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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: 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

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh, with intensified strict vigilance, has cracked down on the transportation of paddy from other states and seized over one lakh quintals so far in separate cases ever since the procurement began from November 15. The state has launched special campaigns in different districts, with alert and rigorous monitoring underway. There are continuous checks, check posts set up in districts and along state borders, besides keeping track of GPS-equipped vehicles used for foodgrain trans

The Indian Railways on Saturday announced 84 special trains, set to make 104 trips, to help people facing travel disruptions due to the mass flight cancellations by IndiGo. According to the Railway Ministry, the trains were arranged in the shortest possible time after assessing passenger traffic in major hubs including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and Howrah. Officials said the number of special services may increase depending on demand. All zones have been instructed to utilise

A team of experts who visited the Kenduadih area of Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, which reported a toxic gas leak incident on Wednesday, has recorded carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the air as dangerously high, at up to 1,500 parts per million (PPM). At least two women were killed while over 20 others complained of vomiting and headache, allegedly due to leakage of toxic carbon monoxide gas in the Putki Balihari Colliery Area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL)in Dhanbad's Kenduadih. Officials a

NEW DELHI: In a major push to make highways encroachment free, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has launched a special month-long campaign to identify and clear unauthorised occupations along National Highways across the country. The drive, which began on December 1, aims to improve road safety and ensure smoother traffic movement. According to the officials, all Regional Officers (ROs) of the ministry, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infr

NEW DELHI: The Quad grouping has called for bringing the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of last month's terror incident near Red Fort in Delhi to justice and urged all UN member states to cooperate on it. The Quad, which comprises India, the US, Australia and Japan, also unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms including cross-border terrorism. Fifteen people were killed and several others injured in the terror incident on November 10. Ways to expand cooperation to combat terr

DEHRADUN: A recent analysis on nearly half a million children across Uttarakhand has exposed a deeply concerning 'nutrition emergency,' revealing widespread child malnutrition that threatens the State's future economic potential. The study, which reviewed data from 4.83 lakh children aged 0 to 5 across all 13 districts, shows that despite previous accolades, the States nutritional health has severely deteriorated. The alarming findings, compiled by Dr Kirti Kumari, Scientist at Krishi Vigyan Ken

LUCKNOW: With 2027 state assembly polls inching closer, political players, eyeing Dalit votes, are out to woo the community as it makes a substantial chunk of UP electorate. If Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former UP CM Mayawati has got into active mode convening marathon meetings to invigorate the cadre on the ground to bring back her Dalit vote into party favour, Samajwadi Party president and also a former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav is harping on Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (PDA) narrative

KOLKATA: Chowringhee Assembly constituency in Kolkata has recorded the highest number of uncollectable enumeration forms (EFs) in West Bengal at 71,505, while Jorashanko comes next with 67,578 till Friday night. The abnormally high number of such forms in assembly areas such as Chowringhee, Jorashanko, Kolkata Port, Ballygunj and Bhawanipore, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had contested in a bypoll in 2021 and won, has raised the eyebrows of Election Commission of India (ECI) officials. Th

JAMMU: Four members of a family were killed after their car toppled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Saturday, officials said. The accident took place on the Drabshalla link road, about 25 km from Kishtwar town, when the family was returning to their residence in Dessa village in Doda after paying obeisance at Sarthal Mata temple, they added. Prima facie, the driver of the car lost control while negotiating a blind curve, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and

GUWAHATI: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of music icon Zubeen Garg will submit the charge sheet in the court on December 12. SIT head and Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta told the media on Saturday that the investigation was nearing completion. We will file the charge sheet of the case in the court on December 12. The probe is almost complete. We arrested seven persons and recorded the statements of more than 300 people, Gupta said without elaborating further. Chief

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, dubbed the construction of Ram temple on Ram Janmabhoomi premises in the temple town as the biggest achievement which re-established a virasat (legacy) in the country, leading to a lasting peace. He felt it was the biggest victory of Indian democracy and a stepping stone for investment, taking the States development trajectory upward. The UP CM was speaking at an event on Saturday, which, coincidentally, was the 25th anniversary

CHANDIGARH: With an eye on the 2027 assembly elections, the Himachal Pradesh Congress unit president Vinay Kumar said the Himachal Pradesh Congress will be re-constituted within three months. He said that the block presidents would be appointed first, followed by district presidents and then the state working committee. Kumar emphasised the need for unity within the party, highlighting his strong relationships with party members and his aims to bring equality and adequate representation for wome

CHANDIGARH: With 14 months remaining before the Punjab Assembly elections, the wait for the 40 km QadianBeas rail line is finally nearing an end after 100 years. The Indian Railways has officially decided to restart work on the project, even though construction had begun nearly a century ago under the British. The line had remained in the freeze category for years due to alignment constraints, land acquisition issues, and local political roadblocks. Sources said that a letter from the Chief Admi

GUWAHATI: National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) leader Thuingaleng Muivah mourned the death of Swaraj Kaushal, the first Indian interlocutor to engage in peace talks with the outfit in 1998 in Bangkok during the Prime Ministership of Atal Behari Vajpayee. I am deeply saddened by the news of the demise of former Indian Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga peace talks, Mr Swaraj Kaushal. He was a renowned lawyer and politician who was held in high regard by both the Indians and the Nagas, said Mui

HAMIRPUR: A man lost four fingers in an explosion that occurred at a shop in Barsar town in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district on Saturday morning, police said. The explosion was sudden and so intense that it took locals by surprise. Atul (22), a resident, sustained serious injuries to his fingers and hand. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Barsar, from where he was transferred to the PGI, Chandigarh, for treatment. Atul was working on the roof of his friend's bike repair shop when the lo

CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking an extension of the last date for filing nomination papers for Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections. They are alleging that widespread incidents of tearing, snatching and destruction of nomination forms on December 4 had prevented several candidates from filing valid nomination forms Also, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded that the deadline for filing nominatio

AHMEDABAD: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated Banas Dairy's Bio-CNG and Fertilizer Plant in Banaskantha. He also laid the foundation stone for a new milk powder and baby food facility. Shah said the circular economy model will boost dairy farmers income by 20% within five years, marking what he called a decisive step toward White Revolution 2.0. Amit Shah is on a three-day tour of Gujarat. With the inauguration of Banas Dairys state-of-the-art Bio-CNG and Ferti

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while observing Samhati Diwas on Saturday, appealed to people to maintain peace and integrity. She vowed to continue her fight against those political forces who are fanning the flames of communal hatred and playing a destructive game against the nation. Mamatas appeal for communal harmony come at a time when the State braced for a tense situation after the suspended rebel and Trinamool Congress MLA Hymayun Kabir laid the foundation stone

NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at the government over the IndiGo flight disruptions, the Congress on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised ease of air travel but gave cease of air travel and asked whether Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu would take responsibility for the unprecedented crisis. The opposition party claimed that the ongoing IndiGo chaos was not an accident but the direct outcome of the BJP government's elentless push to manufacture a duopoly in the sector. W

Suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, on the anniversary of the 16th-century religious structure's violent demolition by a Hindutva mob in 1992. Kabir, who had announced the foundation-laying ceremony earlier this month, cut a ceremonial ribbon alongside visiting clerics while slogans of Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar were raised at the venue in Beldanga, whe

CHENNAI: IndiGos massive operational breakdown, marked by widespread cancellations and delays across major Indian airports, has triggered a strong intervention by the government. In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has ordered IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds by 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7, 2025. The directive comes with a stern warning: failure to comply will result in immediate regulatory action. Passengers whose flights were cancelled or disrupted are now guarant

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday appreciated Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his focused and determined approach to restore the Union territory's economy following a major setback to J-K's tourism sector. Reflecting on the nation's economic journey since 2019, marked by a sequence of unprecedented global and domestic challenges, the finance minister highlighted the specific efforts underway in Jammu and Kashmir. Without naming Pakistan, she said

KOLKATA: Popular Bengali actor Anirban Chakraborty had a close shave on Saturday when his car was hit by a bus in Kolkata, police said. The incident took place near Charu Market in south Kolkata when Chakraborty and his driver were travelling in the car. The actor said both of them were safe, but the car suffered major damage. The bus was plying along a south-north route with commuters on board. According to an eyewitness, a two-wheeler suddenly came in front of the car, and to prevent a collisi

NEW DELHI: A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content. Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards, Shinde said. The Bill also lists

The central government on Saturday stepped in to curb unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing operational chaos at IndiGo, which has left passengers stranded across the country. A press release from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the issue had been taken very seriously and that the ministry had invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes. The move aims to protect passengers from opportunistic pricing and f

Residents across parts of north and eastern India woke up to biting cold on Saturday, with temperatures dipping well below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In Kolkata, the mercury plunged to 14.5 degrees Celsius, the coldest morning this season and 2.1 degrees below normal. The maximum temperature in the city is expected to hover around 26 degrees Celsius, with misty and foggy conditions likely in the evening. Other parts of Gangetic West Bengal are also experienci

NEW DELHI: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi lashed out at attempts to distort and demean former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy, calling it a systematic attempt to rewrite history and destroy the nation's foundations. Accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of vilifying the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi claimed that their goal is to destroy the social, political, and economic foundations of the country. Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the

NEW YORK: A 24-year-old Indian student in the US has died after suffering severe injuries in a house fire, according to the Indian mission here. Sahaja Reddy Udumala waspursuing a Masters degree in Albany, New York. The Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X on Friday (local time) that it is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Udumala, who lost her life in the house fire incident in Albany. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences to her family during this difficult time,

BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday termed the Delhi Police's notice to him, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case, as harassment and said he will fight it legally. Condemning the move, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, questioned the need for a separate police probe when the ED had already filed a chargesheet in connection with the case. The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW

Indias aviation sector remained under severe strain on Saturday as IndiGos operations failed to stabilise, leading to hundreds of fresh cancellations across major airports. The disruptions, now in their fifth straight day, left thousands of passengers stranded and intensified scrutiny from the civil aviation regulator. Although airport authorities claimed operations were gradually resuming, queues, delays and crowding persisted across terminals nationwide. Many passengers reached airports only t

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to get global recognition as World Book of Records (WBR), London has listed his name for being the only individual to be sworn-in as chief minister of any state in independent India for 10th time. WBR congratulated Nitish for taking the oath of office as chief minister of Bihar for a record 10th time. In its congratulatory letter, WBR said that from 1947 to 2025, Nitish is the only individual to take the oath ten times. The milestone has set a benc

GONDIA: Three passengers were killed when a private bus coming from Chhattisgarh collided with a stationary truck near a village in Gondia district of Maharashtra, police said on Friday. Eight passengers of the Chhattisgarh-registered bus were critically injured in the accident which took place on National Highway-53 near Dhobisarad village under Deori tehsil shortly after midnight on Thursday, they said. The bus, belonging to a private travel agency, was going from Kawardha in Chhattisgarh to C

NEW DELHI: Even as the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Friday said it would hear all appeals in the Thiruparankundram Karthigai Deepam case on December 12, the issue triggered an acrimonious exchange between BJP and DMK members in the Lok Sabha. The ruckus began during the Zero Hour after senior DMK leader TR Baalu raised concerns over the verdict by the high court. The HC judge had allowed petitioners to light the lamp on a stone pillar, Deepathoon, on the Thiruparankundram hill again

BAHARAMPUR: West Bengal braces for a politically fraught Saturday as suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir pushes ahead with the foundation-laying ceremony for a 'Babri Masjid-style' mosque in Murshidabad, triggering high alert and sharpened political messaging on a date laden with communal sensitivities. The Beldanga site, where Kabir claimed hree lakh people would assemble, has been sealed into a high-security grid, with deployment of RAF, district police, and central forces on both sides of the Na

RANCHI:Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren urged the tribal communities across the country to stand united, warning that otherwise they may face extinction. He used the ig fish eat little fish proverb to buttress his point. Asserting that the tribal community never receives its due place in the census, Soren said it was time to fight for their rights, as challenges will continue to increase. Today, the people have chosen me as the chief minister of Jharkhand. But I know that as we move forwar

SRINAGAR: In a step towards extending Kashmirs rail connectivity up to the border town of Uri, close to the Line of Control (LoC), the Railways has completed the survey for 46-km BaramullaUri rail link and prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the project having strategic importance. The construction of a railway line between Baramulla and Uri will provide all-weather rail connectivity to the border district even during harsh winter. At present, Baramulla is the last railway station in no

PATNA: The ruling NDA on Friday launched a blistering attack on the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav for skipping majority of sittings in the state assemblys winter session. The Assemblys winter session had five sittings, but Tejashwi participated in the proceedings for only first two days. Since then, he was conspicuous by his absence in the House proceedings that concluded on Friday. It is worth noting that Tejashwi chose to give the swe

BHOPAL: An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has uncovered alleged misuse of land leased in the IT Parks of Bhopal and Jabalpur. These plots, meant for information technology and allied firms, were found to house a nursing college, a medicine storehouse, and units manufacturing electric equipment and water-pump starters. The audit, carried out in June 2023 across IT Parks in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, showed that 11 out of 20 completed units were engaged in activities

NEW DELHI: Political tempers ran high on Friday after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor appeared on the guest list for the state dinner hosted for Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were conspicuously left out. The controversy erupted just a day after Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of breaking tradition and not allowing foreign dignitaries to meet the LoP out of insecurity. A furious Congress hit back at the

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir V Putin confirmed that, to narrow the massive trade deficit with India, Russian businesses will ramp up the supply of Indian goods, and both governments have agreed to work on reducing challenges created by tariff and non-tariff barriers. Meeting in New Delhi on Friday at the 23rd India-Russia Summit, the two countries, along with several delegates from both sides, set an ambitious goal of reaching $100 billion in trade by 2030, or earlier. Given the signifi