LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced plans on Tuesday for a comprehensive Urban Redevelopment Policy aimed at the holistic rejuvenation of cities across Uttar Pradesh. Speaking at a Housing Department meeting, Yogi said that the cities were not merely clusters of buildings but vibrant social structures while stressing the need for a policy that integrates modernity, tradition, and humanity. The new policy aims at focusing on transforming old, dilapidated, and unused areas with moder

Former Election Commissioner, Ashok Lavasa, IAS (retd.), says the Election Commission of Indias Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar was abrupt, aggressive and ambitious and avoidable at this point in time. Answering a range of questions over the controversy the exercise generated, he says that it is for the Commission to clarify the procedure it will adopt for the nationwide SIR. Excerpts: Preetha Nair: What is your opinion about Bihar SIR? I have gone on record to s

NEW DELHI: Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who served as the Pilot-in-Command of the Air India flight which crashed in Ahmedabad , and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) have moved the Supreme Court seeking direction for the constitution of a panel for a judicially monitored probe into the horrific accident. A writ petition running into 267 pages was filed on October 10 in the Supreme Court against the Union of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and

AHMEDABAD: A courtroom in Ahmedabad, Gujarat witnessed a flashpoint when an enraged appellant hurled an object at a judge after his appeal was dismissed. The judge, however, took a restrained stand, directing staff not to act against him. The unprecedented act has triggered strong condemnation from the Gujarat Judicial Service Association which has called it an assault on judicial independence and demanded immediate security reinforcement. A heated moment ripped through the Ahmedabad sessions co

RANCHI: In an unfortunate incident in Garhwa, a class 12 girl, who was beaten and mentally tortured by the principal in school assembly for wearing slippers on September 15, died on Tuesday after being in a coma for nearly a month. Infuriated family members and villagers blocked the Bargarh-Bhandaria Road with the dead body, demanding action against the principal and the school management. The family members alleged that the girl lost her life due to mental torture by the principal in the school

BHOPAL: Ahead of Diwali, the Madhya Pradesh government approved a series of proposals on Tuesday, targeting the soybean and millet farmers and pensioners in the state. Aiming to boost the interests of the soybean farmers in the state, which is considered the countrys soybean bowl, the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, approved the implementation of the Bhavantar Yojana, price deficit payment scheme of the central government. Under the special scheme for the Kharif s

NEW DELHI: With barely 48 hours remaining for the first phase of nominations in the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress on Tuesday said that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) may finalise the seat-sharing formula on Wednesday , and it will make a formal announcement soon. Speaking to this newspaper, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Bihars Katihar, Tariq Anwar, said that the main allies, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), will conclude the talks on Wednesday and announce the seat-sha

NEW DELHI: With the Bihar Assembly elections poised to turn into a triangular battle owing to the entry of Prashant Kishors newly launched Jan Suraaj Party, the ruling National Democratic Alliance ( NDA ) is ramping up its campaign plans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address more than 10 public rallies during the first two phases of polling, scheduled for November 6 and November 11, covering a total of 122 assembly constituencies, sources said. Sources said that PM Modis rallies w

NEW DELHI: In a state where caste calculus defines electoral outcomes, the BJPs first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections is a textbook exercise in political social engineering. Released amid intense jockeying over seat shares within the NDA, the list reflects a sharpened strategy to retain core voters, recapture lost ground, and counter emerging threats while sparing no effort not to alienate the traditional upper-caste supporters. The partys approach is notably caste-calibra

BHOPAL: Two more arrests have been made in the case related to the acute kidney failure deaths of at least 23 kids caused by Coldrif cough syrup poisoning in Chhindwara and adjoining districts of southern Madhya Pradesh. Rajesh Soni, the prime stockist of the concerned cough syrup in Parasia town of Chhindwara district and Saurabh Jain, the pharmacist in the medical store from which most parents purchased the cough syrup, have been arrested. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has

Pakistan suffered significant military losses during Operation Sindoor, with over 100 military personnel killed along the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army's Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, said on Tuesday. The General cited Pakistan's own list of posthumous military awards as evidence of the casualties. In addition to the ground losses, Lt Gen Ghai confirmed that Pakistan lost a minimum of 12 aircraft during the four-day conflict, echoing previous details sh

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is understood to have lost over 100 military personnel along the Line of Control during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army's Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai said on Tuesday, citing the list of awards conferred posthumously by that country's military. The top military official also said that Pakistan lost at least 12 aircraft during the conflict in May while echoing the details shared by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh a few days ago. Lt G

NEW DELHI: Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of 52-year-old climate activist, Sonam Wangchuk, who has filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention, on Tuesday also filed an affidavit in the top court and said that she has een put under surveillance. I am being followed and am under surveillance in Delhi constantly. I have observed this fact after I came to Delhi on Septemner 30 and held a press conference in Delhi on the same day. As soon as I step out of my accommodation in Delhi, a car

RANCHI: In a major crackdown against red rebels, the Jharkhand Police has arrested a total of 266 Maoists from January to September 2025, including two Regional Committee Members, one Zonal Commander, two Sub-Zonal Commanders and nine Area Commanders. Counting the achievement of Jharkhand police in 2025, IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson Micheal Raj S informed that 32 Maoists were also killed in the police encounters, including two central committee members, carrying a reward of

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a bunch of petitions challenging the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) opaque policy on releasing Civil Services Preliminary Examination answer keys, following the Commission's recent affidavit agreeing to publish provisional keys immediately after the prelims. The order, which was delivered by a Bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar paves the way for enhanced transparency in future exams while granting petitioners lib

NEW DELHI: General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff, on Tuesday said that under financial constraints, the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping missions have to be planned at smaller scales and will have to move towards preventive diplomacy. He said that reduced funding for UN missions will be a reality, and missions have to be planned with fewer boots on the ground and more reliance on tech. With reduced numbers on the ground, we could also visualise UN Peacekeeping moving more towards preventi

NEW DELHI: With the Bihar Assembly elections and by-elections in eight constituencies across seven States and Union Territories on the cards, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has tightened oversight on political advertising, especially on electronic and social media. The ECI on Tuesday directed all political parties and candidates to seek pre-certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) before publishing any political advertisements across electronic platfor

NEW DELHI: In a bid to ensure clean toilets for the travelling public, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a reward of Rs 1,000 to anyone who can capture an unhygienic toilet along any National Highway (NH) and report it to the authority. The amount will be awarded in the form of FASTag recharge, said an official release. The release said the unique Clean Toilet Picture Challenge will encourage public participation in ensuring clean toilets. The challenge is on till Octo

PATNA: Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on Tuesday released the list of its candidates for the six assembly seats that have been allotted to the party as part of a seat-sharing deal within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the Bihar assembly elections. According to the list, Deepa Kumari will contest from Imamganj (Reserved) seat while Anil Kumar has been fielded from Tekari. Similarly, Jyoti Devi will be the partys official candidate from Barachatti (Reserv

SRINAGAR: The chances of J&K BJP chief Sat Pal Sharma securing a seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Jammu and Kashmir have brightened after People's Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday announced that he would abstain from the voting. I will not vote for the NC candidate in the RS polls. I will die but never vote for NC. I would have voted for Congress or any other secular party if they had fielded a candidate. How would I face my workers if I vote for NC, Sajad told r

PATNA: Popular folk singer Maithili Thakur made her political debut on Tuesday and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections. She took membership of the BJP in the presence of a host of senior leaders, including state president Dilip Jaiswal. I will follow whatever instructions are given to me. Contesting an election is not my goal. I will abide by the order given to me by the party leadership, she said, after taking membership of the saffron party in Pa

DEHRADUN: As the festive glow of Diwali approaches, Uttarakhands Forest Department is bracing for an annual surge in illegal owl poaching, leading officials to cancel staff leave and heighten surveillance across reserves. The tension stems from deeply entrenched local superstitions surrounding the bird during the festival of lights. Authorities fear that the demand driven by these beliefs will lead to hunting and trafficking of owls, which are fully protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act,

JAIPUR: Barely a week after a horrific fire tragedy at Jaipurs SMS Hospital claimed eight lives, on Tuesday, 15 people were killed and another 15 passengers were seriously injured when a private bus traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire. Official sources say that around 15 people have died, though unofficial estimates say that the casualty figure may be much higher. Several of the injured, including women and children, are reported to be in critical condition. According to officials, t

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that the government plans to set up the sixth regional hub of the Black Cat counter terrorism commando force NSG in Uttar Pradesh's temple town Ayodhya. The National Security Guard has regional hubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Gandhinagar, along with a small unit called task force in Jammu. While addressing the 41 st Raising Day of the National Security Guard at its headquarters in Haryanas Manesar, the Home Minister a

LUCKNOW: Stones were thrown at the convoy of prominent Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad by a few miscreants in Lucknow on Monday night. However, no one was injured in the attack. The window of Maulanas car was broken, and he alleged that the attackers tried to kill him by breaking the glass while he was on his way to Karbala Abbas Bagh in Thakurganj area to inspect an encroachment. After the incident, Maulana sat on a protest on the road with his supporters. Based on his complaint, the police fi

DEHRADUN: In a significant move reflecting compassion over rigid legal structures, the Uttarakhand government has provided major relief to couples married to partners from Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan by bypassing traditional barriers of social customs and caste laws. The State Cabinet, in a meeting held on Monday, approved an amendment to the rules governing the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), allowing marriage registration for spouses from these neighboring nations. This decision a

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended its stay on the ED's money laundering probe against Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) in the alleged Rs 21,000 crore scam, till the top court passes an order on the pending review pleas challenging certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A two-judge bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran -- who was hearing the petitions filed by the State of Tamil Nadu and TASMAC challenging

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Ladakh administration alleged that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state, maintenance of public order and services essential to the community... The affidavit filed by the district magistrate of Lehsought to defend the legal charges against the activist, stressing that his detention order under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) was passed after duly consideri

CHANDIGARH: Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday asserted that the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide, will get justice and also said if no action is taken in the matter, then no Dalit family will ever encourage its children to become IAS or IPS officers. Paswan on Tuesday met the family of Kumar at his residence here to express condolences. Kumar (52), a 2001-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7. Addressing the medi

The Mahagathbandhan alliance may announce its seat-sharing formula for Bihar assembly polls by Wednesday morning, Congress national spokesperson Abhay Dubey said on Tuesday. Dubey said that the BJP's announcement of its partial candidates' list clearly indicated friction within the NDA camp. Nitish Kumar is neither meeting journalists nor his own party leaders. An MP, Ajay Kumar Mandal, resigned after being denied access to the CM, while another MLA, Gopal Mandal, was seen waiting outside his re

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has removed its national secretary, Muskan Mishra, from her post after she met Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya on Sunday, October 13. Raju Das is the same priest who had used abusive language against SP founder and patriarch late Mulayam Singh Yadav, as well as party president Akhilesh Yadav, during the Mahakumbh. Muskan Mishra, who served as the national secretary of the SPs womens wing, was removed from her position after a video surfaced showing he

BHOPAL: Seven police personnel from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested in two separate criminal cases over the last three days. On Sunday, two constables from Bhopals Piplani police station, Santosh Bamania and Saurabh Arya, were arrested for brutally assaulting 22-year-old B.Tech (Cyber Security) student Udit Gayake, leading to his death on October 14. Based on the autopsy report, which revealed over a dozen injuries, including severe internal wounds such as head trauma and a ruptured pancreas s

NEW DELHI: India has been a eliable partner in Mongolia's development and both the nations support a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday after holding wide-ranging talks with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. Ukhnaa landed in New Delhi on Monday on a four-day visit to India, his first to the country as president. Following his talks with the visiting leader, Modi said India will extend free e-visas to people from Mongolia. The oil refinery

NEW DELHI: Student activist Sharjeel Imam, whos currently in jail in connection with 2020 Delhi riots case, on Tuesday withdrew his plea before a court here seeking a 14-day interim bail to file his nomination and campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. Imam's counsel submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai that as his client's regular bail plea was pending before the Supreme Court, the interim relief would be sought from the top court. Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim told

NEW DELHI: One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common illnesses in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations monitored, with an average annual rise of 515 per cent. Data reported to the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) fr

AHMEDABAD: A cabinet reshuffle in Gujarat appears imminent following a high-stakes meeting in Delhi between Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJPs top state and national leadership. With regional and caste equations, upcoming local body elections, and the rising influence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in play, major political realignments are expected within days. Many sitting ministers are likely to be dropped, while younger, strategically chosen MLAs are tipped for elevation. All eyes are now on

DARJEELING: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited landslide-hit Mirik in Darjeeling district and met the affected people. A total of 32 people have been killed, including 27 in Mirik and Darjeeling alone, and thousands rendered homeless in floods and landslides in north Bengal earlier this month following heavy rain. This was Banerjee's second visit to the landslide-hit area. Banerjee met with the families of the victims and assured them of all help from the administratio

Days after the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar sparked nationwide outrage, another case of suspected suicide of a police officer has surfaced from Haryana, adding a shocking twist. Sandeep Kumar, posted as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Rohtak's cyber cell, died by suicide on Tuesday, after raising serious allegations against the slain cop, Puran Kumar. In a video message reportedly recorded before his death, Sandeep alleged Y Puran Kumar was a corrupt copwho ended his life as he feared his al

RANCHI: Registering their presence once again in the Saranda jungles, the CPI (Maoists) unleashed violence by setting ablaze another mobile tower in Bahda village under the Chotanagara area late on Monday night, creating panic among locals. Earlier on Saturday, the Maoists had torched a mobile tower in Kolbonga village under the Jaraikela police station area. These attacks coincide with the Maoists Resistance Week, being observed by them across five states, including Jharkhand. According to loca

RANCHI: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested seven accused from Maharashtra and Gujarat in Jharkhands high-profile liquor scam case. Those arrested include Mahesh Shedge, Jagan Desai, Kamal Desai, Sheetal Desai, and Bipin Parmar. According to ACB officials, the arrests were made during coordinated operations across the two states. The accused are being brought to Ranchi on transit remand and will be produced before the ACBs special court. According to ACB officials, all the arrested ind

GUWAHATI: National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) Ato Kilonser (Prime Minister) Thuingaleng Muivah is set to visit his native Somdal village in Manipurs Ukhrul district on 22 September, marking a historic return after 61 years. Muivah, now 91, left his village in 1964 to join the Naga National Council, which waged an armed struggle to secure the Nagas right to self-determination. He had earlier intended to visit Somdal in May 2010 after receiving clearance from the Ministry of Home Affai

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The saffron party will field Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha from Tarapur and Lakhisarai seats, respectively. Former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad and state minister Renu Devi will contest from Katihar and Bettiah, respectively. State ministers Nitish Mishra will seek re-election from the Jhanjharpur seat and Mangal Pandey from Si

SRINAGAR: In what comes as good news for the BJP, Peoples Conference (PC) chairman and MLA Sajad Gani Lone has announced that his party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He also alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah denied a Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress on the behest of the BJP. Addressing a press conference, Sajad Lone accused Omar Abdullah of refusing to give a Rajya Sabha seat from J&K to his partys ally, the Congress. According to Lo

RANCHI: Thirteen children, including a girl, were rescued from a train in Jharkhand while they were being allegedly trafficked to Goa, officials said on Tuesday. Acting on intelligence inputs on Monday evening that some children were being trafficked through the Vasco da Gama (VSG) Weekly Express, RPF personnel boarded the train at Muri station, they said. The personnel kept an eye on the children till the train reached the Ranchi station, where they were rescued. The children were aged between

One of the most prominant Naxalite leaders, Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi, laid down arms late Monday night, taking with him 60 other cadres, marking a significant setback for the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Bhupathi, along with the cadres, including a member of the central committee and ten members of a divisional committee, surrendered before the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. Venugopal alias Bhupathi alias Sonu was considered one of the most influential strategists i

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared plans for the tech giants first-ever AI hub in Andhra Pradeshs Visakhapatnam. Sharing the news on X, Pichai wrote, Great to speak with India PM Narendra Modi to share our plans for the first-ever Google AI hub in Visakhapatnam, a landmark development. He added, This hub combines gigawatt-scale compute capacity, a new international subsea gateway, and large-scale energy infrastructure. Through it we will bring ou

Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi urges Prime Minister and the Haryana Chief Minister to take immediate action following the death of Haryana police officer Y Puran Kumar. Speaking to reporters after meeting the Kumars family, Gandhi stressed that the issue affects all Dalit families. He also alleged that Kumar faced systematic discrimination intended to demoralise him and damage his career. After landing at the airport here, Gandhi reached Kumar's residence in Sector 24 at 11:08 am to of

CHANDIGARH: Security agencies are facing a fresh technical hurdle in the fight against cross-border smuggling, as drones used by traffickers from Pakistan are now reportedly equipped with failsafe mechanisms that allow them to return to their launch points if disrupted by anti-drone systems. Sources in the state police said many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carrying drugs and weapons are programmed to sense interference from jamming, locking, or neutralisation attempts, triggering an automati

KATRA/JAMMU: Two Vaishnodevi pilgrims were among three killed and two others injured when a three-wheeler collided with a bus in Katra on Tuesday, officials said. The bus was heading from Katra towards Udhampur when the accident took place near Serli check post in Katra. Those killed in the accident were identified as auto driver Jeet Lal and pilgrims Vachitar Kumar Sahu, and Joginder Matari (66), residents of Odisha. Two other injured devotees -- Kavita Sahu and Sneh Lata Matari from Odisha --

NEW DELHI: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday reviewed the availability of fertilisers for the ongoing Rabi cropping season, cautioning officials to ensure adequate and timely supply amid expectations of a surge in demand. Officials said the demand for fertilisers is projected to rise sharply this Rabi season (OctoberMay) owing to higher water storage levels in 161 reservoirs across the country, currently holding 103.51% of last years capacity and 115%