The New Indian Express News

NEW DELHI: Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-GRAMG) 2025 past midnight on Thursday amidst protest and sloganeering by the Opposition. It was earlier passed in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and subsequently introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moved the Bill to establish a modern statutory framework ali

MUMBAI: The BJP has finalised a seat-sharing formula of 150:50:27 for the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, Asias largest civic body, scheduled for January 15 next year. Under the formula, the BJP plans to contest 150 seats, while 50 seats have been offered to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena, and 27 seats to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawarled NCP, if it comes on board. The seat-sharing arrangement was discussed at a meeting between BJP Mumbai unit pr

DEHRADUN: A court in Dehradun has sentenced a local temple priest to three years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a 14-year-old girl on the first Monday of the holy month of Sawan in 2023. The ruling was delivered by the Special Judge (POCSO) court of Archana Sagar, which convicted the priest, Narendra Prasad Dimri, a resident of Dangwal Marg, Chukhukwala. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 on the convict. According to Assistant Public Prosecutor Alpa

BHOPAL: A middle-aged couple identified as Kanhaiya Lal Paranwal and Smriti Paranwal were found dead under c inside their duplex house in Madhya Pradeshs Indore city on Thursday. Their residence is located at a Satellite Junction residential colony, just outside the Indus Satellite Green township under the Lasudia police station area. While Kanhaiya Lal (50) was found dead on the bed in the room, his wife Smriti was found dead inside the toilet adjoining the room. Intolerable stench and the heav

JAIPUR: The Supreme Courts recent ruling, issued on the recommendation of the central government, to limit the definition of the Aravalli mountain range to landforms rising more than 100 metres above their surroundings, has triggered sharp opposition in Rajasthan. Joining the growing protests, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has warned that the decision could lead to huge ecological damage. Gehlot termed the ruling a red carpet for illegal mining, and a direct invitation to environmental dest

NEW DELHI: Substantial cases of signal failures at an average of 2,961 incidents per annum in the South Western Railway zone reflect poorly on the reliability and availability of signalling systems, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The audit examined the performance of the Signal and Telecommunication (S&T) Department of three Divisions, Hubballi, Bengaluru and Mysuru, of South Western Railway (SWR) during the period

RANCHI: Amid the controversy over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar removing the hijab of a woman candidate during the distribution of appointment letters to the newly appointed doctors, a written complaint has been filed against him at Itki Police Station in Ranchi. The complaint has been filed by a social worker, Md. Murtaza Alam, seeking an investigation and action into the matter. We have received a complaint against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a video which recently went viral on

NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has urged the strict implementation of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR) in its entirety and true spirit, especially in scheduled areas. Though the Land Acquisition Act is already in force, the demand for its full implementation persists due to its key safeguards, such as mandatory gram sabha consent, thorough Social Impact Assessments, protection against forced or unfai

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has told a parliamentary committee that India is closely monitoring Chinas expanding presence in Bangladesh, particularly in strategic infrastructure, ports and defence-related projects. It added that New Delhis ties with Dhaka remain independent of third-country relationships, according to a report on the future of India-Bangladesh relations tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Responding to queries from the Standing Committee on External Affair

JAIPUR:The Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court has refused to grant premature release to life convicts sentenced under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) in the 1993 serial train bomb blasts case. Delivering the verdict, a division bench of Justices Sudesh Bansal and Bhuvan Goyal held that granting early release to those convicted of terrorism-related offences would endanger societal safety and national security. The court underlined that such leniency could und

GUWAHATI: A writ petition was filed in the Gauhati High Court by Braja Gopal Sinha and Bijoy Kumar Kanu, claiming that ruling BJP MLA Bijoy Malakar is not an Indian citizen. The court heard the petition on Thursday. Malakar represents the Ratabari seat in the Sribhumi district. According to the synopsis of the petition, the petitioners had, in the last week of October this year, come to know from 'authentic sources' that Malakar is not an Indian citizen. The respondent No 1 (Malakar) and his par

A parliamentary panel on external affairs has highlighted the stay of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India, noting that the countrys approach in this regard is guided by its civilisational ethos and humanitarian tradition of providing refuge to individuals facing circumstances of grave distress or existential threat. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in its report titled Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship, pr

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday urged authorities to avoid scheduling international matches in north India between mid-December and mid-January, citing persistent fog and poor visibility during the winter months. He suggested that matches during this period should instead be held in southern states, where weather conditions are more conducive to play, so that cricket fans do not feel cheated. Tharoors remarks came a day after the fourth T20 international between India and South

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday described the oppositions conduct during the Lok Sabha debate on the rural employment guarantee bill as disgraceful, accusing them of turning democracy into mobocracy and indulging in hooliganism. Speaking at a press conference at BJP headquarters after the House was adjourned due to the uproar, Chouhan questioned why the opposition was objecting to the bills name the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (V

NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod to the legislation by a voice vote. The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, seeks to open the tightly-controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation. Initiating the discussion in the Upper House, the Minister of State of the Department of Atomic Energy, Jitendra Singh, said that nuclear energy i

RANCHI: In the wake of frequent movement of wild elephants along forest-fringed sections under the Chakaradharpur Railway Division in Jharkhand, multiple trains have been cancelled on the up and down line. According to officials, herds of jumbos have been frequently spotted near and across tracks on the NaugaonRourkela, ChakradharpurRourkela and RourkelaJharsuguda sections, falling within identified elephant corridor zones. To avoid any potential mishap, these trains will remain cancelled on Dec

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has commenced the second phase of SIR from Thursday in West Bengal by sending notices for hearing on the claims and objections to the draft voters list. Sources said the ECI has started sending notices to the unmapped voters -- those voters who have no connection with the voters list for 2002 -- either through self-mapping or through progeny mapping. Self-mapping voters are those who have their names in both the current voters list of October 202

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, the Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on December 18, 2025, has recommended the elevation and appointment of five Judges as Chief Justices to five State High Courts across the country. The SC Collegium said Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta (Allahabad High Court) has been recommended to be the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. Justice Revati P. Mohite Dere (Bombay High Court) has also been recommended to be the Chief Justice of Meghalaya Hig

PATNA: Security for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been further tightened, and the entire administrative machinery has been put on alert in view of the intelligence inputs after the eruption of the hijab controversy. Intelligence agencies have apprehended that a few anti-social and unlawful elements may attempt to harm CM during official functions. On Thursday, Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar, along with other top police officials, beefed up the CMs security. The state police headquarters later issued instruct

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) issued fresh speed limit guidelines for the high-speed corridors, including the Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Gorakhpur Link Expressways. The move comes in the wake of the ongoing foggy conditions, leading to a rise in accidents on expressways owing to visibility issues. The revised speed limits will come into effect immediately and will remain in force till mid-February or until the fog conditions ease

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out searches at 13 locations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi as part of its money-laundering probe into an illegal immigration racket linked to the deportation of 330 Indians from the United States earlier this year. The action follows an investigation into a network that allegedly facilitated the illegal transport of Indians to the US through the so-called dunki route. The racket involved illegally transporting Indians to the US throug

DHAKA: India on Thursday resumed operations at its visa application centre in Dhaka, a day after closing it over escalated security concerns, but closed two other identical facilities in other parts of Bangladesh as anti-India protestors tried to march towards the Indian missions there. The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at southwestern Khulna and northwestern Rajshahi were closed on the grounds of security concerns amid strong protest marches towards the facilities that were stopped by s

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 -- which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday -- repeals the MGNREGA and paves the way for a structural transformation of the government's role in the rural employment landscape. Passed in 2005 as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and renamed in 2009 as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), it aimed to enhance livelihood security of households in the rural areas.

Lucknow: Legendary sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, best known as the designer of the Statue of Unity , the worlds tallest statue, passed away at his Noida residence late on Wednesday night. He was 100 and had been suffering from age-related ailments. Sutars son, Anil, confirmed his demise in a note shared with the media, stating that the renowned sculptor passed away peacefully at home around midnight on December 17. A gold medallist from Sir J J School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar was born

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday clarified that it would first meet the parents in person before passing any order on a plea seeking passive euthanasia for their 32-year-old son, who has been in a vegetative state for the past 12 years following a fall from a building. A two-judge Bench headed by Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice K V Viswanathan said it wanted to interact directly with the parents on January 13 before taking a final decision. The Bench was hearing a miscellaneou

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, stated on Thursday that the government is actively working to protect the Great Indian Bustard birds in Gujarat. While responding to supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha, Yadav mentioned that the government has initiated a program for the conservation of Great Indian Bustards across several states, including Gujarat. This response followed a query from Congress member Shaktisinh Gohil, who noted that there is a san

BALRAMPUR: A rape attempt was made on a three-year-old girl in the Dehat area here after which police swung into action and arrested the accused after an encounter, an official said on Thursday. The incident occurred on Wednesday when a woman had taken her three-year-old daughter to the fields. While she was busy with her work, her child began playing nearby, Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar said. During this time, Kallu, 25, a resident of the same village, allegedly took the child to his ho

LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court has granted protection to 12 women who are in live-in relationships, observing that such relationships cannot be termed illegal and that living together without marriage does not amount to an offence. Hearing a batch of 12 petitions, a single-judge Bench comprising Justice Vivek Kumar Singh directed the police chiefs of the concerned districts to provide immediate protection to the petitioners if anyone attempted to harass them or disturb their peaceful living.

CHANDIGARH: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has swept the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections across the state. Of the 2,838 panchayat samitis, the AAP won 1531, Congress 612, Shiromani Akali Dal 445, BJP 83, BSP 28 and independents 144. The ruling party also won 218 zila parishads, while the Congress bagged 62, SAD 46, BJP 7, BSP 3 and independents 10. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said his party's strong showing in these polls showed that people in rural areas have put their

RANCHI: Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari on Thursday said the state is all set to get its first medical university, with land identified for the proposed institution in Ranchi's Brambe locality. We hope the foundation of the university will be laid by the end of January next year, Ansari said while distributing appointment letters to 66 health officials, including 33 medical officers and 33 specialist doctors. He assured that manpower in the health sector would be increased and more recrui

NEW DELHI: India has reaffirmed its commitment to continue humanitarian assistance and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda. Nadda and the visiting Afghan Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali met on Wednesday night. In the meeting, Nadda reaffirmed New Delhis commitment to Afghanistan and discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector. The two sides reviewed the ongoing health cooperation, and discussed way

GUWAHATI: Invoking the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, the District Commissioner of Nagaon has issued separate orders directing 15 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to leave the territory of Assam and India within 24 hours. The action follows earlier rulings by foreign tribunals, which had declared the individuals as foreigners. Foreigners tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies mandated to decide cases involving suspected illegal immigrants. The expulsion orders were issued to Jahura Khat

NEW DELHI: A month after the apprehension of Fishing Boats belonging to Bangladesh, for illegal fishing, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship, while undertaking routine surveillance operations in the Northern Bay of Bengal, apprehended two Bangladeshi Fishing Boats (BFBs) along with 35 crew members for engaging in illegal fishing activities inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The ICG in a statement, said on Thursday that the arrests were made on 16 December for violation of the Maritime Z

CHANDIGARH: A 34-year-old Uzbek woman Asligun Sparova was allegedly shot in the chest by an acquaintance in Ludhiana after she refused to accompany him and his friend on a drive. She is currently undergoing treatment at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). Police have arrested the duo on charges of attempt to murder. They have been sent to judicial custody. Sources said that the accused Balwinder Singh, of Harinder Nagar in Faridkot, and his accomplice Harjinder Singh, of Mohalla Raghu

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that her government would rename a state-funded job guarantee scheme after Mahatma Gandhi, amidst the ongoing row over the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (G RAM G Bill 2025). The chief minister was addressing in a business and industry conclave in Kolkata today. Now, Gandhijis name is not there in the Bill. I am really sorry and feel ashamed of the move. A Bill has been introduced in the p

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Jammu and Kashmir resident, who the investigators said was a close associate of alleged suicide bomber Umar-un-Nabi, the prime accused in the Red Fort blast case. This is the ninth arrest in the case. According to the agency, Yasir Ahmad Dar allegedly played an active role in the conspiracy behind the blast that claimed 15 lives and left many others injured on November 10. An active participant in the conspiracy, Dar had allegedly ta

He did nothing wrong, is how Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday chose to defend Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose recent act of assault against a Muslim woman doctor at a public event in Patna triggered widespread backlash. The BJP minister was responding to Monday's incident in Patna where Nitish Kumar pulled the veil (naqab) off the face of a newly-recruited AYUSH doctor while she was receiving her letter of appointment. Singh also remarked that the doctor can go to hell when asked

AHMEDABAD: Vadodara collectorate received a bomb threat email on Thursday morning, warning that the building would be blown up if it was not evacuated by 1 pm, instantly pushing the citys security grid into emergency mode. Upon receiving information, the special operations group of Akota Police, Vadodara Crime Branch, bomb and dog Squads rushed to the spot and sealed off the Collectors Office and halted public entry. They jointly conducted a search for nearly three hours, but no suspicious or ob

The Rajya Sabha witnessed a sharp debate on the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI) on Thursday, with several Opposition members raising concerns over safety and liability of privatising nuclear energy. During the discussion, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh recalled India's rich history in atomic energy and emphasised that key developments in the sector began decades before 2014. Taking a dig at the BJP-led Union Government's penchant for

AHMEDABAD: The Indian city ofAhmedabads elevation as the official host city for the Commonwealth Games 2030 has placed Gujarat firmly on the global sporting map. The decision, cleared at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, was marked by confidence and celebration, with organisers outlining a multi-sport spectacle spanning 15 to 17 disciplines. However, official data presented in Parliament has revealed a starkly different picture of Gujarats domestic sports ecosystem. According t

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the state Minority Affairs department's plan budget has seen a tenfold increase since the TMC came to power in the state. In a post on X on the occasion of Minority Rights Day, Banerjee extended greetings to the people and stated that the department's plan budget had increased from Rs 472 crore in 201011 to over Rs 5,602 crore in 202526. It is my pride that our government has done unprecedented work and continues to do so

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court, some local courts along with two prominent banks, most of them located in south Mumbai, received bomb threats on emails on Thursday, but they turned out to be hoaxes as nothing suspicious was found during searches at these institutions, an official said. A court in Nagpur received a similar bomb threat mail, which also turned out to be fake. The Bombay High Court, sessions court, Mazgaon and Esplanade court in south Mumbai, two magistrate courts - one each in Bandr

KOLKATA: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived at Bagdogra airport on Thursday to begin a four-day visit to West Bengal, during which he is scheduled to take part in several organisational programmes of the Sangh across the state. During his stay, on Thursday, Bhagwat will attend a youth programme in Siliguri in Darjeeling district . On Friday, he is slated to address a meeting of RSS functionaries in Siliguri, where he is expected to issue guidelines to Sangh activists. He wil

JAUNPUR: Police have arrested a man for allegedly killing his elderly parents over family disputes and disposing of their dismembered bodies in the Gomti river here, officials said on Thursday. The incident took place in Ahmadpur village under the Jafrabad police station area, they said. The police said the accused, Ambesh, killed his father, Shyam Bahadur (61) and mother Babita (58) following a dispute over money and family issues. City Superintendent of Police Ayush Srivastava said the accused

NEW DELHI: A new study by Respirer Living Sciences in collaboration with IntrCity SmartBus has found that long-distance bus travel during winter exposes passengers to significantly cleaner air compared to the severely polluted conditions in many north and central Indian cities . The study, conducted from December 7 to 14, 2025, covered 11 intercity routes across the country and is Indias first to measure real-time air quality inside long-distance buses. Its findings show that passengers spent up

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday that the Kerala Governor and the state government have agreed on names for the appointment of vice chancellors of the A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences. The Attorney General, appearing for the Governor, informed the apex court that the matter had been resolved and that the development duly communicated to Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia. The Supreme Court bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Visw

KAUSHAMBI: A girl on the way to her school was killed on the spot after being hit by a speeding dumper truck amid dense fog here on Thursday, police said. The dumper driver fled the spot after abandoning the vehicle. Mahewa Ghat SHO Dhirendra Singh said the deceased was identified as Sarita Devi (15), a resident of Mahewa Uparhar village. She was a class 10 student. The SHO said Sarita was walking to school at around 9 am when the accident occurred near Bairagipur crossing. Due to dense fog, vis

A small loan that spiralled into crushing debt and ended in the loss of a kidney has placed a farmer in Maharashtras Chandrapur district at the centre of a police investigation, after doctors confirmed he has only one kidney, officials said on Wednesday. The farmer, 29-year-old Roshan Kude, underwent a health assessment at Chandrapur Medical College and Hospital, where doctors concluded that one of his kidneys was missing, a senior police official said. Kude had earlier told the police that he w

GOPALGANJ: A gold crown was allegedly stolen from the revered Thawe temple in Bihar's Gopalganj district in the early hours of Thursday, police said. CCTV footage showed some persons decamping with the gold crown of the idol, they said, adding that it weighed around 500 gram. A case has been registered, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the matter. We will soon nab the accused, SP Avdhesh Dixit told PTI . It's a matter of concern as the incident took place even

DEHRADUN: The body of 30-year-old Rakesh Kumar has been repatriated, his mortal remains arriving at his ancestral village in Uttarakhand on Wednesday. Rakesh had left India on a student visa, but was allegedly forced to join the Russian army amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The body of the deceased youth arrived at Delhi Airport on Wednesday, before being transported to Sitaraganj. Amidst heavy mourning, the final rites were performed on Wednesday evening at Tarkanath Dham in Shakti Farm.