The New Indian Express News

RANCHI: A violent clash broke out between two factions previously associated with a banned Maoist group in Gendra village in Jharkhand's Chatra, during which two people died on the spot, while three others, including a National Investigation Agency (NIA) accused, were seriously injured. The incident is said to have taken place between 12 and 1 am early on Monday. The sudden firing awakened villagers and spread panic. According to police, former Tritiya Sammelam Prastuti Committee (TSPC) commande

The Unnao rape survivor on Monday expressed satisfaction in the Supreme Court order which stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of convict and former BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar. She also vowed to continue the legal fight until he is hanged. I am very happy with this decision. I have got justice from the Supreme Court. I have been raising my voice for justice from the very beginning, the survivor said, reported PTI. I do not make any allegations against any court. I have fait

AHMEDABAD: The BJPs long-awaited announcement of its Gujarat state executive has reshaped the partys internal power structure, with the new team under state president Jagdish Vishwakarma triggering fresh debate over leadership influence, factional balance, and regional representation within the party. The Gujarat BJP saw a major organisational reshuffle late Saturday night after newly appointed state president Jagdish Vishwakarma announced his full team, ending weeks of speculation and setting o

AHMEDABAD: Frustrated by three years of unresolved grievances, members of the tribal community from Banaskantha have launched a 131-kilometre padayatra from Palanpur to Gandhinagar. The protesters allege persistent caste discrimination, arbitrary rejection of caste verification certificates, and deliberate delays that have pushed educated tribal youth into prolonged unemployment. Congress workers, including Danta Congress MLA Kanti Kharadi, joined the walk. This is not a protest born overnight,

A 60-year-old pastor and his son were arrested on Sunday after members of right-wing extremist group Bajrang Dal protested outside a church in Fatehpur district, accusing the duo of forced conversion by luring Hindu women with money and other promises, reported PTI. The protesters also briefly surrounded the police vehicle in which the pastor, David Gladion, and his son Abhishek Gladion (30) were being transported. During a prayer meeting at the church, the Bajrang Dal workers gathered outside a

The killing of Angel Chakma in Uttarakhand is not merely a tragedy but a national disgrace, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Monday. Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student, was assaulted along with his brother by a group of attackers in Dehradun on December 9. He later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on December 25. The incident, described as a racially motivated attack, sparked widespread outrage across the country. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, termed

KOLKATA: A Special Roll Observer's (SRO) car was attacked at Sirakol in South 24 Parganas district on Monday. The attack took place hardly 24 hours after Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), asked his partys Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to ensure that not a single bona fide voters name was removed from the final electoral rolls following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The vehicle of C Murugan, an IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre ap

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi flagged the multiple issues concerning ex-servicemen, such as the shortfall in the hiring, difficulties in health treatment and insufficient allocation of health funds at the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on Monday, according to the sources. Rahul Gandhi also raised the issue of difficulties faced by ex-servicemen in accessing treatment in hospitals, particularly private hospitals. He said that when ex-servicemen

NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to stay its order accepting a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, and said the government stands committed to its protection and restoration. The apex court kept in abeyance the directions in its November 20 verdict that had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges recommended by a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC)

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Monday, directed district magistrates (DMs), who have been assigned for the ongoing Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal as district electoral officers (DEOs) across the state, not to issue notices for hearings to voters identified as unmapped. More than 32 lakh voters who could not trace themselves, their parents, or grandparents in the electoral rolls during the last SIR in 2002 in Bengal have been asked to appe

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Monday, directed district magistrates (DMs), who have been assigned for the ongoing Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal as district electoral officers (DEOs) across the state, not to issue notices for hearings to voters identified as unmapped. More than 32 lakh voters who could not trace themselves, their parents, or grandparents in the electoral rolls during the last SIR in 2002 in Bengal have been asked to appe

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the alleged racial attack and brutal killing of an MBA student in Uttarakhand's Dehradun as a horrific hate crime and blamed the BJP for ormalising hate. Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Nandannagar in the West Tripura district was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to an alleged racial slur on December 9 in Dehradun. What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a swipe at the government on Monday over the death of booth-level officers in various parts of the country engaged in the SIR exercise, asking whether the presence of one alleged infiltrator was not okay, but the death of BLOs was okay. Sibal's remarks came a day after a Booth Level Officer (BLO) was found dead in West Bengal's Bankura district, triggering allegations that work-related pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of e

MUMBAI: If Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray eye to win the Asias largest civic body (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) polls, the leaders have to repeat Shiv Sena (UBT)'s 2024 Lok Sabha performance. It will help them to win as many as 113 seats out of 227 in the BMC polls. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) had won the three seats out of six Lok Sabha seats while it lost one seat, by 34 votes in Mumbai. Congress's vote base -- Muslim and Dalit -- and Sharad Pawars supporters from the western Maharasht

AGARTALA: Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Monday announced a Rs 10 lakh cash reward on information that will lead to the arrest of the main accused in the Anjel Chakma murder case. Twenty-four-year-old Anjel Chakma, an MBA student, from Nandannagar in West Tripura district was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to a racial slur at Dehradun on December 9, and he succumbed to his injuries on December 26. Five out of six accused persons have already been arre

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has decided to bank on the Covid-19 period work during his tenure and unfold his party campaign around it for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election scheduled for January 15, 2026. The Shiv Sena (UBT) president released a 40-page booklet, named Mumbai Model, that highlights the then government's effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Dharavi, Asias largest slum, located in Mumbai. The Mumbai Model has mentioned the de

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its November 20, 2025 judgment that had limited the definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges to landforms rising at least 100 metres above the local terrain. The apex court has decided to revisit the contentious issue and proposed the formation of a high-powered expert committee to examine questions relating to the hills elevation, ecological significance, and permissible mining in the region. The matter is being heard in a suo motu case titled IN RE: DEFINI

The Supreme Court of India on Monday stayed the Delhi High Courts order that had suspended the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and granted him bail in the 2017 Unnao rape case involving a minor girl. Passing the order, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the operation of the Delhi High Courts December 23 order would remain stayed, and clarified that Sengar shall not be released pursuant to that ruling. In view of the peculiar facts, where the convict stands convicted

CHANDIGARH: Amid concerns over the recent 'redefinition' of the Aravalli, the oldest mountain range in the country and a fragile ecological shield for north India, now the Waterman of India and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Rajendra Singh has written to the Chief Justice of India on it. He warned that the new definition of the Aravalli could open protected areas to fresh mining and development and allow the Thar Desert to advance towards Delhi. In the letter Rajendra Singh wrote, There is no 100-meter

KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit West Bengal from tonight to charge up the BJPs organisational machinery ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, scheduled for AprilMay next year. The home minister is expected to arrive at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport tonight and will remain in the state for three days. During his visit, he is slated to attend a series of organisational meetings with the BJPs Bengal leadership unit in phases. After landing at the air

BHOPAL:Yet another tiger death has been reported from the 'Tiger State' Madhya Pradesh this time from the Sagar district of Bundelkhand region. With this latest tiger fatality, the number of mortalities of the striped big cat in Madhya Pradesh so far in 2025 has touched 55 the highest in any year since the launch of the Project Tiger in 1973. The adult female tiger, aged between eight and ten years, was found dead near the Hilgan village on the Sagar-Dhana Road on Sunday. The latest tiger deat

KOLKATA: The Jagannath Mandir at Digha in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district has received 1 crore visitors within just eight months of inauguration, temple authorities said on Monday. Kakoli Jana, a girl from Kolkata's Tollygunge area, became the one croreth visitor on Sunday. She and her family were accorded special 'darshan' and presented with 'mahaprasad' and other sacred offerings by the temple authorities. Chief priest and trustee of Jagannath Dham, Digha, Radharamn Das said the milesto

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court's three-judge special vacation bench is expected to hear the suo motu cognisance case it has taken on the crucial issue concerning the definition of the Aravalli range on December 29. The hearing assumes significance as the top court will hear the matter on several key points that require consideration for a broader view on the issue of the definition of Aravalli. The three-judge vacation bench led byCJI Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Mas

VIDISHA: A stray dog was found carrying a newborn child's body in its jaws near Parashari cremation ground in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, leaving locals shocked. People who had reached the cremation ground for the last rites noticed the dog and informed the police. Ganj Basoda Dehat police station in-charge Manoj Dubey said the newborn appeared to be around four to five months old. He said there are instances of newborns being buried near the cremation ground, and animals such

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday announced an alliance between his NCP faction and the NCP (SP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar for the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections, saying the parivar (family) has come together. Speaking at a campaign event in Pimpri-Chinchwad ahead of the January 15 polls, Ajit Pawar said, For the sake of these municipal elections, the clock and the tutari (trumpet) have come together. The parivar has united. He urged party workers to focus on devel

BUDAUN: Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh's Budaun got rabies vaccination as a precautionary measure after they discovered that the raita (a curd-based dish) they consumed at the funeral was made from the milk of a buffalo that died after being bitten by a dog. According to the villagers, a funeral ceremony was held in the village on December 23, where they had raita. Later, it came to light that the buffalo whose milk was used to make the dish had been bitten by a dog a

NEW DELHI: In this years last episode of Maan Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 2025 was a year of achievements that made every Indian proud as he highlighted Operation Sindoor, saying it showed the world that the country does not compromise on its security. The year 2025 gave us many moments that made every Indian proud. From national security to the sports field, from science laboratories to the worlds biggest platforms, India left a strong mark everywhere, he said. The Prim

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the hearing on the definition of the Aravalli hills, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday, saying that the governments move will lead to fragmentation and undermining of the geographical and ecological integrity of the entire mountain range. Posing four specific questions to the government, Ramesh pointed out in the letter that there are understandably widespread concerns regarding the redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, which

The race to find the next National Investigation Agency chief has picked up pace after DG Sadanand Vasant Date was sent back to his home cadre. The 1990-batch officer, feted for his role during 26/11, is now widely tipped to take over as Maharashtra DGP. Names are now being tossed around in closed-door meetings for his successor. Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Kumar Dekas name did surface, despite him already enjoying two extensions till June 2026. But the mood in government circles favours a 1

NEW DELHI: Following safety breach in two dams in Chhattisgarh, the Centre has issued a show-cause notice to the state government over its failure to comply with the provisions of the Dam Safety Act of 2021. The latest notice, served by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), relates to the breach of Rajadera dam in Dhamtari district on November 2. The breach raised concerns over public safety and infrastructure governance, as a large volume of stored water rushed out, causing flooding in seve

NEW DELHI: India needs to broaden the focus from infant and child immunisation to include adolescent, adult, and elderly populations for vaccines such as HPV, Hepatitis B, Influenza, and COVID-19, said a latest government report. The report by Centre of Excellence in Affordable Healthcare (CoE-AH), IIT Kharagpur and Womens Collective Forum (WCF), said that with Indias growing adult and elderly population and rising burden of non-communicable diseases, adult immunisation offers a critical prevent

AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said a party wont get votes if it opposes everything people like, quipping that it was beyond his capacity to make Rahul Gandhi understand this simple logic because even Congress leaders had failed to grasp it. He made the remarks while addressing a gathering in a village near Ahmedabad city. During a recent debate in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi asked me a strange question: Why does only my party lose elections every time? Instead of asking peop

Gujarat Assembly Deputy Speaker Jetha Bharwad has resigned from his post. He submitted his resignation letter to Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma and organisation minister Ratnakar, and it was accepted immediately. While the move triggered political speculations, Bharwad said he stepped down voluntarily due to an excessive workload, multiple responsibilities and to give others an opportunity. A senior BJP leader

NEW DELHI: THE Centre has provided Y-plus category security cover to West Bengals Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal in view of safety concerns due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, officials said on Sunday. A team of 1112 armed personnel of the CISF security wing has been deployed for the CEOs personal and house security, which has taken charge. The move follows an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 26. Sources said there were intelligence in

SRINAGAR: Fresh snowfall across higher reaches and key tourist destinations in Kashmir has revived the Valleys tourism sector, which had suffered a major setback following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. North Kashmirs ski resort Gulmarg has emerged as the biggest beneficiary, with hotels reporting full occupancy for the New Year period. Blanketed in thick snow after last weeks heavy spell, the first major snowfall of the winter season, Gulmarg has witnessed a sharp surge in tourist arri

BHOPAL: In a rare wildlife sighting, a laundry staff at the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh has photographed a colourful and possibly rare lizard species, marking what officials say could be the first such record from the reserve. Anil Rajak, a laundry staff at the forest departments guest house in the Karmajhiri range of the tiger reserve, spotted the multi-hued lizard crawling through dry leaves near the guest house recently. Struck by its vivid colours, Rajak clicked photographs o

NEW DELHI: Dhaka on Sunday strongly rejected Indias concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh and said recent incidents involving members of the Hindu community were isolated criminal acts and not reflective of any systematic persecution. The response came amid international reactions and parallel diplomatic engagements in Dhaka. Responding to a query from IANS, a US State Department spokesperson said the United States unequivocally condemns religious violence in all its for

NEW DELHI: A woman who wanted to put an expensive Gurugram address in her portfolio was in for a shock when she discovered that the property she wanted to buy at the super exclusive DLF Camellias in Gurugram at a throwaway price did not exist. However, by then, she had already transferred `12.02 crore in the bank accounts of to property fraudsters. The Delhi Polices Crime Branch has busted the high-value interstate property fraud racket that cheater her. Five key accused, including alleged maste

NEW DELHI: Even as the Congress grapples with internal unease triggered by Digvijaya Singhs remarks praising the organisational power of the RSS and the BJP, the senior leader on Sunday went into damage control mode, saying there were no ideological differences within the party and that it stood firmly united under the Nehru-Gandhi leadership. Speaking to the media, Singh sought to clear the air on suggestions of factionalism and accused the BJP of attempting to create discord within the Nehru-G

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the alleged assault of a national news channels senior journalist and video journalist by local police in the communally sensitive town of Ashta in Sehore district. The journalists, including Zee News senior reporter Pramod Sharma and video journalist Rajat, were reportedly attacked by on-duty officers on Saturday afternoon while covering the town, which recently witnessed communal clashes between Karni Sena activis

MUMBAI: The Congress party and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Sunday cemented the alliance for Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMC) elections in Mumbai. According to the alliance agreement, out of total 227 seats of BMC, the VBA will contest the 62 Seats while remaining 165 seats will be contested by the Congress party. The alliance between Congress and VBA was agreed in the presence of Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal and VBA State Vice P

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday described the SHANTI Bill as one of the Modi governments most significant science reforms. Addressing the media, he noted that parliamentary debates on reform have traditionally focused on welfare programmes and governance, but Indias long-term socio-economic trajectory will increasingly be shaped by advances in science and technology. According to Dr Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modis third term is defined by bol

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the three-day national Conference of Chief Secretaries on Sunday, called upon states and Union Territories to promote manufacturing, enhance the ease of doing business, and strengthen the services sector. Speaking on the final day of the conference, themed Human Capital for Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister emphasised collective efforts to make India Atmanirbhar, empower citizens, and realise the vision of a developed India. Highlighting Indias

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviations AirSewa platform, the official grievance redressal mechanism for air passengers, faced a surge of complaints during the IndiGo operational meltdown in early December. In response, a 24x7 real-time Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) was established on 10 December to expedite resolution of public grievances. Data shared by the ministry indicates that over 14,000 grievances were submitted through the portal, as well as via calls, emails, and social m

DEHRADUN: Tensions erupted in Rishikesh today as hundreds of local residents, fearing displacement due to a Supreme Court-mandated survey of forest land, staged a dramatic protest on active railway tracks. The blockade, led largely by women, brought rail traffic to a standstill and escalated into clashes with security forces. The disruption occurred near the Mansa Devi Railway Crossing, where residents gathered to express outrage over the Forest Departments demarcation exercise. The survey follo

PATNA: Three senior Maoist leaders, two of whom were carrying rewards of Rs 3 lakh each, surrendered before Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar in Munger district on Sunday, days after the state government claimed that Bihar had been freed from the Naxal menace. Two self-styled zonal commanders, Narayan Kora and Bahadur Kora, each carrying a bounty of Rs 3 lakh, surrendered before the DGP and other senior police officers at a simple function held in Munger. Their associate, Binod

RANCHI: President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a three-day visit to Jharkhand, arrived in Ranchi on Sunday evening. She was received at Birsa Munda Airport by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The airport and surrounding areas were placed under heightened surveillance, with police and administrative teams maintaining full preparedness along major routes. Following her arrival, the President was escorted to Lok Bhawan in a tightly guarded convoy. Senior officials from t

RANCHI: In yet another casualty linked to the escalating man animal conflict in Jharkhand, a 50 year old farmer was killed after being trampled by a wild elephant while guarding his paddy crop during the night in Seraikela Kharsawan district, triggering fresh fear among local farmers and renewed disruption to rail services due to elephant movement. The incident occurred at around 3 am on Sunday at Nutundih village under Kukru block in Seraikela Kharsawan district. The deceased has been identifie

KOLKATA: In the wake of a potential threat triggered by regular protest programmes organised by a section of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), allegedly backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Union home ministry has provided Y+ security to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal round the clock. The home ministry issued an order on 26 December in this regard, following which armed personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have been deployed for Agarw

Bangladesh on Sunday rejected Indias concerns over the safety of religious minorities in the country, asserting that recent incidents involving members of the Hindu community were isolated criminal acts and not reflective of any systematic persecution. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka said remarks made by India on unremitting hostilities against minorities was not only inaccurate but also misleading. The Government of Bangladesh categorically rejects any inaccurate