) at a roundtable att

BHOPAL: In an outlandish development, the Madhya Pradesh school education department has issued notices even to dead teachers in Mauganj district, seeking an explanation for not marking their daily attendance through the e-attendance system. As part of efforts to ensure proper attendance of teachers through the e-attendance system at schools, the department recently issued notices to reportedly over 1,500 teachers in Rewa and Mauganj districts for not marking their e-attendance. Surprisingly, th

The Jammu and Kashmir police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday carried out searches at the head office of Kashmir Times in Jammu for allegedy promoting activities against the country. The PTI reported that cartridges of AK rifles and some rounds of pistol, among other things were recovered during the raids. Quoting officials, the news agency said that SIA sleuths conducted a thorough search of the newspaper's premises and computers after a case was registered against the publication

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday congratulated JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar on being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the record tenth time, makeing his fifth consecutive time in office. In a post on X, the RJD chief extended heartfelt wishes to Kumar and all the newly-inducted ministers in the NDA government. I hope that the new government will live up to the hopes and expectations of responsible people, fulfill its promises and declarations, and bring positive and qualitative chang

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Haryana Police Special Task Force investigation against a Delhi-based advocate who was arrested in a murder case. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Prasanna B Varale and K Vinod Chandran also confirmed the interim bail granted earlier by it on November 12 to lawyer Vikram Singh in the case. It took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vikas Singh and said that the probe, qua the lawyer, will not proceed. I am not ask

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police will be seeking custody of deported gangster Anmol Bishnoi after the National Investigation Agency has completed interrogating him, a senior state police official said on condition of anonymity. The Punjab Police will move to court and seek his custody to break the criminal nexus being run in the state, the source added. As per state police records, Anmol is named as an accused in 16 FIRs registered across Punjab between October 2012 and July 2025, including charges

AMBIKAPUR: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that Naxalites across the country have been giving up the path of violence and joining the mainstream. Coordinated efforts by the Centre and state governments will make the elimination of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) possible, she said. Addressing a Janjatiya Gaurav Divas event in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, she said, tribal communities must move forward step by step along with other social groups. People (Nax

PORT BLAIR: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify from November 21, an official said on Thursday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall (07-20 cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places in Nicobar Island and heavy rainfall (07-11 cm) is also expected in Andaman Island. Thunderstorms with gusty wind (40-50 kilometres per hour) and lightning are also very likel

Bhopal: In a major breakthrough for Indias cheetah reintroduction programme, the first Indian-born female cheetah has given birth to five cubs at Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP), marking a historic milestone in the countrys conservation efforts. Sharing the historic development on X on Thursday, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav posted visuals of 33-months-old female cheetah Mukhi and her newborn cubs. In a delightful breakthrough for Indias c

BELEM: Calling for coordinated global efforts to strengthen energy security for Small Island Developing States, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has highlighted solar power as a tool of transformation and social revolution. Speaking at the High-Level Ministerial Leadership Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) SIDS Platform on Wednesday, Yadav also underlined Indias support to island nations through ISA and pointed to the countrys rapid expansion in clean energy. The Small

Chastened by his Jan Suraaj Partys poor performance in the recent Bihar assembly polls, political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Monday began a day-long silent fast. Kishor visited the Bhitiharwa Ashram in West Champaran district, set up by Mahatma Gandhi about a century ago, for his maun upvaas, according to a statement issued by the Jan Suraaj Party. It was at this very spot, three years ago, that Kishor - who is known for his deep admiration for Mahatma Gandhi - began a 3,500-k

CHANDIGARH: The scrutiny has intensified at Al Falah University as around 200 doctors and staff working at the university are reportedly under the scanner of investigative agencies for possible links to the alleged suicide bomber Dr Umar Nabi. Investigative agencies have detained Afsana, an anganwadi worker from Golpuri village who manages her fathers house and rented a room in Hidayat Colony, Nuh to Umar on the recommendation of her relative Shoaib, who worked as an electrician at the universit

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday morning carried out searches at the head office of Kashmir Times newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers of Jammu and Kashmir, in Jammu. Sources said a team of SIA officials arrived at the Residency Road area of Jammu in the early morning today and conducted searches in the two-storey head office of Kashmir Times. The SIA officials were assisted by J&K police personnel, who laid the outer cordon of the building. T