The Times of India

The Union government clarified in Parliament that smart prepaid electricity meters are optional, not compulsory under the Electricity Act, 2003. Consumers can voluntarily opt for prepaid meters without a security deposit. While promoting smart meters under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, the government emphasizes incentivizing adoption over enforcement.

A tigress found dead near railway tracks in Dudhwa buffer zone has sparked a dispute between forest officials and Northeast Railway. While the forest department suspects a train collision due to severe internal injuries, railways deny involvement, citing no physical evidence and loco pilot reports. Investigations are ongoing.

A tragic incident in Ayodhya saw a woman and her newborn die allegedly due to medical negligence at a private hospital. Family members claim the delivery was handled by untrained staff, with the doctor absent and guiding the procedure remotely via phone. The health department has sealed the facility and launched an investigation into the alleged malpractice.

Tragedy struck in Kushinagar as a tractor-trolley carrying devotees to a Ram Navami mela overturned into a canal, claiming four lives and injuring 17. The vehicle reportedly lost control after its hook snapped, plunging into the Gandak canal. Locals and emergency services rushed to the scene for rescue operations.

A young couple in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly died by suicide by jumping in front of a moving train. Eyewitnesses reported the couple, both in their early 20s, were holding hands when they took the extreme step. Preliminary investigations indicate family opposition to their relationship as the cause.