Madhya Pradesh News

2 Friends Mine 15.34-Carat Diamond Worth Rs 50 Lakh In Madhya Pradesh

Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammad leased a mine recently in the diamond-rich soil of Madhya Pradesh's Panna, hoping to overcome their financial crisis and arrange funds for their sisters' weddings.

On Camera, MP Cops Detain 18-Year-Old Student From Moving Bus, Frame Him In Drugs Case

The Malhargarh police station in Madhya Pradesh is facing scrutiny after the High Court revealed officers kidnapped a student from a bus and falsely implicated him in a drug case.

Cops Of Top Madhya Pradesh Police Station Kidnap Student, Frame Him In Fake Case

The Class 12 student was forcibly taken off a moving bus on August 29. Hours later, police declared he had been caught with 2.7 kg of opium.

Four constables killed as their vehicle collides with truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar

The police registered a case, and a search was on for the truck driver. The bodies were sent for post-mortem, the police said

Four constables killed as their vehicle collides with truck in MP's Sagar

SAGAR: Four constables of a bomb squad from Morena were killed and another cop was seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a container truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday, an official said. The accident occurred at around 4 am on National Highway- 44 between Bandri and Malthone in Sagar district, the official said. The vehicle carrying personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad collided head-on with a container truck parked on the wrong side of the highway, Bandri police station in-charge Sumer Jagat said. The impact was so severe that the police vehicle was severely damaged. Four personnel died on the spot. They have been identified as constable Pradhuman Dixit, constable Aman Kaurav, driver Paramlal Tomar, all residents of Morena, and dog master Vinod Sharma, hailing from Bhind, the official said. Another constable, Rajiv Chauhan, sustained serious injuries. He was immediately taken to Bansal Hospital in Bhopal, where his condition was reported to be critical, the official said. A dog that was part of the squad was safe, he said. After being alerted, local administration and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue and relief operation. Prima facie, it seems the police vehicle's driver lost control of the wheels, which led to the accident, the official said. The police registered a case, and a search was on for the truck driver. The bodies were sent for post-mortem, the police added.

Khajuraho cabinet meet for Bundelkhand revamp

BHOPAL: A special meeting of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved series of proposals focussed on the development of states Bundelkhand region which has been counted among the most backward and underdeveloped regions of the country since decades. Chaired by CM Dr Mohan Yadav in the states tourist city Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district the state cabinet meeting approved a special industrial incentive package for Bundelkhand, ushering investments worth Rs 24,240 crore and direct employment for nearly 29,000 people in the region. Under the package which is meant for the Maswasi Grunt industrial area in Bundelkhands Sagar district, the land allotment and annual land lease rate have been fixed at just 1 per square metre. Additionally, a facility of 20 equal annual instalments has been provided for payment of development charges, while the maintenance fee has been set at Rs 8 per square metre per year. To encourage investors, 100% reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fees has been approved. Industrial units will also be exempted from electricity duty for five years from the date of commencement of commercial production. Large industrial units will be governed by the provisions of the Industrial Promotion Policy 2025 and Investment Promotion Scheme 2025, while MSME units will be covered under MSME Development Policy 2025 and MSME Incentive Scheme 2025. Cement manufacturing units will not be eligible for this special package, which will remain in force for the next five years. The cabinet also approved an administrative sanction of Rs 2,059.85 crore for the upgradation and construction of the 76.680 km SagarDamoh road as a four-lane carriageway with paved shoulders under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The project will include construction of 13 underpasses, 3 major bridges, 9 medium bridges, one ROB, 13 major junctions and 42 medium junctions. It approved 990 regular and 615 outsourced posts for operating the new government medical colleges at Damoh, Chhatarpur and Budhni. For each of the three medical colleges, 330 regular posts will be created and 205 personnel will be engaged on an outsourcing basis. The cabinet also gave in principle approval to develop Virangana Durgavati Tiger Reserves Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary as the third cheetah habitat in the state.

Three hotel staff die of suspected food poisoning in MP's Khajuraho; several critical

BHOPAL: At least three lower-rung staff/workers of a prominent three-star hotel-cum-tourist resort in Madhya Pradeshs world-famous tourist city, Khajuraho, have died due to suspected food poisoning, while at least three to four are stated to be in critical condition at a government hospital in Gwalior. The tragic incident happened after the lower-rung employees had a delayed lunch at around 5 pm in their portion at the Gautam Hotel and Resort on Monday. The condition of 11 of the staff members deteriorated a short while later and they started vomiting, after which they were rushed to the Chhatarpur district hospital in the late evening. Potato and cauliflower curry is suspected to have caused the health emergency. With their condition continuing to worsen, the doctors at the Chhatarpur District Hospital referred them to adjoining Gwalior for life-saving treatment. Three of the critical workers identified as Pragilal Kushwah (54), Ramswaroop Kushwah (47) and woman staffer Girija Rajak (35) died during the course of treatment at the Jai Arogya Hospital (JAH) in Gwalior, official sources in MPs Chhatarpur district said. Out of the 11 workers who took ill, nine were referred to Gwalior. While three died during the course of treatment at the JAH Hospital, six others have been admitted at two other government hospitals in Gwalior. Three to four of the remaining staffers, who are admitted at two hospitals in Gwalior, are stated critical. Three workers died due to suspected food poisoning. Immediate funeral assistance of Rs 5,000 each has been approved for the three deceased. Also, financial assistance of Rs 20,000 each has been released for the three bereaved families. Further, action is being taken to provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh each under the Sambal Scheme. Primary probe revealed that the workers of the hotel-cum-resort had lunch out of the food prepared by them only. Food poisoning is suspected in food which was prepared and consumed by them and not the food prepared at the hotel-cum-resort for the guests, which included officials of the state government, Chhatarpur district collector Parth Jaiswal told TNIE . The concerned portion where the food was cooked and consumed by the workers has been sealed and the samples of the food leftover sent for testing. The report will be with us in a day, based on which further action will be taken, he added. Food samples have also been taken for testing from other hotels and resorts, which are reporting major tourists/visitor occupancy presently, Chhatarpur district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr RP Gupta said. Angered over the incident, the family members of the deceased workers and other ailing workers blocked the Khajuraho-Bamitha Road, demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for each bereaved family from the government. The tragic incident happened on a day when the states CM Dr Mohan Yadav was in the tourist hotspot Khajuraho with his entire council of ministers, for a special cabinet meeting and other related events. Most of the hotels and resorts in Khajuraho housed state government ministers and officials for two long days.

Rs 3,000 Crore Fraud Uncovers Haryana-Madhya Pradesh Cyber Crime Corridor

The Madhya Pradesh police earlier this year uncovered the state's biggest-ever cyber crime racket, worth more than Rs 3,000 crore.

3 Dead After Suspected Food Poisoning Case At Madhya Pradesh Resort

A case of suspected food poisoning has emerged from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, where multiple employees of a local resort fell severely ill after eating dinner.

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Approves to Develop Nauradehi As 3rd Cheetah Habitat

The state currently has a cheetah population of 31.

Three die, five critical after consuming meals at hotel in MP's Chhatarpur

CHHATARPUR: Three employees of a hotel died of food poisoning, and five are in a critical condition after consuming meals at the establishment in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, officials said on Tuesday. Eight employees of a local hotel fell ill after eating at the establishment in Khajuraho town on Monday night and were admitted to the district hospital and then referred to Gwalior, they said. The incident has occurred at a time when the state cabinet is holding its meeting in the ancient temple town since Monday. Eight people from Khajuraho were admitted on Monday night after suffering from food poisoning, Dr Roshan Dwivedi of Chhatarpur District Hospital said. Civil Surgeon Sharad Chaurasia said that patients were shifted to Gwalior for treatment due to their serious condition. The district administration, in a statement, confirmed the deaths of three patients and announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to the families of the deceased. According to the statement, the deceased were identified as Pragilal Kushwaha, Girija Rajak, and Ramswaroop Kushwaha. The administration has sent food samples for testing after the incident came to light.

Fertilizer Crisis Deepens As 2 Madhya Pradesh Farmers Die Waiting In Line

A severe fertilizer shortage across Madhya Pradesh has pushed farmers to desperation, resulting in two tragic deaths within two weeks and triggering widespread protests, road blockades, and political confrontation.

Ten Maoists carrying Rs 2.36 crore bounty surrender in Madhya Pradesh

The Maoists, including four women, laid down their modern weapons, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles, in front of Yadav on Sunday. They were part of the Bhorsadev area committee of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist)

In Madhya Pradesh, Farmer Dies Of Heart Attack While Waiting For Fertiliser

A 52-year-old farmer, waiting in a queue to procure fertiliser, on Monday suffered a heart attack and later died in a village in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

Training aircraft crashes after hitting electricity wireline in MPs Seoni district

BHOPAL: A training aircraft crashed after hitting a 33 KV electricity wire line in Madhya Pradeshs Seoni district on Monday evening. The instructor pilot Ajit Anthony and the trainee pilot Ashok Chawda, who were on board the aircraft were injured and rushed to the hospital, where they are now stated out of danger. The incident occurred around 6:30 pm near the fields of Amgaon, about two kilometres from the Suktara airstrip. Villagers said they saw sparks, heard a loud explosion, and then witnessed the aircraft crash in a nearby field. According to Seoni district police superintendent Sunil Mehta, the aircraft belonged to the Redbird Aviation Academy and had taken off from Suktara airstrip. It was preparing to land when its wing struck the electricity wireline. The impact caused the line to trip, preventing a larger accident. Several nearby villages reportedly experienced temporary power outages following the mishap. Primary investigations suggest that it was perhaps some snags in the aircrafts engine which could be behind the crash. The actual reason for the mishap will, however, be clear only after the DGCA probe, SP Mehta said. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.

MP ministers brother held as police bust inter-state ganja racket in Satna

BHOPAL: An alleged inter-state ganja smuggling racket has been busted in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh with the arrest of two men, including Anil Bagri, the elder brother of MPs minister of state for urban development and housing Pratima Bagri. Acting on a specific tip-off, a police team from Rampur Baghelan police station raided the house of one Pankaj Singh in Marahuan village late Sunday night and seized more than 46 kg of ganja worth over Rs 9 lakh, stashed in sacks under a tin shed. The seizure led to Pankaj Singhs arrest. He later told police that Anil Bagri had brought the ganja consignment to his house in an SUV on December 4. A subsequent probe led the Rampur Baghelan police to Anil Bagri, the ministers brother. Both Pankaj Singh and Anil Bagri have been arrested and booked under the NDPS Act. They were produced in court on Monday and sent to judicial custody, Rampur Baghelan police station in-charge Sandeep Chaube told TNIE . Bagris questioning revealed that he transported the consignment to Pankajs house at the behest of his brother-in-law, Shailendra Singh Shibbu, who was recently arrested in a ganja smuggling case in Uttar Pradesh and is currently lodged in Banda jail. Shailendra is no stranger to narcotics cases - he was arrested in September 2024 in a cough syrup smuggling case in Satna district. We will bring Shailendra Singh on a production warrant from Banda Jail to investigate this racket further, the police officer added. Further investigation suggests the ganja consignment was sourced from Beohari (Shahdol) and that key players in the racket may have links to Chhattisgarh.

End Of 'MMC' Zone: From Red Bastion To Only 6 Maoists Running For Cover

Ten days. 33 surrenders. And for the first time in more than three decades, the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) special zone, once the toughest Maoist theatre in central India, has shrunk to a single-digit count.

Madhya Pradesh: Trainer aircraft crashes after hitting high-voltage line; pilot, trainer injured

NBDSA slams TV news for love jihad spin on Class 3 NCERT lesson

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) reprimanded multiple mainstream TV news channels for converting a fictional Class 3 NCERT story into a communal love jihad narrative, and immediately directed them to take down the broadcasts. The news channels that aired the story were India TV, News 18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, Zee Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, Zee Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

10 days, 33 surrenders leave Naxal ranks in MMC Zone on brink of collapse

BHOPAL: Ten days and 33 surrenders have shrunk the number of armed Naxal cadres to single digits, for the first time in more than three decades in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone. The CPI (Maoist) MMC Zone comprises bordering districts of the three neighbouring states MP, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh including Balaghat district and parts of Mandla district (MP), Rajnandgaon, KCG, MMA and Kabirdham districts of Chhattisgarh, and Gondia district of Maharashtra. Around 40-45 armed Naxal cadres were active in two major parts of the MMC Zone. Three Dalams, Khatiya Mocha, Bhoramdev and Borla, formed the Kanha-Bhoramdev Division in the northern MMC Zone, covering Balaghat and Mandla districts of MP and Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. At least two Dalams, Malajkhand (including the defunct Tanda Dalam cadres) and Darre Khasa, formed the Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRB) division in the southern MMC Zone, where cadres armed with AK-47s, INSAS rifles and Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs) remained active. A series of bulk surrenders began on November 28, when 11 Darre Khasa Dalam cadres, led by MMC Special Zonal Committee spokesperson Vikas Nagpur alias Anant, surrendered in Gondia (Maharashtra). Nagpure had recently appealed for an end to armed struggle and sought time from the CMs of the three BJP-ruled states to surrender, amid intense pressure from joint anti-Naxal operations. Just nine days earlier, on November 19, cadres of the same Darre Khasa Dalam had killed Ashish Sharma, a young inspector of MP Polices elite Hawk Force, in an encounter at the tri-state border. Before surrendering with 10 cadres, Nagpure had left behind four armed cadres, likely to persuade other Dalam members. who later surrendered in Chhattisgarh on Monday. Nine days later, Madhya Pradesh reported its biggest-ever Naxal surrender when ten cadres of the KB Division surrendered before the MP Chief Minister in Balaghat district on Sunday (December 7). They collectively carried a bounty of Rs 2.36 crore, including two top leaders MMC Zone secretary Surendra alias Kabir Sodi and Special Zonal Committee Member Rakesh Odi alias Manish. This surrender ended the northern MMC Zones KB Division and its three Dalams, effectively freeing the non-tourist forest areas of the Kanha National ParkTiger Reserve from the LWE presence. On Monday, the surrender of MMC Zone head and CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Ramder, along with 11 cadres of the Malajkhand Dalam (GRB division), nearly cleared the southern MMC Zone of Naxals, leaving only six armed cadres on the run. Two cadres from Ramders Malajkhand Dalam and four from Nagpures Darre Khasa Dalam are still absconding. They may also surrender soon due to mounting pressure under the Surrender or Get Eliminated policy, a senior MP police officer told TNIE. Earlier, between November 1 and 6, eight other wanted cadres including two women, Sunita and Taruna had surrendered in MP and Chhattisgarh. In the last 38 days, around 40 LWE cadres have surrendered in the MMC Zone. Only six remain. Once they surrender or are neutralised the armed Naxal presence, already nearly wiped out in MP due to the 22 surrenders on Sunday and Monday, will disappear from the entire MMC Zone, the officer added.

Hold student union polls across universities in India, let new leadership emerge: ABVP

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is strongly advocating for student union elections across all Indian universities, including Madhya Pradesh by 2026. The organization believes these polls are crucial for fostering new leadership from educational campuses and benefiting society. ABVP insists that administrative measures can effectively prevent any potential disruptions, citing successful elections in prestigious institutions.

UP forms SIT to crack Rs 425-crore codeine cough syrup smuggling racket

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced the formation of a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to dismantle an organised racket involving the illegal diversion of codeine-based cough syrup for narcotic abuse. The smuggling case came to light around 20 days ago when a truck loaded with codeine-based cough syrup was seized in Sonbhadra. Speaking to the media, FSDA Secretary Roshan Jacob, accompanied by Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad and DGP Rajeev Krishna, said the SIT had been formed to investigate the case. Three accused have been arrested so far. Jacob said misleading information was being circulated on social media. Police have taken action. A truck of cough syrup was caught in Sonbhadra some 20 days ago and based on that evidence, a second truck was recovered in Ranchi, she said. She clarified that the UP case has no connection with a similar case reported in Madhya Pradesh. She said the investigation had been expanded to 300 drug dealers to trace the main supply channels. We want to reach the big traders, not the small retailers, Jacob added. UP DGP Rajeev Krishna said that using cough syrup for any purpose other than its normal medical use amounted to a legal offence. Several pieces of evidence have been found in the last two months. FSDA has registered 128 FIRs across 28 districts, including 38 in Varanasi, 16 in Jaunpur, eight in Kanpur, six in Ghazipur and four each in Lakhimpur Kheri and Lucknow, he said. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who holds the health portfolio, said in Jaunpur that strict action would be taken against the guilty irrespective of their social standing. The DGP added that 279 medical stores were inspected, and many were found to be non-existent. Others had serious anomalies in sale and purchase records. It reflects that the firms were selling cough syrup in an organised manner as an intoxicant, not a medicine. The drug was being supplied from Lucknow, Lakhimpur, Bahraich, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and even Nepal to Bangladesh, he said. In a parallel crackdown, the SIT constituted by the Varanasi Police Commissionerate to probe the smuggling racket run by Shubham Jaiswal of Varanasi arrested two close associates of the kingpin. The racket was operated through his firm, Shelly Traders. Shubham Jaiswal is believed to have fled to Dubai along with his associates Gaurav Jaiswal and Varun Singh on November 5. His father, Bhola Prasad Jaiswal, was arrested at Kolkata airport on November 30 while attempting to fly to Dubai. The two accused arrested on Monday, Vishal Jaiswal and Badal Arya, revealed key details during interrogation. They allegedly earned large sums by setting up shell firms, receiving Rs 25,00030,000 per consignment. The SIT also uncovered suspicious transactions worth Rs 425 crore linked to Shubham Jaiswal over the past two years. DCP Gaurav Basbal said Shubham Jaiswal had left India and look-out circulars were being issued. A Red Corner Notice would also be sought through Interpol. The arrested duo told interrogators that CA Devesh Jaiswal had full access to Shubhams bank accounts. They said they had conducted business worth around Rs 7 crore with him within a year. One of the accused, Badal Arya, claimed Devesh Jaiswal helped him open his firm. The other accused, Vishal Jaiswal of Hukumganj, also said Devesh Jaiswal helped him open a firm named Hariom Pharma. I would place orders but the syrup never came to my shop. I used to get Rs 20,00030,000 in cash, he said. SIT chief ADCP Kashi Zone Saravanan T said two more suspects were being questioned and their documents were being scrutinised.

With Top Maoist Ramdher's Surrender, Madhya Pradesh Almost Insurgency-Free

In what is being described as the final collapse of the Maoist structure, Central Committee Member Ramdher Majji, one of the most feared and powerful Maoist leaders, surrendered along with 11 top cadres in the early hours of Monday.

Twelve Maoist cadres led by CCM surrender in Chhattisgarhs Rajnandgaon

RAIPUR: A total of 12 cadres renounced the ideology of the CPI (Maoist) and surrendered with their weapons in Rajnandgaon district, around 100 km west of Raipur, in the early hours of Monday. Among those who laid down arms was a senior Maoist leader of the MaharashtraMadhya PradeshChhattisgarh (MMC) zone and Central Committee member, Ramdher Majji, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head. Four Divisional Committee members and several other cadres also surrendered. The surrender of these senior figures, led by the Central Committee member, is being viewed as a major setback for the MMC unit of the banned CPI (Maoist). Six of the 12 cadres are women, who, according to a police officer, were evidently encouraged by the state governments lucrative surrender and rehabilitation policy. The cadres handed over an AK-47 rifle, an INSAS assault rifle, a self-loading rifle (SLR), a .303 rifle, and other weapons. Official legal procedures will now follow to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Since the BJP came to power in December 2023 in Chhattisgarh, approximately 2,300 Maoists have surrendered in the state.

NEP aims to infuse Indian ethos into Macaulay-era education system: Pradhan

BHOPAL, Dec 7: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the objective of the National Education Policy was to infuse the Indian ethos into the Macaulay-era education system. Addressing a workshop on Implementation of National Education Policy-2020: Challenges and Possibilities in Bhopal, he said the time has come to connect Indias traditional education systems with artificial intelligence to gain global recognition for the countrys rich cultural and knowledge traditions. He described Madhya Pradesh as an ancient centre of scientific, [] The post NEP aims to infuse Indian ethos into Macaulay-era education system: Pradhan appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

10 Maoists surrender before CM Mohan Yadav in MP's Balaghat district

BHOPAL: In a landmark development in Madhya Pradeshs anti-Naxal operations, ten hardcore Maoist cadres, including four women, surrendered before Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Sunday in Balaghat district. The group, associated with the CPI (Maoist) Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) special zone, carried a combined bounty of Rs 2.36 crore and laid down two AK-47s and two INSAS rifles at a special programme attended by the CM. Addressing journalists in Balaghat, Dr Yadav said, Today is a big day for the success of anti-Naxal operations of MP Police. Though Dindori and Mandla district had already become free of LWE, todays big development will result in Balaghat district also getting majorly free of the outlaws. This speaks volumes about the success of the targeted anti-naxal operations based on the prime principle of surrender or get eliminated and will go a long way in freeing Kanha National Park-Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh National Park-Tiger Reserve of any remnants of the naxal cadres. The ten surrendered cadres belonged to the Kanha-Bhoradev (KB) division of the MMC Zone, which operated in northern parts of the zone covering Balaghat and Mandla in Madhya Pradesh and Kabirdham in Chhattisgarh. Among them were MMC Zone secretary and special zonal committee member Surendra alias Kabir Sodi (50), SCZM Rakesh Odi alias Manish, and area committee members Lalsingh Marawi, Salita alias Savitri, Navin Nuppo alias Hidma, Jaisheela alias Lalita Oyam, Vikram alias Hidma Vatti, Zarina alias Jogi Musak, and Samar alias Somaru. The cadres, aged between 26 and 50, hailed from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, with the two SZCMs having been linked to multiple past killings of villagers suspected of being police informers. Key sources in the state polices anti-Naxal establishment said that with this surrender, the northern part of the MMC Zone running through Kanha National Park is now free of Naxal activity. This development is expected to allow anti-Naxal camps of the MP Police and central paramilitary forces to shift focus to the southern MMC Zone, which includes the Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRP) division, where 18 armed Naxals, including a 14-member group led by central committee member Ramder, are still active. The surrender comes just a day after an encounter between MP Police and Ramders group along the MP-Chhattisgarh border and 36 days after another hardcore Naxalite, Sunita, became the first cadre to surrender under the states special surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy of 2023. In 2025, MP Police also eliminated 10 hardcore Naxalites, who carried a total bounty of Rs 1.86 crore. The mass surrender in Balaghat marks the largest-ever surrender by armed Naxals in Madhya Pradesh, significantly strengthening the states efforts to curb left-wing extremism and secure sensitive areas, including Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves.

10 Maoists surrender in M.P.s Balaghat; CM Yadav calls on more to lay down arms

The development comes a month after a woman Maoist surrendered in Balaghat, becoming the first to lay down arms in Madhya Pradesh

Cheetah cub killed by speeding car hit as Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradeshs cheetah population suffered a second blow in three days after a 20-month-old male cub born to South African cheetah Gamini was fatally hit by a speeding car in Gwalior districts Ghatigaon area early Sunday. The incident occurred around 6.30 am when the two cubs were crossing National Highway-46 near the Ghatigaon forests. According to an official statement from the field director of the Cheetah Project, A speeding vehicle (car) struck one of the cubs, killing it instantly. The cheetah tracking team and the local forest staff were continuously monitoring both cubs. The accident happened suddenly even as the tracking team attempted to stop the speeding vehicle from hitting the cheetah. The vehicle suspected to have caused the collision was traced hours later in Rajasthans Kota district, and a forest offence case has been registered. Officials at Kuno National Park (KNP) said the second cub is safe, though its exact location has not been disclosed yet. This is the first recorded death of a cheetahadult or cub due to a vehicle strike since the Cheetah Project began in September 2022 with the arrival of eight Namibian cheetahs. Sundays death comes just two days after a 10-month-old cub of South African female Veera was found dead in the KNP forests on December 5, a day after it was released into the wild with its mother and sibling. The cub is believed to have been separated from them the same night and is suspected to have died after falling and colliding with rocks near a hillock. The cub killed on Sunday had been roaming freely since March 17, 2025, when Gamini and her four cubs were released into the open forests of the Khajuri area. With the loss of both cubs aged 10 months and 20 months, the cheetah count inside KNP now stands at 27, including 19 cubs and eight adults. Three more adult cheetahs housed at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary bring the total in Madhya Pradesh to 30. Reacting to the twin deaths, Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said, The unnatural death streak of cheetahs continues in Madhya Pradesh. A cheetah was run over by a vehicle in the Gwalior district. The MP government has failed to fix responsibility for the criminal negligence.

Severe cold grips north India; IMD warns of cold wave, fog across multiple states

NEW DELHI: Cold conditions prevailed across north India on Sunday, with the Amarnath yatra base camp being the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 4.3 degrees Celsius and parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan reporting minimum temperatures between three and seven degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cold wave conditions were very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha on Monday and Tuesday. In Delhi, the minimum temperature was recorded at eight degrees, up from 6.8 degrees a day ago and yet 1.6 notches below normal. The maximum temperature was 24.7 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch below normal, while the relative humidity was 92 per cent in the morning. For Monday, the weather department forecast a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius, with mist expected. Pollution levels in Delhi remained in the very poor category on Sunday, prolonging the spell of toxic air that has hung over its residents for several weeks now. The city logged a 24-hour average AQI of 308. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor and 401 and 500 severe. Further in the north, the night temperatures in Kashmir rose by several degrees but stayed below the freezing point, officials said. The Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the minimum settled at a low of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Srinagar -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir -- settled at minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, a rise of 3.2 degrees compared to the previous night. The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of minus one degree Celsius, while the minimum settled at minus 0.8 degree Celsius in north Kashmir's Kupwara, and 1.1 degrees Celsius in south Kashmir's Kokernag, according to officials. The meteorological department said the weather would remain generally cloudy but dry on Sunday, and a brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of north and central Kashmir is likely on December 8. In Himachal Pradesh, The IMD predicted dense fog in parts of the state until Wednesday. A yellow alert for dense fog was also issued in parts of the reservoir area of the Bhakra dam in Bilaspur district and over some parts of the Balh valley in Mandi district during early morning till Monday. In Punjab, Faridkot remained the coldest place, with the minimum temperature settling at 4.4 degrees Celsius, while in Haryana, Narnaul saw the lowest temperature at 4.6 degrees Celsius, according to the local meteorological department. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a minimum temperature of 8.2 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Bathinda and Gurdaspur recorded a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius, while Ferozepur recorded 6 degrees, Amritsar 6.1 degrees, Ludhiana 6.8 degrees, and Patiala 8.9 degrees. In Haryana, Bhiwani recorded a low of six degrees, Hisar 6.2 degrees, Sirsa 6.6 degrees, Karnal seven degrees, Rohtak 7.8 degrees, and Ambala 9.8 degrees. Rajasthan, similarly, reeled under intense cold, the Meteorological Centre here said. Fatehpur in the Sikar district continued to record the lowest minimum temperature, albeit at 3.5 degrees Celsius, slightly up from 2.3 degrees a day ago. According to the weather department, Lunkaransar (Bikaner) recorded a low of 5 degrees Celsius, followed by Dausa at 6 degrees, Churu at 6.3 degrees, Vanasthali (Tonk) at 6.4 degrees and Jhunjhunu at 7.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning. The department said a fresh but weak western disturbance is likely to cause partly cloudy skies in some parts of the state over the next few days. Under its influence, the minimum temperature is expected to rise by two to three degrees Celsius, providing relief from the cold wave, it said. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, eight districts recorded minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, the IMD said, noting a cold wave in parts of the state. Gumla recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 3.5 degrees Celsius up from three degrees Celsius while Khunti logged five degrees Celsius, the IMD weather bulletin stated. The minimum temperature in Jharkhand's capital, Ranchi, was 7.5 degrees Celsius, while Daltonganj recorded 6.5 degrees and Jamshedpur recorded 9.6 degrees Celsius. Deputy Director of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, Abhishek Anand, said, North-westerly winds prevailing in the lower tropospheric levels over Jharkhand have caused the drop in mercury. Dry weather conditions are likely to prevail across the state over the next five days.The minimum temperature may rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius during the next 72 hours, he added. In West Bengal, the mercury dipped below the 10-degree mark for the first time this winter in the state's plains with Sriniketan in Birbhum districts recording a minimum temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the IMD said. Its forecast for West Bengal suggested dry weather across all districts of West Bengal for the next week, with shallow to moderate fog likely in the northern districts. Darjeeling was the coldest in the hills at 6.2 degrees Celsius, while the other Himalayan tourist town of Kalimpong was warmer at 10.5 degrees Celsius. The other places which recorded low night temperatures are Alipurduar (11 degrees), Kalyani (11.4 degrees), Purulia (11.4 degrees) and Panagarh (11.9 degrees). Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 15.2 degrees Celsius, the IMD said, forecasting mist in the morning on Monday. IMD further predicted dense fog conditions in isolated pockets of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura between December 8 and 12. It was also very likely in parts of west Madhya Pradesh on Monday and in Odisha until Tuesday. In west India, a gradual fall by two to three degrees over the next three-four days is expected, and no significant change is anticipated thereafter, the IMD said.

Who is Nikita Nagdev? Pakistani woman appeals to PM Modi as husband plans second marriage in India

She said Vikram has been living in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on a long-term Indian visa. In a desperate video message, Nikita has appealed for intervention at the highest level. But, who is Nikita Nagdev? Here's what we know about her.

Cheetah cub dies after being hit by unidentified vehicle in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior

GWALIOR: A male cheetah cub that ventured out of the Kuno National Park (KNP) died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on a highway in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district early on Sunday, police said. The incident took place on a national highway in the Ghatigaon area near the Shivpuri district border, about 3540 km from Gwalior, Gwalior Zone IG Arvind Saxena told PTI. The nearly 20-month-old cub had wandered out of Kuno National Park and got separated from its mother. It died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle, he added. A member of the police probe team said they have got some leads about a car suspected of having hit the cheetah. We have reduced traffic and curtailed speed on the highway to prevent any untoward incident, as another male cub separated from the same mother might still be around. Both were earlier spotted together, the official said. Forest officials reached the spot and were searching for the other cheetah cub in the area, police said. The other cub was safe, State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Subharajan Sen told PTI. He said the dead cub was the offspring of Gamini, a cheetah imported from South Africa to help revive India's big cat population, which lost the world's fastest animal seven decades ago. Earlier, a cheetah cub was found dead on Friday, a day after being released into the wild at KNP. Day after being released into wild, 10-month-old cheetah cub found dead in Kuno National Park forests

MP Speaker urged not to fix House session date during marriage season

BHOPAL: Marriages cast their shadow on the Madhya Pradesh Assemblys winter session that concluded on Friday. On the concluding day of the four-day winter session, 14 MLAs from the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, besides the lone Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) legislator Kamleshwar Dodiyar, were absent in the Assembly for reportedly attending wedding ceremonies. On the final day, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar read out the names of six MLAs who were to raise their questions during the Question Hour, but the legislators werent to be found. Three other MLAs whose questions were also listed were not present, which left the Speaker surprised. The Speaker subsequently read out the names of the 14 MLAs who were absent. They included Kunwar Singh Tekam, Narendra Singh Kushwaha, Dhirendra Bahadur Singh Dhiru, Satish Malviya, Arvind Pateria, Rajesh Shukla, Virendra Singh Lodhi and Bhupendra Singh (all BJP MLAs), Atiq Aqeel, Nitendra Singh Rathore, Mukesh Malhotra, Bhairon Singh Bapu, Rajendra Bharti (Congress legislators) and the lone BAP MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar. The absence of the MLAs prompted the states parliamentary affairs minister Kailash Vijayvargiya to request the Speaker to keep in mind the wedding days while deciding the sessions in future. Many of the MLAs have skipped the proceedings today (Friday) after informing that they have to attend marriages in their families. Before deciding the session in future, we need to also keep in mind that there are fewer marriages when sessions are to be convened. After all, being public representatives, the legislators have to be present in marriages as well, Vijayvargiya appealed to the Speaker. It was perhaps for the first time in nearly 20 years that the Vidhan Sabha had five full minutes left in Question Hour with absolutely nothing to do due to the absence of the 14 MLAs, a legislator said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Anita Katyal | Why BJP Yet To Elect Head; Only Tharoor At Putin Event

A new name has now been added to this list: V.D. Sharma, Lok Sabha MP from Khajuraho and former president of the partys Madhya Pradesh unit

Five, including fire officials, hospitalised after chlorine gas leak in Madhya Pradesh chemical factory

ODISHA: Two factory workers and three fire brigade personnel were hospitalized following a chlorine gas leakage at a chemical factory in Jaora Industrial Area of western Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam district on Saturday evening. Chaos prevailed in and around a chemical factory in the industrial area, following the leakage of gas from the chlorine tank in the unit. The unit manufactured Ferric Sulphate for Pharma companies. The leakage was reported at around 6 pm from the tank having a capacity of 40 kg. The workers present at the unit first attempted to plug the leakage, but failed. Following it, fire tenders and other rescue teams were rushed to the concerned factory, official sources in Ratlam told TNIE . When the fire brigade personnel rushed to the factory, two workers at an adjoining factory had already developed health problems due to the leaked gas. Three fire brigade personnel also developed health problems and had to be rushed to the government medical college hospital in Ratlam city, where the condition of all five persons is stated out of danger. Two workers who were first admitted at the hospital have already been discharged, while the three fire brigade personnel are stated out of danger, Ratlam district police superintendent Amit Kumar said. Meanwhile, teams from chemical units of Nagda Industrial Area in neighbouring Ujjain district and Ipca Laboratories Pharma company in Ratlam district were called to stop the leakage, which was finally controlled after three hours at around 9.15 pm. According to official sources, the chemical factory where the chlorine gas leak happened in the evening, was not functioning since the last few days and the staff present there, failed to control and plug the leak from the tank. Investigations have started and the concerned chemical units owners and management will be booked for negligence, a senior Ratlam district police officer said. As a precautionary measure, the operations in around ten factories in the vicinity of the chemical unit have been halted till further orders.

Low sittings, key legislations: 25 years on, three state Assemblies present a mixed record

NEW DELHI: Twenty-five years after they were carved out of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, the Legislative Assemblies of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have entered a milestone year with a troubling record: some of the lowest numbers of sitting days in the country. Data compiled since their formation in 2000 shows that Chhattisgarhs Assembly met for an average of just 29 days a year, while Jharkhand averaged only 23 sitting days, among the lowest for any State legislature in India. Uttarakhands records remain incomplete for long stretches, including the years 20002015 and 2025, making long-term assessment difficult. These figures fall far short of the recommended national benchmark of 60 sitting days for State legislatures, raising concerns about legislative scrutiny and democratic engagement. The challenges extend beyond sitting days. In all three State Assemblies, the post of Deputy Speaker remained vacant for prolonged periods, signalling what legislators describe as institutional neglect and a weakening of bipartisan norms. Jharkhand has gone over 20 years without a Deputy Speaker, an absence that many members believe undermines legislative balance and accountability. Despite these structural gaps, some States have taken important legislative steps worth emulating. Chhattisgarh, which has 21% women MLAs, one of the strongest representations in the country enacted notable laws in its early years. A 2002 law that enabled private universities to be created through simple notification resulted in over 100 universities being established, but critics point out that many existed only on paper. The Supreme Court struck it down in 2004, flagging serious quality concerns. A decade later, Chhattisgarh passed its own Food Security Act (2012), which became a reference point and model for the national legislation enacted in 2013. Jharkhand was among the first States to introduce 75% reservation for local candidates in private-sector jobs, a move later mirrored by Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. Courts struck down Haryanas law in 2023, and challenges remain pending in other States. Uttarakhand, meanwhile, passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in 2024, becoming the first State to implement it. Supporters hailed it as a step toward equality, while critics warned that it risked disrupting social equilibrium and overlooking community practices. Legislators across the three States agree that democratic functioning demands consistent sittings, procedural stability and open debate. Many acknowledge that confrontational politics, repeated adjournments and legislative delays have eroded the Assemblys core responsibilities. As the three States complete 25 years, expectations from State legislatures are rising. Citizens increasingly demand more time spent in the House, faster decisions on longstanding issues, stronger oversight and dependable forums where public concerns can be voiced and debated. The next quarter-century, lawmakers say, must be defined not by institutional gaps but by a renewed commitment to democratic performance.

Supply of first batch of 40,000 Negev LMGs to Army early next year, Israeli firm CEO

PLR Systems, a joint venture between Israel Weapon Industries and Adani Defence & Aerospace, will execute the contract as the LMGs are being co-produced at Adani facility in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

Stray cattle menace: 237 road accidents led to 94 deaths in last two years in MP

BHOPAL: The menace of stray animals is proving deadly for humans in Madhya Pradesh. Over the last two years, a person has either lost their life or suffered grievous injuries every third day in road accidents caused by stray cattle across the state. In a written reply to a question raised by former Leader of Opposition and seven-time Congress MLA Ajay Arjun Singh, the Dr. Mohan Yadav government informed the Vidhan Sabha on Friday that 237 road accidents attributed to stray animalsparticularly cattlewere reported during this period. Citing data from the state police and the home department, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister Lakhan Patel said these 237 accidents led to 94 deaths and 133 injuries. This means that 227 human casualtiesfatalities and serious injuries combinedoccurred due to stray-animal-related road crashes over two years, averaging at least one major casualty every three days. However, the minister did not share any data on damage to farmers crops caused by stray cattle. Since the assessment of crop losses due to stray animals, especially cattle, is not done by the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, the information cannot be provided, Patel said in his reply. He also confirmed that no proposal was under consideration to compensate farmers for such losses. Patel further briefed the House on the existing cow-protection infrastructure in the state. Currently, about 4.5 lakh cattle are housed in nearly 3,000 gaushalas (cowsheds) across Madhya Pradesh. Of these, more than 2,200 gaushalas operate under the Mukyamantri Gauseva Yojana, while the remaining cowsheds are run either by voluntary organisations or by local bodies across the states 55 districts. For the 202526 financial year, the state government has allocated 296.20 crore for the upkeep and management of gaushalas.

Chhattisgarh on high alert for paddy procurement season; takes measures to curb illegal transportation

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh, with intensified strict vigilance, has cracked down on the transportation of paddy from other states and seized over one lakh quintals so far in separate cases ever since the procurement began from November 15. The state has launched special campaigns in different districts, with alert and rigorous monitoring underway. There are continuous checks, check posts set up in districts and along state borders, besides keeping track of GPS-equipped vehicles used for foodgrain transport to prevent illegal paddy transportation. This year, several check posts have undertaken a digital verification oversight process and a resolute inter-state coordination. Meticulous measures are adopted in every procurement centre, having a more accountable and technology-driven system, to record entries on the actual paddy received on a given day. The state government has issued a directive to all district collectors to ensure transparency in the procurement process of paddy in all centres, while illegal transportation and fictitious purchase will not be tolerated. The paddy procurement is to continue till January 31, 2026. According to officials, the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (CG-MARKFED) has set up check-posts in border districts and constituted task forces headed by district collectors to check the movement of paddy from neighbouring states. The MARKFED has this year instituted Integrated Command and Control Centre to manage real-time surveillance of the procurement process and closely monitor every border area of the state. Over 16 separate check posts with installed cameras have been set-up in areas connecting Chhattisgarh to other states for round the clock observation at the Command Centre, a senior officer said. The detail of every vehicle entering Chhattisgarh state is recorded by deployed staff at every small or big check post, including those connecting the border areas. Chhattisgarh, often cited as the rice bowl in Central India, offers Rs 3,100 per quintal as minimum support price (MSP) to paddy growers, which is believed to be the highest in the country. There are sneaky attempts from neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana to secure high returns of paddy from the government procurement centres in Chhattisgarh state. There were instances where officials had earlier confiscated paddy illegally transported and stored in the state.

14 Madhya Pradesh MLAs Skip Assembly Session. They Had Weddings To Attend

In what could pass for a political comedy of errors, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly's Winter Session, scheduled till December 5, ended with a whimper after lawmakers across party lines vanished from the House en masse to attend weddings.

Madhya Pradesh Sees One Deadly Cattle-Related Accident Every Three Days: Data

In the last two years, 94 people have lost their lives in such accidents, according to data presented by the state government in the Assembly on Friday.

Cheetah cub released in wild at Kuno National Park dies

Sheopur: A cheetah cub has been found dead a day after being released into the wild at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, a forest official said. On the occasion of International Cheetah Day on Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released female cheetah Veera and her two cubs into the parks free-ranging Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

CAG flags misuse of IT Park land in MP, finds storehouse and non-tech related units on subsidised plots

BHOPAL: An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has uncovered alleged misuse of land leased in the IT Parks of Bhopal and Jabalpur. These plots, meant for information technology and allied firms, were found to house a nursing college, a medicine storehouse, and units manufacturing electric equipment and water-pump starters. The audit, carried out in June 2023 across IT Parks in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, showed that 11 out of 20 completed units were engaged in activities inconsistent with those mentioned in their lease deeds. The findings relate to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan period. According to the CAG report tabled in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Thursday, the MP State Electronic Development Corporation Limited (MPSEDC), the agency responsible for developing and promoting IT Parks, didnt act against the lessees/firms. Instead, it supported the 11 firms by paying them Rs 3.96 crore as land subsidy and Rs 61.44 lakh as other incentives/subsidies. One firm that received 0.87 acres in the Jabalpur IT Park in June 2017 for running a BPO-Call Centre, IT Training Centre, and Data Processing Centre, was operating a nursing college, even though MPSEDC had paid a subsidy of Rs 53.36 lakh to the firm. Another firm allotted land to manufacture electronic equipment, and software was using its building to store medicines, after already receiving Rs 15.78 lakh land subsidy. In Bhopal, a firm that was allotted two acres in May 2018 for manufacturing LED lights and electronic products was only assembling components, not manufacturing them. It had been paid a subsidy of Rs 165.4 lakh. The audit also noted severe underperformance: 101 firms allotted 123 plots and expected to create 6,536 jobs by 2023, but had created only 96 jobs. Construction hadnt even started in 84 cases. Four firms recorded as functional were actually locked. Additionally, 13.57 acres in Bhopal and Indore IT Parks were encroached.

Day after being released into wild, 10-month-old cheetah cub found dead in Kuno National Park forests

BHOPAL: One of the two cheetah cubs released into the wild, along with their mother, at the Kuno National Park the day before, was found dead on Friday. A South African female cheetah, Veera, was released along with its two cubs from the enclosures into the wild by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on International Cheetah Day. One of Veeras cubs, which was aged around 10 months, was found dead in the forest on Friday. The cub had been released into the wild along with its sibling and mother, Veera, on Thursday. During the night, the cub got separated from mother and sibling. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received, Cheetah Projects field director said in an official statement on Friday night. Veera and the other cub, meanwhile, are together and doing well, the statement said. CM Dr Mohan Yadav had released six-year-old Veera and two cubs (born in February 2025) into the wild in Kuno National Parks (KNP) Parond Forest Area, marking the International Cheetah Day on Thursday. After Friday's tragic development, the KNP in Sheopur district now has 28 cheetahs, including eight Namibian and South African adults (five females and three males) and 20 India-born cubs. As many as 18 out of the 28 surviving cheetahs at the KNP, including Veera and her lone surviving 10-month-old cub, are hunting in the wild, while the remaining ten cheetahs, including 33-month-old Mukhi and her five cubs, are housed in the protected enclosures. The death of Veeras cub is the second death of an India-born cheetah cub in less than three months. On September 15, a 20-month-old female cub of Namibian cheetah Jwala, had died in the KNP jungles, reportedly after an encounter with a co-predator leopard. Jwala, along with four cubs, was released from the enclosure into the jungles in February and now continue to be in the same forests with three surviving cubs.

Interpol Notice And Movie-Style Arrest Of Wildlife Trafficker In Sikkim

In a dramatic covert operation stretching across the icy Himalayan border, the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), in coordination with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), has arrested an international wildlife trafficker.

Adani coal mine: Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs protest felling of nearly 6 lakh trees in Singrauli

Minister of State for Forest Dilip Ahirwar says trees are being cut as per rules of the Centre and State, and that the same number of trees are being planted at different locations

CAG audit finds major gap in allotment, development of land given for IT Parks in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Land allocated on lease in IT Parks in Bhopal and Jabalpur for operating information technology and allied companies/firms, has been found housing nursing college, storehouse of medicines and units manufacturing electric equipment and water pump starters, an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed. Audit of IT Parks in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur conducted in June 2023, to ascertain business activities, construction status and land use, has revealed that 11 out of the 20 completed units were engaged in activities inconsistent with those which were mentioned in the respective lease deeds and didnt fall into the category of activities pertaining to the IT industry. The audit pertained to the period while the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government ruled the state. According to the CAG report, tabled in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Thursday, the MP State Electronic Development Corporation Limited (MPSEDC), which is responsible for developing and promoting IT Parks, didnt act against the concerned lessees/firms. It instead supported the concerned 11 firms by paying them Rs 3.96 crore as land subsidy and Rs 61.44 lakh as other incentives/subsidies. One of the firms was allotted 0.87 acres land in the IT Park, Jabalpur in June 2017. Being an IT-enabled services firm, it had to carry out activities relevant to BPO-Call Centre, IT Training Centre and Data Processing Centre. The audit (physical inspection) in June 2023, however, revealed that no such centre existed in the building constructed on the land allotted to the firm. However, a nursing college was found running in the buildings basement. The MPSEDC had paid Rs 53.36 lakh subsidy to the concerned firm. Another firm was allocated land on lease at the IT Park in Jabalpur, for manufacturing electronic equipment and software. But during the audit, the building was found to be used to store medicines. The concerned firm had already been given Rs 15.78 lakh land subsidy. One firm was allotted two plots spread in two acres of land at the IT Park in Bhopal in May 2018 for manufacturing LED lights and electronic product mix. The physical inspection in June 2023, however, revealed that the firm wasnt manufacturing anything, but merely assembling the components of LED lights and bulbs. The MPSEDC had paid Rs 165.40 lakh subsidy to the firm. Further, 101 firms, which were allotted 123 plots, aiming to create 6,536 jobs by 2023, created merely 96 jobs by 2023. In the 101 firms that were yet to commence operations at the time of the audit in 2023, even the construction work hadnt started in 84 cases, while buildings were under construction in 10 cases. Just seven firms had completed the construction. Despite non-completion of construction/non-commencement of operations, the MPSEDC did not act against those firms by terminating the leases and re-allotting to other interested parties/firms. Further, the audit noticed that four firms at IT Parks in Bhopal and Jabalpur, which were shown to be functional in records, were actually locked and non-functional. Also, it was observed during the scrutiny of records that 13.57 acres of land in two IT Parks in Bhopal and Indore were encroached, which resulted in Rs 3.62-crore loss to the government. It also deprived the MPSEDC of Rs 2.28 crore in the form of opportunity cost, which it could have earned as land premium, had it prevented the encroachment and allotted the land to the applicant firms. The audit also observed that the MPSEDC had not prepared any long-term plan or strategic plan to develop IT Parks of the state, in line with the applicable IT Policy, due to which it didnt set any annual target for allotment of plots/space and commencement of production/delivery of services by the firms.

Tensions High In Madhya Pradesh After Obscene Video Of Minor Goes Viral

Tensions were high in Madhya Pradesh's Shamgarh city on Friday after a horrifying case of blackmail and the circulation of an obscene video of a 16-year-old girl came to light.

Travelogue-Madhya Pradesh-Pachmarhi

Pachmarhis beauty lies in its serene forests, cascading waterfalls, and mist-kissed hills that give the entire valley a quiet, timeless charm. Photo: MP Tourism I escaped to Pachmarhi what I found in the queen of Satpura left me spellbound By Souvik Ghosh Hurriedly finishing a wholesome vegetarian lunch of roti, paneer, rice and dal, I almost sprinted to the jeepusually reserved for jungle safarisfor our two evening stops: Pandav Caves and Dhupgarh in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. It had barely [] The post Travelogue-Madhya Pradesh-Pachmarhi appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Madhya Pradesh CM Releases 3 Cheetahs, Including 2 Cubs, Into The Wild At Kuno | Video

The release included a female cheetah, Veera, and her two nine-month-old cubs, who were moved into the open forest near the Parond area of the park.

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav launches 20-strong fleet of Shikaras in Bhopals Upper Lake

BHOPAL:Tourists craving to relish rides on the Shikara boats, but finding the iconic Dal Lake in Kashmir or backwaters of Kerala too far, now have the option to enjoy the same ride in the heart of India Madhya Pradesh. With a 20-strong fleet of Shikaras, the Shikara Boat service was launched in the Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopals Upper Lake on Thursday. The 20 Shikaras, which were launched by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, are equipped with food and comfortable seating arrangements for visitors, and are expected to give Madhya Pradeshs water tourism a new identity at the national and international level. While urging tourists from across the country and residents of Bhopal and the state to enjoy the Shikara Boat service, the CM said that the Madhya Pradesh Tourism is expanding water-sports activities and that tourists will also be able to purchase indigenous products while enjoying the shikara rides. The CM and other dignitaries enjoyed tea, poha, samosas andfruits from the shikara boat restaurant. The CM also purchased traditional Bag & Batik textiles and organic products from the floating boat market. This is for the first time in Madhya Pradesh that Shikaras are being operated on such a large scale. All the 20 Shikaras which were launched on Thursday, have been built using pollution-free, modern technology. They are built from fibre-reinforced polyurethane and high-quality non-reactive materials that do not cause any chemical reaction with water, ensuring the complete safety of the lakes ecology and water purity. This is for the first time in Madhya Pradesh that Shikaras are being operated on such a large scale. These shikaras have been crafted by an internationally renowned organisation whose boats are already popular with tourists in Kerala, Bengal, and Assam. With their addition, Bhopals Boat Club is now ready to welcome visitors with these attractive new vessels. Along with boating, tourists will be able to enjoy bird-watching and purchase handicrafts, local dishes, organic vegetables and fruits during the ride. Each Shikara Boat can accommodate four to six passengers. Each Shikara ride will be 20 minutes long. While four passengers will have to pay Rs 300 for the 20-minute ride, six passengers will have to pay Rs 450 for the same ride. The service will be operational from 9 am till sunset. Importantly, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had reportedlybanned all motorized boats, including diesel and petrol-powered ones, in Bhopal's Upper Lake in September 2023 to protect the wetland. The order had come in response to a petition highlighting the environmental damage caused by these activities, which includes emissions from the boats. The ban applies to cruise boats and other motor-propelled vessels operating on the Upper Lake and other designated wetlands in the state. Later, in March 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the MP Tourism Development Corporation, which challenged the NGT order.

CM Mohan Yadav releases South African cheetah Veera, twin cubs into wild at Kuno National Park

BHOPAL: A South African female cheetah, Veera, and her ten-month-old twin cubs were released into the free-ranging forests of Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP) on Thursday. The release by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, marked International Cheetah Day at KNP, the first Indian home to African (Namibian and South African) cheetahs since September 2022. The mother and cubs, born in India in February, were released in the Parond forest area, a designated tourism zone. Their presence is expected to boost ecotourism and public engagement with Project Cheetah. Post-release monitoring will continue through advanced radio-tracking and field teams to ensure the animals safety and successful integration into the landscape. Veera, known for her adventurous behaviour, previously strayed out of Kuno during the summer of 2024, travelling through villages and jungles of Morena district into neighbouring Gwalior. In May 2024, she attacked a herd of goats, killing three in front of a shepherd. The latest release comes two weeks after a landmark development at Kuno, the birth of five cubs to 33-month-old Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah to an African mother. The six-year-old Veera and her cubs now join 16 other cheetahs and cubs already living and hunting independently in the parks forests, often dispersing into adjacent districts of Gwalior and Morena, as well as parts of Rajasthan. These include two females, Jwala and Asha, and their six cubs each. Namibian female Jwala and her four cubs were released into the forest in February 2025. One of her cubs, a 20-month-old female, died reportedly after a fight with a leopard on September 15. Kuno currently hosts eight adult cheetahs and 21 cubs. Meanwhile, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts is home to three South African cheetahs, a male coalition and a female. On Thursday, the Chief Minister also released Kunos 2026 calendar and the newly developed Field Manual for Clinical Management of Free-Ranging Cheetahs in Kuno National Park. He further inaugurated the parks new souvenir shop, aimed at enriching visitor experience and promoting conservation awareness.

ED arrests educational trust chief in Rajasthan for 'money laundering, radicalisation'

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Mohammed Sadeeque, former President of Alfurkan Educational Trust in Rajasthans Bikaner, on Thursday for money laundering linked to forced religious conversions and radicalisation activities, the agency said. The federal investigations allegedly reveal systematic diversion of public donations, extensive cash-based criminal operations and suspicious foreign associations and conduct indicative of radicalisation. The arrest of Mohammed Sadeeque marks a significant step in dismantling a network of shadow financial operations, suspected radical influences and unlawful activities operating under the guise of charitable and religious work, the agency claimed. Following the arrest, the court granted ED custody of Sadeeque for three days for further investigation. The agency initiated a probe based on two cases registered by Rajasthan Police and credible information wherein it is alleged that Sadeeque was involved in radicalisation activities, Dawah activity and forced religious conversions, association with various overseas radical outfits and suspicious high-value financial transactions routed through his and his family members bank accounts, running into crores of rupees. The police FIRs and chargesheets also mention charges of attempt to murder and use of illegal arms by Sadeeque. The federal agency, during probe, found that Sadeeque formed Alfurkan Educational Trust, which manages Masjid-e-Ayesha and routinely collected sizeable public donations for and through this trust, primarily in cash, with no financial record keeping. The donations collected for religious, social and charitable use were allegedly retained entirely in cash by Sadeeque under his sole, undocumented control. The probe indicates that these unaccounted cash collections became the primary source of funds that he diverted for personal use and deployed to finance a range of illegal activities, including those of undertaking frequent foreign visits and meeting banned and radical outfits overseas and promoting his radical agenda, the agency said. Examination of his foreign travels shows that Sadeeque undertook multiple visits to Bangladesh, Nepal, Qatar and Oman using unverified cash funds, without any lawful financial trail. During his visit to Bangladesh, he worked closely with Md. Salim alias Saurabh Vaidya, later arrested by the Madhya Pradesh ATS for alleged links with the proscribed organisation Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the agency said. Further probe established that Sadeeque had no legitimate or consistent source of income for several years and subsisted on unlawful cash-based operations, including gambling, illicit liquor trade and suspected dealings in illegal country-made firearms. The link between these criminal activities and the misappropriated donations is reinforced by the recovery of three country-made weapons and live cartridges from him and his associates in a case already charge-sheeted by the local police. The faade of religious and charitable work was thus consciously used by Sadeeque to conceal deeper networks of unaccounted, clandestine and criminal operations, the agency said. During probe, the agency further said, it also found that Sadeeque met members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB/JuM) and maintained contact with them even after returning to India. He was also encouraged by JMB-linked individuals to travel to Nepal for further meetings and allegedly intended to travel onwards to Syria to access conflict zones, but was intercepted by immigration authorities. The probe also examined a widely circulated video in which an inflammatory speech is attributed to him which was made with the deliberate intention of provoking communal sentiments, the agency added that he was involved in burning of foreign country's flag at public gatherings and then mobilising cash donations by orchestrating such activities.

Madhya Pradesh: Man Cuts Off Leopards Paws After It Died in Snare Meant for Pigs, Arrested

A man in Madhya Pradeshs Indore district was arrested for chopping off a leopards paws after the animal died in a snare set for pigs. Forest officials recovered the paws, an air gun, and weapons. Investigation continues.

Land-for-job 'scam': Delhi court defers order on framing charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, others

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday deferred its order on framing of charges in the alleged land-for-job scam involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members and others. Special CBI Judge Vishal Gogne directed the CBI to file a status report after verifying the status of the accused persons in the case. Of the 103 accused persons in the case, four have died. Judge Gogne posted the matter for further proceedings on December 8. The CBI had filed chargesheets against Lalu Yadav, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, their son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and others in connection with the alleged scam. The prosecution has alleged that the appointments in the Group-D category of the West Central Zone of the Railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, were made during Lalu Yadav's tenure as railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates. The CBI has also claimed that the appointments were made in violation of norms and that the transactions involved benami properties, amounting to criminal misconduct and conspiracy. The accused have denied the charges, claiming the case is politically motivated.

ICAR data: Madhya Pradesh leads parali burning with 52% of fire events among six states

BHOPAL: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans home state, Madhya Pradesh, is contributing the maximum to parali burning (paddy residue/stubble burning) in the country, data showed. As per the recent statistics pertaining to monitoring paddy residue burning in the country via satellite remote sensing, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said as many as 33,028 active burning events in six study states. The six study states included Punjab, Haryana, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. As per the recent report, out of the 33,028 active fire events detected across the six states, a maximum 17,067 or 52% events were detected in MP. Importantly, these 17,067 active burning events detected in MP, between September 15 and November 30, 2025, were more than the collective 15,961 similar active events reported in the same period in the five other states. Among the five other states, 5,114 burning events were detected in Punjab, 662 in Haryana, 7,290 in UP, 2, 890 in Rajasthan and just five in Delhi. A similar picture was revealed when it came to 292 crop residue active burning events detected in the six study states on November 30. MP again attained the top position with 160 burning events, which was more than the total 132 burning events in the five other states. Burning events detected in the five other states on November 30, included two in Punjab, three in Punjab, 125 in UP, zero in Delhi and just two in Rajasthan. Further analysis of the crop residue burning events detected through the satellite remote sensing technology revealed that the Gwalior-Chambal region contributed the maximum to stubble burning in the forest-rich central Indian state. 'Incorrect to pass burden onto farmers': SC questions blaming stubble burning for Delhi pollution Out of the 17,067 active burning events between September 15 and November 30, a maximum of 2,643 were reported in Sheopur district, which borders Rajasthan. As many as 1,930 events were detected in Gwalior district of the same Gwalior-Chambal region, followed by 1,797 such events in the adjoining Datia district. The other districts of the same region where significant active burning events were detected included Ashoknagar (506) and Morena district (64). Even when it came to the 160 active burning events detected on November 30 in the state, Gwalior district contributed the maximum at 62. At least 98 or 61% of the total 160 active burning events in MP as on November 30 were detected in districts of Gwalior-Chambal region. Jabalpur district in Mahakoshal region, adjoining Hoshangabad district of central MP and Satna district in Vindhya region were close behind the districts of Gwalior-Chambal region. According to informed sources, MP having the dubious distinction of being the leader in paddy stubble burning isnt a new phenomenon, but has been happening at least since the last two years. The state government tabled figures related to cases registered against those indulging in Parali burning since April 2020 in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. A total of 546 such cases were registered against offenders in various parts of the state in little less than five years. Out of those 546 cases, as many as 506 cases were registered between December 2023 and November 2025. According to Gwalior district collector Ruchika Chauhan, the Parali burning incidents have declined significantly this year compared to last two years, due to multi-pronged efforts by authorities, including imposing penalties ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 based on area of cultivation, use of harvesters having machines to ensure that crop residue is negligible and sustained awareness campaigns.

29-Year-Old Woman Gives Birth To Quadruplets In Madhya Pradeshs Indore

A 29-year-old woman gave birth to quadruplets, three girls and a boy, at a charitable hospital in Indore on Wednesday, a hospital official said.

Official Slaps Student, Manhandles Farmers Agitated Over Fertiliser Shortage In Madhya Pradesh

A major controversy erupted during fertilizer distribution in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh when the subsidised fertiliser being distributed by the government ran short.

Confrontation mars Bhopal Gas Tragedy anniversary march over effigy resembling RSS worker

BHOPAL: A peaceful march marking the 41st anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Wednesday was marred by a noisy confrontation between the RSS-BJP workers and members of organisations working for the survivors of the worst industrial tragedy. The noisy encounter was triggered by an effigy, which the BJP and RSS workers claimed portrayed a RSS Swayamsevak, and consequently hurt the religious and organisational sentiments. The representatives of the organisations working for the gas tragedy survivors, however, rejected the RSS-BJP workers allegations, stating that the effigy represented those responsible for the tragedy and was not aimed at targeting any particular outfit or organisation. Just like the previous anniversaries, the organisations working for the gas tragedy survivors took out the remembrance march from the Bharat Talkies underbridge to JP Nagar Gas Memorial in the Madhya Pradesh capital. As the march began, one of the two symbolic effigies carried by the survivors enraged local BJP and RSS workers, who claimed the procession hurt their sentiments. The ruling party and its parent organisations workers, while accusing the organisers of deliberately getting an effigy which was portrayed as an RSS worker, confronted the marchs organisers, demanding that the concerned effigy be removed immediately. A local BJP leader, Ashish Thakur, who was among those who protested the inclusion of the concerned effigy in the march, accused the marchs organisers of vitiating the atmosphere by intentionally carrying the concerned effigy, which resembled an RSS Swayamsevak. The march organisers, however, denied the BJP-RSS workers allegations. The effigy represented the companies responsible for the tragedy and those who aligned with them and didnt target any particular outfit, said Bhopal Group for Information and Action representative Rachna Dhingra. The 1984 tragedy survivors, who formed part of the march, carried banners which blamed the ruling BJP of betraying the cause of the survivors, colluding with those who caused the tragedy and neglecting the interests of the thousands of survivors of the worst industrial tragedy. With the noisy confrontation on the brink of snowballing into a major incident, the police stepped in and seized the effigy. The police officers, however, remained tight-lipped about the entire development. Angered over the effigy, the RSS-BJP workers demanded that a case be registered against those responsible for getting the concerned effigy in the march.

'Broken Backbone, Soaked In Blood': Man, 25, Making Reels Plunges To Death

A 25-year-old man died after falling from a 50-foot bridge in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh while allegedly filming a reel with his mobile phone, a police official said on Wednesday.

MP killer cough syrup case: ED attaches properties of Sresan Pharmaceutical proprietor in TN

ED's money laundering probe stems from two FIRs registered by the Madhya Pradesh police and Chennai's police anti-corruption branch.

Man Making 'Golden-Hour' Reel Plunges To Death From 50-Foot Bridge

A 25-year-old man died after falling from a 50-foot bridge in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh while allegedly filming a reel with his mobile phone, a police official said on Wednesday.

MP Cough syrup deaths: ED attaches assets of Coldrif promoter in Chennai

The Enforcement Directorate has attached two Chennai flats worth 2.04 crore belonging to G. Ranganathan, promoter of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, whose Coldrif cough syrup has been linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh.

Trident Group Highlights Sustainable Paper Innovation at PaperEx 2025

Trident Group, a leading manufacturer of agro-based, eco-smart paper, participated in the 17th International Exhibition & Conference on Pulp, Paper & Allied Industries (PaperEx 2025), held from 3-6 December 2025 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC), New Delhi. The Group showcased its sustainability-led paper portfolio, underscoring its commitment to circular manufacturing and conscious resource utilisation.   Trident Group Paper Team at PaperEx 2025   At the exhibition, Trident highlighted its pioneering approach to wheat-straw-based paper - a solution enabling zero tree cutting while converting agro-waste into a valuable renewable resource. The stall design further brought the brand’s sustainability philosophy to life through minimalism, natural textures, and an ethos of environmental responsibility.   Reinforcing its ongoing transformation, the Group also showcased how automation and digitalisation are being integrated into its paper operations to enhance precision, minimise waste, and improve transparency across production processes. These efforts reflect Trident’s long-term focus on building a more efficient, technology-enabled, and environmentally conscious manufacturing ecosystem.   In addition to its current portfolio, Trident announced plans to expand its range with new variants in copier and maplitho, along with refreshed designs within its notebooks category. These additions are designed to meet evolving customer expectations while staying true to the brand’s sustainability-first product philosophy.   Speaking on the participation, Rajnish Kumar Gera, CEO - Paper & Chemicals, Trident Group , said, “Our participation at Paperex 2025 was a resounding success, reaffirming Trident Group’s position as a pioneer in sustainable paper solutions. The overwhelming response from corporate customers, partners, and visitors reflects the growing trust in our eco-conscious innovations – The Good Paper. With thousands of potential leads and meaningful conversations, this event has paved the way for stronger collaborations and a greener future.”   About Trident Group Trident Limited is the flagship company of the Trident Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate with a global footprint. Headquartered in Ludhiana, Punjab, Trident operates across three major segments - Textiles, Paper, and Chemicals - with world-class manufacturing facilities in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.   A vertically integrated producer of textiles (Yarn, Bath & Bed Linen) and wheat-straw-based paper, Trident is among India’s largest home textile players. Its towels, yarns, bedsheets, and writing & printing paper are trusted by millions of customers across India and worldwide.   Supplying national brands, captive brands, and leading retailer-owned labels, Trident is widely recognized for its commitment to product excellence, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. The company has been honoured with numerous awards from customers, partners, and government bodies.

Punjab records highest groundwater extraction in India, says CGWB report

CHANDIGARH: Groundwater extraction in the country is the highest in Punjab, followed by Rajasthan and Haryana, according to the latest National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2025 report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The findings show that 25 per cent of the 6,762 total blocks in India have been categorised as over-exploited, critical or semi-critical, a situation concentrated in nine states, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Puducherry. As per the report, groundwater extraction in Punjab stands at 156.36 per cent, the highest in the country, followed by Rajasthan at 147.11 per cent and Haryana at 136.75 per cent, all significantly above the national average of 60.63 per cent. At the national level, annual groundwater extraction has seen a marginal decline, from 27.66 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2023 to 26.27 BCM last year. The total annual ground water recharge of Punjab has been assessed as 18.6 bcm and annual extractable ground water resource as 16.8 bcm. Out of total 153 assessment units including three urban areas taken for study, 111 assessment units (72.55 per cent) have been categorized as Over-exploited, 10 blocks (6.54 per cent) as Critical, 15 blocks (9.80 per cent) as Semi Critical and 17 blocks (11.11 per cent) as Safe, the report said. Similarly, out of 50175.27 square kilometers recharge worthy area of the state, 34294.3 sq km (68.35 per cent) area are under Over-Exploited, 4353.15 sq. km (8.68 per cent) under Critical, 4478.11 sq km (8.92 per cent) under Semi-critical and 7049.71sq km (14.05 per cent) under Safe category, reads the report. For Rajasthan, the report states,Out of the 302 assessment units (blocks and urban areas), 213 units (70.53 per cent) have been categorized as Over Exploited, 23 units (7.62 per cent) as Critical, 27 units (8.94 per cent) as Semi-Critical, 36 units (11.92 per cent) blocks as Safe and 3 units (0.99 per cent) as Saline. Similarly, out of 317010.74 sq km recharge worthy area of the state, 222266.46 sq km (70.11 per cent) area are under Over-Exploited, 19404.23 sq. km (6.12 per cent) under Critical, 22535.05 sq km (7.11 per cent) under Semi-critical, 43869.11 sq km (13.84 per cent) under Safe and 8935.89 sq km (2.82 per cent) area under Saline categories of assessment units. In Haryana, the situation is similar. While in Haryana, out of total 143 assessment units (blocks/Urban), 91 units (63.64 per cent) have been categorized as Overexploited, 6 units (4.20 per cent) as Critical, 15 units (10.49 per cent) as Semi Critical and 31 units (21.68 per cent) as Safe categories of assessment units. Similarly, out of 43,205.81 sq. km recharge worthy area of the State, 26,828.05 sq. km (62.09 per cent) area are under Over-Exploited, 1,170.46 sq. km (2.71 per cent) under Critical, 4,253.89 sq. km (9.85 per cent) under Semicritical, 10,953.42 sq. km (25.35 per cent) under Safe categories of assessment units, it added. The report assesses the total annual groundwater extraction of the entire country for 2025 at 247.22 bcm. Agriculture remains the largest consumer, accounting for 87 per cent, or 215.10 bcm, followed by 11 per cent for domestic use (27.89 bcm) and 2 per cent for industrial use (4.23 bcm). In the present assessment, total annual groundwater recharge has been pegged at 448.52 bcm, while the annual extractable groundwater resource stands at 407.75 bcm. The average stage of groundwater extraction at the national level is 60.63 per cent. Out of 6,762 blocks in the country, 730 units (10.80 per cent) are categorised as over-exploited, and 201 blocks (2.97 per cent) are classified as critical where extraction ranges from 90 to 100 per cent. Another 758 blocks (11.21 per cent) fall under the semi-critical category, while 4,946 units (73.14 per cent) are considered safe, with extraction below 70 per cent. Additionally, 127 blocks (1.88 per cent) have been listed as saline due to brackish or saline groundwater in phreatic aquifers. The report highlights that the percentage of over-exploited, critical and semi-critical blocks exceeding 25 per cent of total units is found only in nine states, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Puducherry. It attributes the situation to region-specific factors, Over-exploitation of ground water resources could be due to various region-specific reasons. The assessment units located in the north-western part of the country (particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh) have plenty of replenishable ground water resources but because of the over extraction beyond the annual ground water recharge, many of these units have become Over-exploited. Overexploited units are also common in the western part of the country, particularly in Rajasthan and Gujarat where the prevailing arid climate results in low recharge of ground water and hence stress on these sources, the report stated. It further adds, In peninsular India, over-exploited units are wide spread in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana which could be attributed mainly to the low storage and transmission capacities of aquifers of the hard rock terrains, which results in reduced availability of the resource. The report also notes that in Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Lakshadweep, domestic groundwater extraction exceeds 40 per cent. Groundwater extraction stands between 90 and 100 per cent in Delhi, and between 70 and 90 per cent in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In most other states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Lakshadweep, extraction levels are around 70 per cent. The report concludes that compared to the Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment of 2024, the total annual groundwater recharge has marginally increased from 446.9 bcm to 448.52 bcm.

Madhya Pradesh Government Spending Rs 21 Lakh On Air Travel Daily, Shows Data

According to the report tabled in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the state spent Rs 290 crore on aircraft rentals between January 2021 and November 2025.

RPF head constable shoots colleague dead after altercation at Raigarh post; detained

RAIPUR: A Railway Protection Force (RPF) head constable shot his colleague dead inside the RPF post during the early hours of Wednesday at Raigarh, around 220 km east of Raipur, a police officer said. According to eyewitnesses, RPF personnel S Lader had an altercation with his batchmate P K Mishra, also a head constable. As the argument escalated, Lader allegedly pulled out his service revolver and opened fire. A RPF jawan shot dead his colleague, both of them head constable, allegedly with his service revolver at around 4 am today. He has been taken into custody. The exact cause of dispute between the two couldn't be known. Further investigation is on, said Akash Markam, Additional SP (Raigarh). The incident triggered panic at the Raigarh RPF post, prompting senior officials to rush to the spot. According to information received in the state capital, Lader is a native of Janjgir-Champa district in Chhattisgarh, while the deceased Mishra hailed from Rewa district in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Bilaspur RPF IG Munawwar Khurshid and a forensic team inspected the site, and the RPF post was sealed. Further details are awaited.

47% rise in child marriages since 20, Bundelkhands Damoh dist hotspot

BHOPAL: Marriages of girls aged below 18 years continue to increase in Madhya Pradesh, despite the government claims of working against it in a focussed manner, especially through public awareness campaigns. Statistics tabled by Mohan Yadav government in the Assembly on Tuesday revealed a 47% increase in such cases in 2025, compared to corresponding figures from 2020. So far, this year, 538 child marriages have been reported across the state, a big rise from 366 in 2020. There were 366 such marriages reported in 2020, which increased by 19% to 436 in 2021, 519 marriages in 2022, 528 in 2023, and 529 in 2024. While Bundelkhand, central MP, Gwalior-Chambal region, besides some tribal dominated districts have reported the maximum number of such weddings, Damoh district of Bundelkhand region has emerged as the prime hotspot with maximum 115 such marriages in 2025. With 115 marriages, Damoh contributed 21% of the total 538 such marriages so far this year. The same district had reported 69 such marriages in 2021, 64 in 2022, 39 in 2023 and 33 in 2024. The other districts which reported significant number of such marriages this year, included Rajgarh with 44 marriages, 35 in Bundelkhands Chhatarpur, 28 in Gwalior-Chambal regions Guna, 24 each in Sagar & Dewas, and 23 in Narsinghpur district. A maximum of 115 weddings in Damoh this year is the first time in five years that any district has reported in 100 or more marriages annually. Concern raised The incidence of marriages involving girls below 18 years has risen from 366 in 2020 to 538 in 2025 Damoh dist in Bundelkhand has recorded 115 child marriages this year This is the first time in five years that a dist has seen over 100 cases in a year

Dead Frog Found In Midday Meal At Madhya Pradesh School, Probe Ordered

A dead frog was found in a midday meal at a Gokulpur school in Gwalior, prompting outrage and an inquiry by Ruchika Chauhan and Sojan Singh Rawat over food safety concerns.

Two Long-billed Vultures that hatched in Haryana settle in MP

The two Jatayu have brought great hope for vulture conservation in India after they completed 15 months of settling in the forests of Madhya Pradesh

Tableaus Around Neck, Madhya Pradesh MLAs Call Attention To Farmer Distress

The second day of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly session saw a unique protest as the Congress launched an offensive against the ruling BJP government over the worsening condition of farmers in the state.

Madhya Pradesh: Parents of Missing Toddler Taken Before Temple Deity for Verification

Ratan Pal had gone missing when he was playing outside his maternal grandmothers house in the village of Mohanpur in Gwalior district in the afternoon of November one

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Begins Performance Review Amid Reshuffle Buzz

With talk of a major cabinet reshuffle gaining momentum in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has begun a week-long review of all ministerial departments.

Madhya Pradesh Sees Surge in Child Marriages

State records 538 cases in 2025; Rajgarh highest, tribal districts show zero cases

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Child marriages continue to rise in Madhya Pradesh; 538 cases reported in 2025

Marriages of girls aged below 18 years continue to rise in Madhya Pradesh, despite the governments claims of taking focused measures, particularly through public awareness campaigns to curb the practice. Statistics tabled by Mohan Yadav government in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday, the second day of the assemblys ongoing winter session, revealed a 47% jump in child marriages in 2025 compared to 2020. As many as 538 child marriages have been reported across the state so far this year, up from 366 cases in 2020. The number of child marriages has been steadily increasing over the years: 366 cases were reported in 2020, rising by 19% to 436 in 2021, followed by 519 in 2022, 528 in 2023, and 529 in 2024. These figures were presented in response to a question raised by former minister and three-time Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh. While districts in Bundelkhand, central Madhya Pradesh, the GwaliorChambal region, and some tribal-dominated areas reported the highest number of cases, Damoh district in Bundelkhand has emerged as the biggest hotspot, recording 115 child marriages in 2025. This accounts for 21% of all cases reported in the state this year. The district had earlier reported 69 such marriages in 2021, 64 in 2022, 39 in 2023, and 33 in 2024. Other districts reporting a significant number of child marriages this year include Rajgarh (44), Chhatarpur (35), Guna (28), Sagar (24), Dewas (24), and Narsinghpur (23). The 115 cases reported in Damoh this year mark the first instance in five years of any district crossing the three-digit mark. Before this, the highest figure was 87 cases reported in Rajgarh in 2023. Damoh had also recorded the highest number of such cases in 2021 and 2022. Sagar district, also part of Bundelkhand, continues to report a substantial number of underage marriages: 48 in 2020, 33 in 2021, 27 in 2022, 36 in 2023, and 34 in 2024. Although the figures were shared by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department in the Vidhan Sabha, the states WCD Minister Nirmala Bhuria told journalists that she had no such information. No such question was raised in the Vidhan Sabha. I dont have any such information. Ill find out from where the opposition obtained these figures, she said, despite the data being part of the House proceedings. Bhurias home district, the Bhil-dominated Jhabua, reported 68 child marriages in the last five years, while neighbouring Alirajpur, dominated by the Bhilala tribe, reported just seven cases since 2020. Reacting to the data, Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh slammed the government. In response to my question, the government claimed on Tuesday that public awareness on the issue is growing. But the continuously rising figures shared by the department itself paint a picture contrary to the governments claims, he said.

900 tonnes of toxic ash post-incineration of Union Carbide waste causes unease in MP town

INDORE: About 900 tonnes of toxic ash generated in the process of incinerating waste from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal five months ago is still lying around in Pithampur industrial hub in Madhya Pradesh, anxiety in the area mounting with each passing day. Nearly five months ago, the toxic waste, soil and packaging material brought from the Bhopal unit, the site of the 1984 gas tragedy, was incinerated at a plant in Pithampur, an industrial town in adjoining Dhar district. The incineration of entire 358 tonnes of matter -- 337 tonnes of toxic waste, 19 tonnes of contaminated soil and 2.2 tonnes of packaging material -- from the defunct Union Carbide factory had concluded in the beginning of July, over six months after the consignment was transported from Bhopal. The waste was burned in an incinerator using a scientific process, mixing lime and other materials, producing approximately 900 tonnes of ash, officials said. They said the state government had planned to bury the generated ash in a landfill cell under construction on the premises of the Pithampur plant, located near Tarpura, a village with a population of about 20,000, in Dhar district. However, nearly two months back , the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to find an alternative site to dispose of the ash, saying its disposal near human habitation is unacceptable. According to officials, the ash is currently safely stored in the plant's leak-proof storage shed. At least 5,479 people were killed and thousands were maimed after the highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, making it one of the biggest industrial disasters in the world. The Jabalpur bench of the high court on October 8 this year rejected a proposal to bury the ash of the toxic waste in a landfill cell being constructed on the Pithampur plant's premises, stating that the facility was too close to human habitation. The present containment site for the toxic ash in proximity to human habitation is unacceptable to this court, the HC said. In its order, the court referred to an interim application filed by an intervener, which stated that tests had found mercury levels in the toxic ash to be above the permissible limit. The application has been filed by the intervener, which discloses that the tests conducted on the toxic ash still reveal the presence of mercury, which is higher than the permissible limits as disclosed in the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board's report dated August 12, 2025, the HC said. It also directed the state government to file a report citing alternative sites for containment of this ash. Under the circumstances, the state is directed to file a report citing alternative sites for containment and also inform the court whether a global tender was floated in order to obtain the best technical expertise of companies/agencies, which may have unimpeachable technical prowess in executing a work of this nature and have dealt with similar cases of containment of toxic chemical waste, it said. The government officials refuse to comment on the disposal plan, saying the matter was sub judice. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official, however, told PTI on Tuesday that the contract awarded to a private company for the disposal of Union Carbide waste includes burying the ash in a dedicated landfill cell within the Pithampur plant premises, and that all safety standards are being observed during this construction. The construction of this landfill cell is in its final stages, he said. Pithampur, about 30 km from Indore, is a major industrial area in the state. This industrial area houses approximately 1,250 units, employing thousands of workers, including migrant workers from various states across the country. Social activists in Pithampur are not in favour of burying the ash in a landfill cell at a waste disposal unit adjacent to human habitation. Hemant Kumar Hirole, head of local organisation 'Pithampur Bachao Samiti', said the toxic ash should be disposed of in a secluded area, because in the event of an accident, a malfunction in the landfill cell could cause serious harm to the human population and the environment. Hirole's petition is among five petitions being heard simultaneously by the HC regarding the Union Carbide waste. He said, At present, we have no information on whether the state government has selected an alternative site for the disposal of the toxic ash. The state government should clarify the status soon. Over the past four decades, several plans to dispose of the toxic waste at plants in India and abroad were made and cancelled amid protests. However, it was finally incinerated and reduced to ashes this year at a waste disposal plant operated by a private company in Pithampur. The State Pollution Control Board officials claimed that emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen fluoride, and nitrogen oxides, as well as mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals, were found to be within standard limits during the incineration of the factory waste. They also said the incineration of Union Carbide factory waste at the Pithampur plant did not cause any adverse health effects to plant workers or residents of the surrounding areas. The waste was transported to the Pithampur plant, about 250 km from Bhopal, on January 2 this year. This led to several protests in Pithampur. Protesters expressed concerns about the potential harm to human populations and the environment from the disposal of this waste, a claim the state government flatly dismissed.

More than 700 cough syrup manufacturers subjected to intense audit: Government tells Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI: More than 700 cough syrup manufacturers were subjected to intense audit and increased market surveillance sampling of syrup formulations was done by central and state drugs regulators in the wake of children deaths allegedly due to consumption of contaminated cough syrups, Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Upon receipt of reports of a cluster of child deaths from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, a central team of experts visited Chhindwara and Nagpur and undertook a detailed investigation of the reported cases and deaths in coordination with the Madhya Pradesh state authorities, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply. The team comprised an epidemiologist, a microbiologist, an entomologist, and drug inspectors from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). A total of 19 drug samples, reportedly consumed by the affected children, were collected from the treating private practitioners and nearby retail stores for testing, Patel said. Chemical analysis of these 19 samples indicated that 15 samples were of standard quality, while 4 samples were declared not of standard quality (NSQ), she stated. As per the test report, the content of Diethylene Glycol (DEG) in Syrup Coldrif manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical located in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu and consumed by the deceased children was found to be 46.28 per cent w/v, Patel said in her reply. The premises of M/s Sresan Pharmaceuticals was inspected. Several critical and major good manufacturing practices violations including unhygienic storage conditions were observed, the matter regarding the criminal action against the manufacturer was taken up by CDSCO with the Tamil Nadu government, she said. The state drugs controller Nadu cancelled the manufacturing licence. Further, following the incident, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Puducherry, where the impugned cough syrup batches were supplied, ordered immediate ban and recall, Patel informed. Criminal case has been registered in the matter by Madhya Pradesh and strict action has been taken including the arrest of persons involved. An advisory has been issued on October 3 to health departments and healthcare facilities of all states and Union territories to ensure rational use of paediatric cough syrups, Patel said. Further, the Drugs Controller (India) directed all states and Union territories drug controllers on October 7 to ensure strict compliance with testing requirements under the Drugs Rules, 1945, and on October 21 instructed them to maintain heightened vigilance against spurious and substandard drugs and take prompt action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. More than 700 cough syrup manufacturers have been subjected to intense audit in coordination with state authorities and increased market surveillance sampling of syrup formulations by central and state drugs regulators has also been done, Patel stated. In addition to the existing requirements of testing the raw materials, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ghaziabad has issued an amendment to Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) 2022, to also mandate the testing for DEG and Ethylene Glycol (EG) in oral liquids at finished product stage before market release, she said.

Cough Syrup Death: Over 700 Manufacturers Under Scrutiny Post Contamination Cases

More than 700 cough syrup manufacturers have been under intense scrutiny, following a spate of deaths in children in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the contaminated syrups.

Madhya Pradesh Welfare Boards Spent 2 Years Without Work But Got Perks

A major political controversy has erupted in Madhya Pradesh after documents tabled in the Assembly revealed that nine social welfare boards formed just months before the 2023 assembly elections spent two years without conducting meaningful work.

Arjun Tendulkar Stars Against IPL Winner-Led Side With Stunning All-Round Show

Arjun Tendulkar impressed with an all-round performance for Goa in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 16 runs and taking three wickets against Madhya Pradesh.

VIT Bhopal violence: M.P. govt. says management's bid to cover up jaundice outbreak, insensitive attitude triggered violence

Acting on findings of a three-member panels report, the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Department issued a show-cause notice to the institutions chancellor, demanding an explanation within seven days

Harsher winter this year: What residents of Delhi, UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, & Telangana need to know about IMDs warning

This winter, central and north India are bracing for a colder season with an increased number of cold wave days, according to the IMD. Regions like Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi are expected to experience below-normal temperatures and prolonged cold spells, posing risks to health, transport, and air quality.

Rs 62,944 Crore Debt, Rotting Grain: Madhya Pradesh Admits To Food Supply Failure

Experts say the corporation's condition has reached a breaking point where its financial instability, collapsing storage systems, and the precarious position of farmers and poor consumers are symptoms of a deeper policy paralysis.

MP Man Dies After Bridge Collapses While Returning From Sister's Wedding

A former CRPF jawan died after Nayagaon bridge collapsed on BareillyPipariya State Highway in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh Farmers' Day-Long Protest At Highway Over MSP Suspended

A massive farmers' protest that began in the early hours of Monday at the Khalghat toll plaza in Madhya Pradesh's Dhamnod was suspended late at night, ending hours of blockade and tension on National Highway 52.

Every School-Going Child Must Have Gita In Schoolbag: Mohan Yadav

The three-day International Gita Mahotsav kicked off with spiritual fervour at Dussehra Ground in Ujjain on Monday as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav inaugurated the festival.

Returning From Sister's Wedding, Madhya Pradesh Man Dies In Bridge Collapse

The tragic bridge collapse in Madhya Pradesh's Nayagaon on the Bareilly-Pipariya State Highway has claimed the life of a 35-year-old man identified as Devendra Singh Dhakad.

Show-Cause Notice To Madhya Pradesh College After Massive Campus Uprising

Five days after violent unrest shook VIT University in Sehore district, the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Department has finally issued a show-cause notice to the university management, giving it seven days to explain serious violations.

One dead, three injured as major portion of over 50-year-old bridge collapses in MPs Raisen

BHOPAL: A major portion of a more than 50-year-old bridge collapsed in Madhya Pradeshs Raisen district on Monday, killing a 35-year-old man and injuring at least three others. While a three-member enquiry committee has been constituted to probe the matter, AA Khan, who is a manager of the MP Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) has been suspended. The portion of the bridge in Nayagaon area on the Bareli-Pipariya State Highway in Raisen district collapsed while a motorcycle and scooter were passing over it. At least four persons, all of them riding the two-wheelers, sustained serious injuries in the mishap. They were first rushed to Bareli Civil Hospital from where doctors referred some of them to AIIMS-Bhopal. One of the injured, identified as Devendra Dhakad (35), succumbed to wounds during the course of treatment at AIIMS-Bhopal. As per informed sources in Raisen district, Dhakad was returning to his village in Raisen after the Bidai ceremony of his sister, who was married on Sunday. The bridge, built in 1980, was under repair and maintenance work by the MPRDC, when its portion collapsed. The labourers working under the bridge, however, had a close shave. A sum of Rs 98 lakh was sanctioned for the repair and maintenance of the bridge, due to rusting of reinforcement slabs. Owing to the incident, the road traffic on the concerned route has been diverted through the old culvert in the Nayagaon Kalan village. The Raisen district collector Arun Kumar Vishwakarma and district police superintendent Ashutosh went to the spot and later took stock of the condition of the injured at the hospital. Subsequently, the state government suspended AA Khan, a manager at the MPRDC, and issued show-cause notices to the current and former divisional managers and assistant managers, official sources in Bhopal, said. Also, a three-member inquiry committee headed by chief engineer Gopal Singh has been constituted and given a weeks time to submit its fact-finding report.

How A University Minted Money By Producing Fake Doctors For Rs 30,000 Each

A government university in Madhya Pradesh has been quietly running illegal medical courses producing hundreds of unqualified doctors who are now treating unsuspecting patients across the country.