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PATNA: Bihar deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who is also holding the portfolio of home department, on Sunday announced that 100 fast track courts (FTCs) would be established in Bihar for speedy disposal of pending cases in the courts. The fast track courts aim to reduce the burden on the judiciary and provide due attention and time to cases of a sensitive nature. Chaudhary said that these fast-track courts would lessen the burden on courts considerably, considering that more than 18 lakh

DEHRADUN: Amid recurring natural disasters and forest fires, Uttarakhand is now facing an alarming surge in humanwildlife conflict, placing unprecedented pressure on the state government. The crisis is most severe in Pauri district, where the threat posed by a predatory leopard has forced the Education Department to take drastic measures temporarily closing 55 schools and shifting all teaching to online mode. Locals describe the atmosphere in Pauri as eerily similar to the intense restrictions

MUMBAI: IndiGo has processed refunds totalling Rs 610 crore so far against cancelled or severely delayed flights, and delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across the country as of Saturday, the government said on Sunday. It also said the aviation network is moving swiftly towards full normalcy, and all corrective measures will remain in place until operations stabilise entirely. On Saturday, the government had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelle

After a massive fire at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Goa claimed the lives of 25 people, including tourists and staff, the police on Sunday registered an FIR against its owners, manager, and event organisers. The police also detained the sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa panchayat for questioning shortly after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire. Police registered an FIR against Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Nightclub, u

JAIPUR: Authorities demolished an under-construction multi-storey building in Malviya Nagar on Sunday after cracks appeared and the structure began to lean the previous day, officials said. The building was brought down using JCB machines that weakened the structure through drilling, according to officials. The building's owner, who arrived at the site, opposed the action taken by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), leading to a brief argument with police officers. He claimed that no legal o

TEZPUR: Agitators at Tezpur University on Sunday vowed to enforce a shutdown at the institution, which has been witnessing sustained protests since mid-September against alleged irregularities by Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, till a formal communication from the Centre regarding the VC's removal is received. The picturesque campus on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in Sonitpur district of Assam witnessed high voltage drama from Saturday afternoon till early on Sunday as a top delegation

CHANDIGARH: The new instructions regarding the production and supply of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) rice by the Union Government has led to fresh tussle between rice shellers of Punjab and the Food Corporation of India (FCI). After the union government had stated this year, out of the 104 lakh tonnes of rice to be generated from the 156 lakh tonnes of procured paddy from Punjab, at least 25 lakh tonnes will be taken as upgraded rice, which has just 10 per cent broken grains. The remaining 80 lak

CHANDIGARH: Punjab, considered the food bowl of India, recorded food stock damage of 8,226.04 metric tonne (MT) of Food Corporation of India (FCI) in the last five years. Punjab topped the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. These figures were placed on record in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister for state of consumer affairs, food and public distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya in reply to an unstated question asked by Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai,

CHANDIGARH: Delhi ranked fourth among the most polluted cities in the country in November, as per a report released by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Ghaziabad topped the list, followed by Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak. Despite a significant reduction in stubble-burning, 20 out of 29 cities in National Capital Region (NCR) recorded higher pollution levels than the previous year. Punjab and Haryana had been blamed in the

PATNA: The Bihar government is considering the creation of a specialised police unit on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to boost investor confidence and attract large-scale investments to the state. Industries Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal said on Sunday that a proposal to establish the Bihar Industrial Security Force (BISF) would soon be sent to the state government. The new force would be tasked with providing dedicated security to major industrialists and investors. T

NEW DELHI: The stage is set for a high-voltage debate in Parliament as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi will lead the Oppositions discussion on electoral reforms and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Other speakers from Congress include general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaikwad, Mohammed Jawaid, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isha Khan Choudhury, Mallu Ravi, Imran Masood, Gowaal Padavi and Jothimani. Wh

NEW DELHI: The stage is set for a high-voltage debate in Parliament as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi will lead the Oppositions discussion on electoral reforms and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Other speakers from Congress include general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaikwad, Mohammed Jawaid, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isha Khan Choudhury, Mallu Ravi, Imran Masood, Gowaal Padavi and Jothimani. Wh

JASHPUR: Four men and a 17-year-old boy were killed when the car they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck in Jashpur district, Chhattisgarh, on Sunday, police said. The accident occurred near Patratoli village under Duldula police station limits in the early hours while the victims were returning to their native village, Khatanga, after watching an orchestra show at a fair in nearby Manora. The car collided head-on with the truck, and the impact was so severe that the vehicle was co

AGRA: Prime Minister Narendra Modis gesture of gifting a marble chess set from Agra to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit has boosted the morale of local artisans, who hope the move will bring wider recognition to their craft. The handcrafted chessboard, made of stone with intricate inlay work, reflects the traditional techniques used in the marble craftsmanship seen at the Taj Mahal. Handicraft artist Adnan Sheikh thanked the Prime Minister for highlighting Agras centuries

IndiGo cancelled more than 220 flights at Delhi and Mumbai airports on Sunday as disruptions stretched into a sixth day, even as efforts continued to restore normal operations. The airlines schedule chaos over the past few days has led to hundreds of cancellations and delays, affecting thousands of passengers. Sources said at least 112 flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport and 109 at Delhi. On Friday, IndiGo cancelled about 1,600 of its 2,300 daily flights. Disruptions eased slightly on Satur

GWALIOR: A male cheetah cub that ventured out of the Kuno National Park (KNP) died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on a highway in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district early on Sunday, police said. The incident took place on a national highway in the Ghatigaon area near the Shivpuri district border, about 3540 km from Gwalior, Gwalior Zone IG Arvind Saxena told PTI. The nearly 20-month-old cub had wandered out of Kuno National Park and got separated from its mother. It died after being h

ETAH: Two minors were killed when a firearm went off during pre-wedding celebrations in Umai Asadnagar village, Etah district, on Saturday night, police said on Sunday. According to police, the celebrations were underway with music and dancing when gunshots were heard. Twelve-year-old Suhail, son of Asuddin, died on the spot, while 17-year-old Shahkhad, son of Munna Khan, was critically injured. Both were rushed to a community health centre in Aliganj, where doctors declared Suhail dead. Shahkha

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday, while Home Minister Amit Shah will begin the discussion in Rajya Sabha on December 9. Lok Sabha has listed 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' on Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will speak after the prime minister in Lok Sabha, while opposition Congress has decided to field Deputy leader Ga

CHANDIGARH: Blaming the housing affordability, now the younger people are turning against an increased intake of newcomers. In Canada, a public opinion on immigration shifted dramatically twice in the past 30 years. These were the findings in a recent paper, 'Who Changed Their Minds? Two Shifts in Canadian Public Opinion on Immigration: 1995-2005 and 2023-24', published by the Institute of Research on Public Policys Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation. The paper written by Randy Besc

VARANASI: Varanasi Police have launched a week-long special verification drive to identify Bangladeshis, Rohingyas and other illegal immigrants living in the district. The campaign, which began on Saturday, involves checks on makeshift settlements and roadside vendors across the city, officials said on Sunday. DCP (Kashi Zone) Gaurav Banswal said police teams are verifying the identities and documents of individuals found in hutment clusters and informal work areas. Those staying without valid p

NEW DELHI: India's rapidly growing skincare market, currently valued at an impressive $2.5 billion, is set to experience remarkable growth, with experts projecting that it could potentially double in size within just a few years. This anticipated expansion is largely attributed to the rising trends of 'biohacking' and personalised skincare solutions, which focus on tailoring products to meet individual skin types and concerns. At the sixth edition of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof, organised in collabor

DEHRADUN: Former Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister and senior Congress leader, Harak Singh Rawat, found himself embroiled in controversy on Saturday after allegedly making inappropriate remarks targeting the Sikh community during a public gathering in Dehradun. The incident occurred while Rawat was expressing solidarity with striking lawyers, quickly escalating, forcing the veteran politician into a public apology. Rawat visited the ongoing agitation by the Dehradun Bar Association to show support. A

CHANDIGARH: Navjot Singh Sidhu will return to active politics if the Congress declares him as the party's chief ministerial face in Punjab, his wife and party leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has said. Navjot Kaur Sidhu further said they do not have money to give to any party but can transform Punjab into a golden state. We always speak for Punjab and Punjabiyat... but do not have Rs 500 crore which we can give to sit in chief minister's chair, she told reporters on Saturday after meeting Governor Gulab

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday urged parties involved in a sexual harassment case against Venu Gopalakrishnan, CEO of Kochis Litmus 7 Systems Consulting, to explore mediation to resolve their dispute. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan said, ...We find that in the interest of all parties, there ought to be a settlement. The matter is referred to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre. The parties are directed to appear before the Centre on 07.01.2026 in person or

NEW DELHI: Over 32,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) were co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) in 2024. This dual burden continues to be a significant public health challenge in India, according to the latest government report. The report also said that a total of six states, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, recorded the highest number of people co-infected with HIV and TB in 2024-25. The dual burden of HIV and TB continues to be a major public health challenge in India, as co-infection s

Cracks appear in Gujarat BJP, once again! Internal discord within the Gujarat BJP has flared up again after Jalalpore MLA RC Patel made controversial remarks in Vijalpore. Speaking at the foundation ceremony for a Maharana Pratap statue near Mathpuri Mataji temple, Patel directly challenged Navsari district BJP president Bhuralal Shah, stating, You handle Navsari, we will see our Vijalpore. He warned Shah would not be allowed entry after the statues installation and mocked earlier disputes over

NEW DELHI: In a major push to strengthen Indias border infrastructure, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate and dedicate 125 strategically important projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Sunday from the Shyok Tunnel in Ladakh. Sources said these vital projects that the minister will unveil cover 28 roads, 93 bridges, and four miscellaneous strategic facilities across seven states and two Union Territories, including Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himac

BHOPAL: Marriages cast their shadow on the Madhya Pradesh Assemblys winter session that concluded on Friday. On the concluding day of the four-day winter session, 14 MLAs from the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, besides the lone Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) legislator Kamleshwar Dodiyar, were absent in the Assembly for reportedly attending wedding ceremonies. On the final day, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar read out the names of six MLAs who were to raise their questions during the Questio

One popular anecdote about Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin oft-repeated by Russia-obsessed foreign commentators trying to analyse the mindset of the enigmatic leader is about a cornered rat. The story, narrated as saying by Putin himself in the book First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait by Russias President, illustrates how a young Putin once tried to drive away a big rat at his Leningrad apartment. With a stick in hand, he chased the rodent into a corner. But the playful hunt turned u

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday stepped in to address the greed of some airlines exploiting the IndiGo mess as fares went beyond 8X on some sectors. It imposed strict caps on domestic fares with the maximum of Rs 18,000 for an economy class ticket. Later in the day, the Director General of Civil Aviation slapped a show-cause notice on IndiGos CEO to respond within 24 hours why action should not be taken against him for the massive chaos. The ministry also directed IndiGo to

At least 23 people were killed in a blaze at a nightclub in North Goa following a cylinder blast late on Saturday night. Most of the victims were kitchen staff, including three women, while three to four tourists were also among the dead. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the site, told reporters that three people succumbed to burn injuries and the others died due to suffocation. Sawant said initial information suggested the nightclub had not complied with fire safety norms. The fire bro

ODISHA: Two factory workers and three fire brigade personnel were hospitalized following a chlorine gas leakage at a chemical factory in Jaora Industrial Area of western Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam district on Saturday evening. Chaos prevailed in and around a chemical factory in the industrial area, following the leakage of gas from the chlorine tank in the unit. The unit manufactured Ferric Sulphate for Pharma companies. The leakage was reported at around 6 pm from the tank having a capacity of 40 k

MUMBAI : Former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Saturday said he faced criticism from his own community for stating in a judgement that the creamy layer principle should be applied to reservation for the Scheduled Castes. In Dr B R Ambedkar's view, affirmative action was like providing a bicycle to someone who is lagging behind, he said, asking whether Ambedkar thought that such a person should never give up the bicycle. Ambedkar did not think so, he claimed. Gavai, who retired as CJI recent

NEW DELHI: IndiGo's flight cancellation continued on Saturday with nearly 800 flights cancelled across airports in the country. Indigo said it managed to operate over 1,500 flights and has begun operations in 135 out of its 138 destinations. Passengers from Delhi heaved a sigh of relief as operations commenced early on Saturday after a 24-hour shutdown. According to a spokesperson of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, a total of 147 flights were cancelled - 70 departures and 77 arrivals. T

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers, holding him accountable for the airlines ongoing operational crisis. The regulator has asked Elbers to explain, within 24 hours, the spiralling delays, cancellations and operational breakdowns that have affected IndiGo flights across the country. The DGCA warned that failure to respond could lead to punitive action under the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Re

In the wake of widespread flight disruptions by IndiGo since last week, Air India has announced a special one-time waiver on change and cancellation fees for eligible domestic bookings. The Tata Group-owned carrier, along with its subsidiary Air India Express, said the move is aimed at providing greater flexibility to passengers. Customers who booked flights until December 4 for travel up to December 15 can now reschedule without paying rescheduling fees or cancel their tickets for a full refund

NEW DELHI: Twenty-five years after they were carved out of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, the Legislative Assemblies of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have entered a milestone year with a troubling record: some of the lowest numbers of sitting days in the country. Data compiled since their formation in 2000 shows that Chhattisgarhs Assembly met for an average of just 29 days a year, while Jharkhand averaged only 23 sitting days, among the lowest for any State leg

Lucknow: Bhelupur police have arrested a cricket coach on charges of sodomy after being found accused of exploiting two boys aged 14 and 15, promising free coaching and selection in teams at different levels. The coach runs his academy on the campus of an educational institution and another at Seer Gowardhanpur. The coach was arrested after he admitted to his crime, confessing that he had sodomised a lot of boys. The incident came to light when one of his victims developed health complications a

SRINAGAR: The fate of thousands of aspirants, who are scheduled to appear in the J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) exam on Sunday, hangs in the balance due to a face-off between Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over age relaxation. Aspirants, especially those from the open merit category, have been demanding that the upper age limit be raised from 32 to 37 for the exam. Aspirants in both Kashmir and Jammu have been staging protests to demand age relaxation and political p

NEW DELHI: As Parliament prepares for a high-voltage debate on the 150th year of the national song Vande Mataram on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the discussion in the Lok Sabha, while Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi is expected to open the debate from the Opposition benches. The Prime Minister will begin the debate at 12 pm, outlining the NDA governments position. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to address the House later in the session. Other speakers f

NEW DELHI: The UK Treasury has imposed sanctions on a British national and an organisation for alleged terrorist activity in India and for supporting the Sikh extremist group Babbar Khalsa. This marks the first time London has used its domestic counter-terrorism framework to target a pro-Khalistan group, officials said. The measures include an asset freeze and a director disqualification against Gurpreet Singh Rehal, who is suspected of involvement in organisations carrying out terrorist activit

PURI: India has recorded its highest ever non-fossil capacity addition of 31.25 gigawatts (GW), including 24.28 GW of solar energy, in the current fiscal, said Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Saturday. Addressing the inaugural session of the three-day Global Energy Leaders Summit 2025 (GELS 2025) in Puri, Joshi also announced 1.5 lakh rooftop solar units for Odisha which would benefit over 7 lakh people in the state, particularly from the economically weaker sections

NEW DELHI: Amid widespread disruptions in IndiGos flight operations , political criticism intensified on Saturday, with the Congress calling the turmoil a government-made disaster born of faulty policies, negligence, and favoritism. Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee or judicial inquiry into what he described as an unprecedented crisis in the civil aviation sector and a sharp spike in airfares. The Congress

NEW DELHI: In the wake of IndiGos flight-operation crisis, which led to a surge in airfares, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or a judicial inquiry into the unprecedented disruption in the civil aviation sector and the hike in air-ticket prices. He said that the scale, speed, and severity of the disruption following the enforcement of the revised Flight Duty Time

DEHRADUN: A shocking incident at the District Hospital's post-mortem house in Haridwar has sparked outrage after family members discovered that rats had allegedly gnawed on the face, including one eye, of a deceased man's body stored overnight. The gruesome discovery early Saturday morning led to immediate fury among the relatives, culminating in vandalism within the hospital premises before police could arrive. The deceased was identified as 36-year-old Lakhan alias Lucky Sharma, manager of the

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in both Houses in Maharashtra. He added that if the appointment is not made citing rules, then the deputy chief minister's post should also be abolished as it is not a constitutional post. Uddhav raised the issue ahead of the Maharashtra assemblys winter session that is scheduled from Monday in Nagpur. The BJP-led Mahayuti government should immediately announce the Leader of the Opposition for bot

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has relaxed its two-child norm for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), tea garden tribes, and Moran and Matak communities. A notification said these communities would be eligible for government employment, contesting elections and receiving incentives for Self Help Groups. The Governor of Assam is pleased to enunciate the Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam (Amendment), 2025, Health and Family Welfare Department Commissioner and Secretary Dr

BIHAR: Top police officers of Bihar are expected to hold a state-level meeting in Purnea, a part of the Seemanchal region, on December 14-15 to discuss the states law and order situation and border security-related issues. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to attend the meeting, the first after the peoples mandate in favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recently concluded state assembly elections. The primary focus of the state-level meeting will be security and safety o

Indias tightened pilot fatigue management norms have caused significant turbulence for IndiGo this week, after the countrys largest airline acknowledged it had failed to adequately prepare its crew rosters for the new regulatory framework. The lapse triggered extensive delays and cancellations, disrupting thousands of passengers across the country. The rules introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA, were drawn up in early 2024 and rolled out in two phases this year, with the

BHOPAL: The menace of stray animals is proving deadly for humans in Madhya Pradesh. Over the last two years, a person has either lost their life or suffered grievous injuries every third day in road accidents caused by stray cattle across the state. In a written reply to a question raised by former Leader of Opposition and seven-time Congress MLA Ajay Arjun Singh, the Dr. Mohan Yadav government informed the Vidhan Sabha on Friday that 237 road accidents attributed to stray animalsparticularly ca