JAIPUR: The incident took place late Tuesday night, when a police team attempting to arrest a suspect in an assault and robbery case was met with violent resistance in Daala Wali Dhani in Sikar. Villagers, who had earlier taken three policemen hostage, attacked the rescue team by pelting stones and vandalizing police vehicles. Eleven officers, including a Circle Inspector and a Sub-Inspector, sustained injuries. The confrontation took place around 11:30 PM. Upon learning of the situation, Superi

NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 , as proposed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage. The bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency. Introducing the bill, Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out

NEW DELHI: A ceasefire violation has been reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir, with reports of unprovoked firing and an incursion by the Pakistan Army. Army Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said on Wednesday that the Indian Army responded effectively in a controlled and calibrated manner. On April 1, a mine blast occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector due to a Pakistan Army intrusion across the Line of Control. This was follo

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navys mission deployed warship has succeeded in seizing a large consignment of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean region. The Navy on Wednesday said, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarkash, a frontline frigate of the Indian Navy operating under the Western Naval Command, has successfully intercepted and seized over 2500 kg of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean. On March 31, 2025, while on patrol, INS Tarkash received multiple inputs from Indian Navy P8I aircraft regarding su

NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) , a major organisation representing Muslims in India, on Wednesday said it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court, calling it a lack law that threatens the rights of the community. The Waqf legislation is being taken up for debate and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday . If passed by the Lower House, the bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Criticising the bill at a press conference, AIMPLB member Md Adeeb claimed it i

PATNA: Poster war between the main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by Lalu Prasad and ruling Janata Dal (United) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar has begun ahead of the Bihar assembly elections due later this year. On Wednesday, posters erupted at different locations in the state capital, including Beerchand Patel Marg, where the offices of many political parties are located, drawing a parallel between two stalwarts, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. The posters claimed that the Lalu era

PATNA: Bihar is set to open a high-security prison on the lines of Delhis Tihar Prisons to contain the activities of notorious criminals and Maoist activists operating in the state. The high-security prison will be located far from urban areas, with no access to transportation or mobile phone connectivity. We are going to submit a proposal for setting up a high-security prison, the first of its kind in Bihar, to the state government soon. We hope the proposal will be approved by the government a

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the Patna High Court a PIL that raised concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar after several of them collapsed in recent months. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the Patna High Court may monitor, preferably on a monthly basis, the steps taken to ensure structural and safety audits of bridges in the state. The bench asked PIL petitioner and lawyer Brajesh Singh, state authoriti

JAUNPUR: A final-year BSc student of biotechnology at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room soon after talking to her fiance over phone, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Jaunpur on Tuesday night when Shivangi Mishra (22), who was set to tie the knot with her fiance on November 25, reportedly took the extreme step, Superintendent of Police, Kaustubh, said. A resident of Kotwalpur village under the Jalalpur police station limits,

BHOPAL : Two women Naxalites were killed in an encounter with police in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district on Wednesday morning, a senior official said. The gun-battle took place under Bichhiya police station limits, Director General Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana said. An SLR rifle, an ordinary rifle, wireless set and some items of daily use were recovered from the spot. Search was on for other Naxalites, the DGP said. More details were awaited.

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police has issued a third summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra asking him to appear on April 5 in a case registered against him for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, officials said. The summons was issued on Tuesday and Kamra (36) was asked to appear at the Khar police station where a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him last month, they said. He had been summoned twice by the police earlier but fail

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a ortuous explanation to his question on capital expenditure, asserting that the numbers conclusively proved that there was a cut in capex during 2024-25. Chidambaram said this in a statement late on Tuesday evening while responding to the answers given by Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha. The former finance minister said Sitharaman has given a laboured and tortuous explanation to a simple question on

The Centre is set to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament today , setting stage for a high-stakes showdown between the Modi-led government and the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While the government is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it unconstitutional. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the NDA with 293 MPs. On Tuesday, Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Speaker

The Centre is set to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament today , setting stage for a high-stakes showdown between the Modi-led government and the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While the government is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it unconstitutional. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the NDA with 293 MPs. On Tuesday, Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Speaker

BULDHANA: Five persons were killed in a collision of a bus and an SUV in eastern Maharashtra's Buldhana district on Wednesday morning, police said. A bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) collided with a Bolero on Khamgaon-Shegaon highway, a police official said. Soon thereafter, a private bus collided with the two vehicles, he said. Efforts were on to extricate the driver of the private bus from its mangled front cabin, the official added.

NEW DELHI: Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday advocated for the simultaneous conduct of the decadal census and a caste census in India and questioned the governments reluctance to undertake them. Kharge urged the Modi government during Zero Hour to immediately commence the two exercises. Criticising the government for the delays in conducting the census, Kharge claimed many people had been excluded from the benefits of welfare schemes

The dinner diplomacy of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu seems to have worked. Even the BJP, which had been attacking the Congress-led state government over fiscal challenges faced by the state both inside and outside the Assembly, supported the a series of amendment bills paving the way for increased salaries for the Chief Minister, Cabinet, legislators, Speaker and Deputy Speaker by 24%. However, the salary hikes come with significant trade-offs, as essential allowances f

BHOPAL/AHMEDABAD: Most of those killed in the powerful blast at the firecracker factory in Gujarats Banaskantha district on Tuesday hailed from adjoining Madhya Pradeshs Dewas and Harda districts. Five of the eight injured are critical . Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured person. State Cabinet Minister Nagar Singh Chouhan, who hails from neighbouring Gujarat, is being sent to the accident site in Guj

NEW DELHI: The opposition INDIA bloc has unanimously decided to participate in the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill and seek a division of votes during the passage of the Bill. The decision was arrived at a meeting on Tuesday evening, attended by all Opposition parties. Speaking to this newspaper, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said that all Opposition parties will vote against the Bill and will also coordinate with parties, such as YS Jagan Mohan Reddys YSRCP and Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janat

NEW DELHI: Setting the stage for a major showdown between the government and the Opposition, the Lok Sabha will take up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday, with an eight-hour-long debate allocated for its deliberation. While the government is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it unconstitutional. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the NDA with 293 MPs. Major BJP al

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has decided to permit the bike taxi service in the cities with a population of more than one lakh. Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said that the state government is implementing various initiatives to provide innovative transport services to its citizens. He said, under this scheme, the bike taxi service has been approved to provide easy transport services to the citizens. Bike taxis will now run in cities with a population of at least one lakh in

NEW DELHI: As many as 10,152 Indians are currently incarcerated abroad across 86 countries. The sixth report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, released in parliament on Tuesday said most of them are in the jails of 12 countries, including China, Kuwait, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The highest number of Indian nationals, including undertrials, are in jails in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with both countries holding over 2,

PALANPUR: Police on Tuesday arrested the owner of a godown near Deesa town in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, hours after a powerful blast and fire killed 21 persons there, officials said. Firecrackers were allegedly stored and manufactured illegally at the godown, they said. Deepak Mohnani, who owns the godown, was arrested by a team of Banaskantha police from neighbouring Sabarkantha district on Tuesday night, Inspector General of Border Range Chirag Koradia said. We have arrested the main acc

BHOPAL: A powerful explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, killed several workers, most of whom were from Madhya Pradesh's Dewas and Harda districts. At least ten of the victims were from Dewas, while at least eight others were from Harda. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav announced that Rs 2 lakh would be given to each victim's family, and Rs 50,000 would be provided to each injured worker. State cabinet minister Nagar Singh Chouhan, who comes from the r

GUWAHATI: Assam on Tuesday launched its biggest women entrepreneurship support scheme Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan, providing seed capital of Rs 10,000 each to beneficiaries for self-employment. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who launched the scheme at Behali in northern Assams Biswanath district, said it would cover 30 lakh women. We are giving Rs 10,000 today hoping that you will judiciously utilise this money for one year. You may invest it in your loom or in your husbands busin

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha will take up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown between a government determined to push it through and an opposition united in condemning the proposed law as unconstitutional. The bill is likely to come before the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with the two Houses allocated eight hours each for debating the proposed law. Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena and LJP (Ram Vilas) - th

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has withdrawn the Z-plus security cover of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia . He is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal, the former president of SAD. Sources said that orders were given to withdraw all 35 security personnel and vehicles assigned to Majithia. The security personnel were instructed to leave the city where Majithia was visiting with his family and report back to their parent units immediately.

NEW DELHI: The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday presented a united face as they discussed their joint strategy to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament which will be taken up for discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha first. The opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament House to discuss and formulate their strategy as a showdown over the contentious bill is imminent. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, NC

DEHRADUN: Health authorities in Dehradun are on high alert as the number of patients suffering from consuming contaminated buckwheat flour (Kuttu aata) has surged to 335 across the city. Among them, 227 patients have been hospitalized due to their severe conditions. The situation has escalated quickly, with 70 patients currently admitted at Doon Hospital, a hospital spokesperson reported. The sudden influx of patients has put immense pressure on local healthcare facilities, forcing some hospital

With only one day left for the retaliatory tariffs by the US to come into effect, President Trump has stated that India is set to substantially reduce its tariffs, along with other allies, before what he called Liberation Day. Speaking to the media from the Oval Office, Trump said that the US has been unfairly targeted by global trade policies and argued that his strategy was providing results. I think I heard that India just a little while ago is going to be dropping its tariffs very substantia

The RSS and the office bearers of UP unit of ruling BJP will hold a joint coordination meeting in Ghaziabad on Wednesday, aim at bolstering better coordination between the Sangh, the fountain head of the BJP, party organisation, and the state government. The meeting, likely to be attended by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, the state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, organisational secretary Dharmapal Singh and regional presidents. This committee takes place at a time when the BJP is getting ready not only t

NEW DELHI: The top hierarchy of the Indian Army have gathered in New Delhi to review the overall status of the force, security scenarios and the future course of actions. The Army Commanders' Conference is taking place from 01 - 04 April, 2025. The Army in a statement on Tuesday said, The conference serves as a platform for senior leadership of the Indian Army officials to review and assess the overall security situation and deliberate on key operational priorities to deal with emerging challeng

BHOPAL: A Muslim assistant professor at a government college in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh has been booked by the local police on Tuesday following a CCTV footage allegedly showed him damage a Rangoli with his foot. The rangoli depicted Radha-Krishna and the national flag. He was also accused of posting offensive WhatsApp statuses. Jujair Ali Rangwala, an assistant professor of chemistry at the Government Arts and Commerce College in Kannod was booked based on a complaint by the college ad

LUCKNOW: Dismissing speculation about his prime ministerial ambitions, UP CM Yogi Adityanath claimed that politics was not a full-time job for him as he was a Yogi at heart. In an interaction with a news agency, he also rejected buzz about his differences with the central leadership, saying he would not be holding the post of UP CM if that was the case. I am in this position because of the party. How can there be any differences? he questioned, adding that he cannot shut the mouth of anyone stok

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the government bringing the Waqf bill amendments, the Congress on Tuesday issued a whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha, ensuring their presence in the House for the next three days, sources said. The Congress party issued the three-line whip after the government made it clear that the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be taken up in the Lok Sabha for discussion and passage on Wednesday. Very important issues will be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday,

In a message marking 75th anniversary of their bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed on partnership between India and China for mutual achievement and the need to do the dragon-elephant tango to serve their fundamental interests. Apart from President Xi's message to his counterpart Droupadi Murmu, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the occasion, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced here. In her

NEW DELHI: The centre on Tuesday said there is no proposal for establishment of a special tribunal for dealing with the cases of alleged medical negligence. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Anupriya Patel, however, said the Medical Council of India (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 stipulates that any complaint with regard to professional misconduct of a medical practitioner can be brought before the appr

NEW DELHI: The increasing consumption of processed foods, reduced physical activity, and lifestyle changes have further intensified the growing obesity crisis in India and which is affecting both urban and rural populations, the centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply, Minister of State of Health and Family Affairs, Prataprao Jadhav, said unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles and environmental factors are key contributors to the rising prevalence of obesity. The minister s

PATNA: A 38-year-old woman was gang raped by two individuals at gunpoint after holding her husband captive in Bihars Nalanda district, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place under the Islampur police station limits around 7 pm on Sunday when the couple was returning home on their motorbike after meeting a relative. The accused stopped the couple, thrashed them and stole Rs 50,000 in cash and jewellery. When the woman resisted, the accused assaulted the couple with revolver butts causing

RANCHI: In a major disappointment for Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he was greeted with black flags by the protesters while performing puja on the occasion of Sarhul Festival at Siram Toli Sarna Sthal in Ranchi on Tuesday. A group of protesters, led by former Congress Minister Geetashri Oraon, were wearing black bands on their heads and hands while Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren performed puja at the Sarna Sthal. To avoid further disappointment, Soren and his wife performed puja in haste and le

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday suggested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look for collaborations with the academia and industries in the light of the changes being brought about by Artificial Intelligence in economic, social and technological fronts. While delivering the 21st D P Kohli memorial lecture on the 62nd Foundation Day of the CBI, Vaishnaw said things have changed with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the investigative agency shou

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended its interim order of granting protection to popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia after multiple FIRs were registered against him -- in Mumbai, Jaipur and Guwahati -- over his alleged remarks on parents and sex during comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent. While extending the interim protection to Allahbadia, a two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, however, refused to pass immedia

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently in an order rejected the review plea of Anil Aggarwal Foundation, challenging its earlier 2023 decision upholding the verdict of Odisha High Court which had ruled the land acquisition for establishment of Vedanta University in Puri, null and void. Aggarwal, who plans to establish the Vedanta University in Puri, is the Chairman of Vedanta Resources, the mining company. He is the Non-Executive Chairman of Vedanta Limited, founded in 1976. A two-judge bench of

CHANDIGARH: As US President Donald Trump is all set to launch reciprocal tariffs on April 2, exporters and manufacturers in Punjab and Haryana are a really worried lot. President World MSE Forum Badish Jindal said that auto parts, garments, hosiery, steel products and fasteners are likely to be hit by Trump's move. We do Rs 50 lakh crore import of which Rs 9 lakh crore worth products are imported from China. Our exports to China is worth Rs one lakh crores. Our export is to the tune of Rs 30 lak

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh govt was at the receiving end on Tuesday, as the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Yogi Adityanath government and Prayagraj Development Authority over the illegal act of demolishing homes without following the due process of law. This shocks our conscience, the court held while referring to the demolitions even as it termed the misconduct of the UP government as inhumane and illegal. Warning the UP govt for its lackadaisical attitude in not following the due pro

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government and Prayagraj Development Authority calling its demolition of homes in the city inhuman and illegal. Observing the demolition action was carried out in a high handed manner, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said there was ule of law in the country and residential structures of citizens couldn't be demolished in such fashion. This shocks our conscience . There is something called right to shel

KOLKATA: A bomb threat triggered panic at the Indian Museum on Tuesday, prompting security personnel to launch a search operation, officials said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for the museum's security, informed the New Market police station, following which a thorough search was initiated, they said. The museum was closed to visitors until a clearance was received from the police, sources said. According to the officials, the museum authorities received an email whi

CHANDIGARH: A court in Mohali today sentenced 42-year-old self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, also known as 'Yeshu Yeshu Prophet,' to life imprisonment till death for a sexual harassment case filed against him in 2018. Additional District and Sessions judge of SAS Nagar Vikrant Gupta, pronounced the judgment as Bajinder Singh was brought from Patiala jail and produced before him amid tight security. Life imprisonment till death signifies a life sentence with no possibility of parole or release, m

JAIPUR: Three people died and over 50 others fell sick as toxic gas leaked from a tanker parked at a chemical factory in Beawar district of Rajasthan, an official said. He said the factory owner and two others have died. District collector Mahendra Khadgawat said nitric acid leak at an illegally operated factory in a residential area in Badiya locality led to 53 people falling sick late on Monday night. The situation was controlled in time, he said. According to Superintendent of Police Shyam Si

NEW DELHI: Noting that Bharat is determined to uproot Naxalism for good by March 31, 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that the country has achieved a new milestone by significantly reducing the number of districts most affected by Left-Wing Extremism to just six from 12. The Home Minister said, Taking a giant stride towards building a Naxal-free Bharat, today our nation achieved a new milestone by significantly reducing the number of districts most affected by left-wing e