The New Indian Express News

JAIPUR: The three legislators accused of alleged corruption in MLA Development Funds appeared before the Ethics Committee of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on Friday. They presented their versions separately. All three sought additional time to submit further documents, which was granted by the committee. Independent MLA Ritu Banawat from Bayana was the first to depose before the panel. She submitted a few documents and requested 10 days to compile and place additional records on file. Congr

CHANDIGARH: In an alleged Rs 1.14 crore patient welfare grant scam at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against eight people, including six employees of PGIMER. Sources said that the funds were meant for the treatment of poor and critically ill patients between 2020 and 2024, but were allegedly siphoned off over several years through fake bills, forged medical documents, forged requisiti

BENGALURU: One of the biggest commercial communication satellites, developed by the United States, BlueBird-6, will be launched on December 24, 2025, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at 8.54 am. After multiple delays and prolonged wait, ISRO on Friday took to the social media platform X to announce the launch date. The satellite will be launched from ISROs Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) rocket, which is popularly called as Bahubali. The low Earth Orbit satellite will be launched f

BHOPAL: More than 41.80 lakh voter names have been identified for deletion in 230 assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, following the completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in the state. The result of the SIR can be seen in the form of a preliminary draft of the electoral roll, which will be published on December 23. The first phase of the SIR ended on Thursday night after a gruelling 44-day exercise of collecting filled up enumeration forms

PATNA: The ongoing hijab controversy involving Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is likely to be resolved after an official said on Friday that the Muslim woman doctor, whose hijab was pulled off by Nitish, would join the duty on Saturday (December 20). Principal of Government Tibbi College and Hospital in Patna, Dr Mahfoozur Rahman, claimed that Ayush doctor Nusrat Parveens family confirmed that she would join the duty. Dr Nusrat is a first-year postgraduate student in the same college. Dr Ramman told medi

GUWHATI: Singapore Police on Friday reiterated that they do not suspect foul play in the death of Assams music icon Zubeen Garg. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is aware of online speculation regarding the circumstances of Zubeen Gargs death, and that the Indian media has reported that a Special Investigation Team in India has charged four persons for the murder of Garg, the SPF said in a statement released on December 18. The case is being investigated by the SPF, in accordance with the Singap

NEW DELHI: India and the Netherlands on Friday agreed to deepen cooperation in emerging strategic domains such as semiconductors, digital technology and cyberspace, while also stepping up defence and security engagement, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pressed for Dutch support to conclude the IndiaEuropean Union free trade agreement (FTA). During talks with his Dutch counterpart David van Weel, Jaishankar said the relationship, traditionally strong in areas such as agriculture, health

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday, in its landmark verdict, laid down guidelines on how courts must be sensitive and adhere to the evidence and testimony, while conducting court proceedings of minor victims of trafficking and prostitution. It also observed that child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation a deeply disturbing realities in India. Upholding the conviction of a Bengaluru man and his wife for trafficking and sexually exploiting a minor girl, a two-judgeBench of the apex

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Friday conveyed his displeasure over disruptions by Opposition members during the passage of the rural employment guarantee Bill (Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission - Rural Bill). Terming the conduct 'unbecoming of Members of Parliament', he urged them to introspect and refrain from such behaviour in future. Disruption created during yesterday's sitting by the Opposition Members by shouting slogans, displaying placards, disrupting the M

AHMEDABAD: Gujarats Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has reached a decisive milestone with the publication of the draft voter list, revealing the removal of over 73.73 lakh names while opening a one-month window for objections till January 18, 2026. The spotlight now shifts from enumeration to correction, as voters whose names are missing or incorrectly included have been given time till January 18, 2026, to file objections or seek inclusion, a process that election officials

MUMBAI: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday defended deputy CM Eknath Shinde regarding the seizure of Rs 145 crore worth 45 kilograms of narcotics in Savaari village near Mahabaleshwar in Satara district of Maharashtra. CM Fadnavis lambasted Opposition leaders for deliberately linking this drug seizure to his deputy CM Eknath Shinde, calling it a baseless attempt to malignsomeone's image. He said it is inappropriate and unfair to link the incident with Shinde. The emerging evidence so far

Actor and MP Kamal Hassan, in an X post today, shared the first unstarred question he had asked in the Rajya Sabha. He sought clarification on ethanol-blended fuels and their impact on vehicles. He asked if comprehensive studies were conducted over the impact of E20 fuel on vehicle mileage, engine components and fleet compatibility. He also sought the reasons for dropping the availability of E10 petrol across the country. He asked why was it done despite the wider compatibility of E10 petrol wit

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday convened a high-level meeting to review the security of vessels and port facilities across the country and initiate the constitution of a dedicated Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to enhance the security of coastal logistic hubs, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in an official statement. The proposed Bureau of Port Security will be established as a statutory body under Section 13 of the newly promulgated Merchant Shipping Act, 2025,i

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim bail to suspended Maharashtra sports minister and NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate and also suspended his two-year sentence in the 1995 cheating and forgery case. The Bombay High Court bench Justice RN Laddha granted the bail to Mr Manikrao Kokate against Rs1 lakh surety. The HC however refused to stay 30 years 30-year-old conviction in cheating and forgery case against Kokate, noting that prima facie evidence pointed to his involvement. The court a

GUWAHATI: Protestors vented their ire near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Tripura capital Agartala on Friday against recent anti-India remarks made by some politicians in the neighbouring country, prompting authorities to heighten security at the mission. The protestors, who are members of Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) which is the youth wing of BJP ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP), shouted slogans against Bangladesh and Bangladeshi leaders, including Chief Adviser of the countrys interi

LUCKNOW: UP DGP Rajeev Krishna has sought an explanation from a district superintendent after a video showing police recruits giving a ceremonial guard of honour to a religious preacher in Bahraich sparked a major political controversy and allegations of a constitutional breach. Taking to X, the UP police posted: It has been clarified that the police parade ground must be used strictly in accordance with prescribed norms, solely for police training, discipline, and official ceremonies. In view o

NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Friday inducted a new-generation Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) into its fleet with the commissioning of ICG Ship Amulya in Goa. According to the ICG, Amulya is the third vessel in the series of eight Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels being built for the force. The ship will be deployed to undertake a wide range of missions, including surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, anti-smuggling operations and pollution response, strengthening the Coast Guards

LUCKNOW: The winter session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature began on Friday amid sharp political exchanges over the ongoing codeine cough syrup racket, with tensions between the state government and opposition marking the proceedings. Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs attended the four-day session wearing symbols highlighting the issue, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the opposition of having links to the culprits involved in the racket. At around 11:30 am, the CM spoke to the media outsid

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government will convene a special session of the state assembly next month to protest the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G), which it views as the union governments attempt to hit the livelihoods of the poor. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, The BJP government at the Centre is trying to hit the livelihoods of

GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday embark on a two-day visit to Assam, during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 15,600 crore. On December 20, he will inaugurate the new terminal building of Lokpriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati, marking a transformative milestone in Assams connectivity, economic expansion and global engagement. Spread over nearly 1.4 lakh square metres, the terminal building is designed to hand

NEW DELHI: Assets of former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa apart from that of ex TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty and actor Sonu Sood have been attached by the ED in an illegal betting app linked money laundering case estimated to be worth more than Rs 1,000 crore, official sources said Friday. The properties of actor Neha Sharma, mother of model Urvashi Rautela and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra have also been attached after the federal probe agency issued a provisional order the Preventio

AHMEDABAD: What began as a routine police call soon escalated into a high-alert case of deception after a man posing as a police sub-inspector managed to send Ahmedabads Navrangpura Police and Gujarat University Police on a chase before suspicion caught up with him. The sequence was triggered when the PSO on duty at Navrangpura Police Station received a call from a man confidently introducing himself as PSI Rathod from Mehsana district. Speaking authoritatively, the caller instructed the PSO to

SRINAGAR: The PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who is the daughter of former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Friday approached Kothibagh police station in Srinagar to register an FIR against the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for pulling down the veil of a Muslim woman doctor during an official function recently. In her complaint to Station House Officer Police Station Kothibagh, Iltija said, I'm writing to bring to your attention a vile incident which has caused immense distress & hurt amongst

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday dismissed multiple petitions seeking the resumption of student union elections in the state. Delivering the verdict, a single-judge bench of Justice Umashankar Vyas noted that while elections are a democratic process, the right to education cannot be compromised for electoral activities. The court also issued directions to the Election Commission, stating that election-related activities should not be conducted in colleges and universities. The judgme

With the curtain coming down on heated debates, fiery speeches and protests along with the Lok Sabha session, Speaker Om Birla hosted a tea party which the members representing the opposition parties chose to attend this time. The tea party is a customary gathering hosted by the Speaker after the end of every session to ease the heated atmosphere on a note of cordiality and goodwill. The Opposition had stayed away from the meeting since the 2024 Monsoon Session when the opposition members were n

NEW DELHI: Sahitya Akademi was forced to cancel a press conference called by it on Thursday to announce its annual literary awards following a directive from the Union Ministry of Culture. The announcement was put on hold after the culture ministry' directives as it was reportedly upset with the selection process. The Akademi is an autonomous body under the ministry. The press conference was scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. in Delhi after a meeting of the Executive Board of the literary body, whic

NEW DELHI: To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Son

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is learnt to be examining a notice by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleging breach of privilege and contempt by eight Opposition members when the House was taking up the VB-G RAM G Bill on Thursday. Citing House rules, Dubey on Thursday submitted a notice for breach of privilege and contempt of the House against eight Opposition MPs for contemptuous and unbecoming behaviour. Dubey named Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, S Murasoli, K Gopinath, Sashikant Senthil, Shafi Pa

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday extended by seven days the NIA custody of Dr Bilal Naseer Malla, an accused in the Red Fort blast case. The court also remanded Soyab, a Faridabad resident accused of harbouring Red Fort bomber Umar-un-Nabi, to five days of judicial custody. The probe agency produced Soyab and Bilal at the Patiala House Court amid tight security on Friday upon the expiry of their previous four-day NIA custody granted on December 15. Media persons were barred from covering the p

As Parliaments Winter Session drew to a close on Friday, the Congress accused the Union government of beginning the session by insulting Rabindranath Tagore and ending it with an insult to Mahatma Gandhi. Terming it a 'pradushan kaleen' session, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said his party was ready for a discussion on air pollution but accused the government of unning away from such a debate. We were told 14 bills will be taken up with two being a mere fo

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed into law an annual defence policy bill that highlights broadening America's engagement with India, including through the Quad to advance the shared objective of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and address the challenge posed by China. The National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026, signed into law Thursday, also states that the Secretary of State shall establish and maintain within the US-India Strategic Security Dialogue a joint

KOLKATA: Sourav Ganguly has slapped a Rs 50 crore defamation suit notice on an official of a Kolkata-based football fan club for falsely dragging his name into the Lionel Messi fiasco and making derogatory and defamatory public statements about the former India cricket captain. Cricketer-turned-sports administrator Ganguly had also lodged a police complaint against Uttam Saha of 'Argentina Football Fan Club' on Thursday. Besides the police complaint, I have sent this official of the football fan

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Friday strongly disapproved of disruptions by Opposition members during the passage of the rural employment guarantee bill (G RAM G), terming the conduct unbecoming of Members of Parliament, and urged them to introspect and refrain from such behaviour in future. Radhakrishnan read out a synopsis of the legislative and other business transacted during the 15-day sitting of the Winter session before adjourning the proceedings sine die. Adjourned

NEW DELHI: A day after Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA, the Congress on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he is suffering from a case of acute acronym-itis. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X a cartoon representation on X which read: All new A.C.R.O.N.Y.M MANTRALAYA - Administrative Commission for Renaming Old Schemes -- New Yet Meaningless. The PM is suffering from a case of a

GUWAHATI: Well-known motivational speaker Munawar Zama inspired audience at a four-day Islamic conference underway at Phulbari in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya with a captivating keynote address, outlining a clear roadmap of purpose, discipline and resilience for the youth. He presented a holistic framework for personal and collective success, rooted in the seven core principles of strong intention, institution and organisation, righteous company, hard work, passion, sacrifice, and patience

RAIPUR: Two churches were torched, a grave was dug up and clashes left several people injured as tensions over a disputed burial spiralled into violence in Amabeda village of Chhattisgarhs Kanker district, about 150 km south of Raipur, on Thursday. Tension erupted in Bade Tewda gram panchayat after the family of sarpanch Rajman Salam, whom some locals claim had converted to Christianity, buried the body of his father, Chamraran Salam, 70, on private land. Chamraram had been ill and died during t

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Modi government of dismantling two decades of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in a single day, calling the newly passed VB-G RAM G legislation anti-village and anti-state. In a post on X, Gandhi said the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill was not a revamp of MGNREGA but a fundamental dilution of its core principles. Last night, the M

SRINAGAR: The Judicial Inquiry Commission probing the September 24 violence in Leh , which was one of the worst violence in the cold desert of Ladakh Union Territory, would start recording the oral statements from Friday. The Judicial Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Dr B S Chauhan, has been formed to conduct a comprehensive and impartial inquiry into the September 24 violence during a protest for statehood and the 6thschedule in Leh. In the police firing, four persons we

Parliament kicked off its last day of the winter session on December 19. Shortly after resuming, Lok Sabha adjourned sine die. Rajya Sabha proceeded with the laying of papers on the table before adjourning sine die, marking the end of the Parliaments winter session. Despite protest and sloganeering by the Opposition, Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-GRAMG) 2025 past midnight on Thursday by a voice vote. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP D

After weeks of debate on key issues, the Winter Session has entered the last day. Despite protest and sloganeering by the Opposition, Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-GRAMG) 2025 past midnight on Thursday by a voice vote. The opposition MPs are set to carry out protests against the bill today on the floor. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen on Friday said the party has been holding a 12-hour protest against the bill. Several key b

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside an order of the Lokpal granting sanction to the CBI to file a chargesheet against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in the alleged cash-for-query scam. A bench of justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, while pronouncing the order in Moitra's plea, said The order is set aside. We have requested the Lokpal to accord consideration for grant of sanction under Section 20 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act in accordance with the rel

A thick blanket of dense fog covered large parts of north India on Friday morning, severely impacting the visibility. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of major disruptions to road, rail and air traffic. Satellite imagery showed widespread fog over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, northeast Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Visibility dropped to zero metres at several locations, including Agra, Bareilly, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh; Amrit

The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended three officials, including the in-charge of a government blood bank, after six children tested HIV positive following alleged transfusion of contaminated blood at hospitals in Satna district, PTI reported on Thursday. The action was taken on the basis of a preliminary report submitted by a committee constituted by the state Public Health and Family Welfare Department to investigate the incident. The committee was formed on December 16 after the matter

THANE: More than 1,000 wedding guests escaped without any injury after a fire broke out at a banquet hall in Maharashtra's Thane city, officials said on Friday. The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday at the marriage hall premises in the Ovala area along the Ghodbunder Road in the city, they said. According to Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation, Mandap decoration materials kept outside a cabin on the lawn of 'The Blue Roof Club' caught fi

NEW DELHI: Authorities at fuel stations and border check posts have stepped up enforcement a day after the Supreme Court tightened restrictions on vehicles with engines below BS-IV standards, and the Delhi government directed petrol pumps to refuse fuel to cars without a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. On Wednesday, the SC had ruled that only vehicles with BS-IV engines and above will be exempt from action amid worsening air pollution. The government announced that from Thursday

NEW DELHI: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday flayed the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties for disrupting the Lok Sabha during the introduction of the Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill. The Lok Sabha was adjourned amid protests, and the minister spoke to the media at the BJP headquarters just hours before the Bill was taken up in the Rajya Sabha. Chouhan said, The conduct displayed by the Congress and INDIA Alliance MP

NEW DELHI: About a month before the Centre introduced the Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VBG RAM G) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), official data shows that more than 16.3 lakh workers were removed from the scheme rolls in the preceding 36 days. This data, pertaining to the period between October 10 and November 14 this year, has raised concerns among rural labourers and experts abo

Nava Raipur, the much-publicised new capital of Chhattisgarh, has been in the spotlight since it was declared the countrys first completely debt-free city. Planned and developed from the ground up by the Naya Raipur Development Authority since 2006, the city showcases broad avenues, neatly laid sectors and impressive infrastructure. However, the everyday experience of the city reveals a different, more grounded reality. People visiting government offices often struggle to find basic amenities. T

PATNA: The Bihar government on Thursday clarified that it would not take coercive action against the 470 differently abled men who received Rs 10,000 each under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Since the launch of the scheme, around 15.1 million women have received Rs 10,000 each. The beneficiaries are required to be members of the Bihar governments Jeevika Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Bihar Jeevika chief executive officer (CEO) Himanshu Pandey said that the go

KOLKATA: TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjees Diamond Harbour Football Club (DHFC) had on November 10 approved use of DHFC logo by sports organiser Satadru Dutta on jerseys with photos of football legend Lionel Messi in a charity match between Mohun Bagan All Star and Diamond Harbour All Star during Messis event at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13. Abhisheks cousin Akash Banerjee, a vice president of DHFC, had written to Satadru, saying, We are pleased to inform you that you may use