FDA suspends Blinkit's Mumbai facility license over cockroaches, expired food
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action against a Blinkit Commerce's warehouse located in Malad, Mumbai and suspended the food license of the company with immediate effect. The FDA actions followed after...
Tragic Accident in Satara Claims Lives of Four Young Men
Satara, August 11: A devastating road accident occurred in Satara district of Maharashtra. Late on Monday night, a speeding car collided violently with a truck on the Pune-Bengaluru Highway near the Shirwal area. Tragically, four young men lost their lives at the scene, while two others sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at ... Read more Tragic Accident in Satara Claims Lives of Four Young Men
Tragic Accident in Maharashtra: Four Young Lives Lost in Collision
Pune, August 11: A tragic road accident occurred in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Late Monday night, a speeding car collided violently with a truck on the Pune-Bengaluru Highway near Shirwal. Four young men lost their lives at the scene, while two others suffered serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment in a hospital. According ... Read more Tragic Accident in Maharashtra: Four Young Lives Lost in Collision
7.4-magnitude earthquake kills 132 in Colombia, over 570 injured
The death toll from a magnitude-7.4 earthquake in western Colombia has risen to 132, with more than 570 people injured, according to the Colombian government
Krystal Integrated Services consortium bags Rs 740 cr contract from Govt. of Maharashtra
For development of sewage treatment plants
Trump targets Democrats as jihadists, communists ahead of US midterm elections
US President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections, accusing unnamed opponents of promoting jihadism, communism and radical policies
Mohan Bhagwat to address Universal Oneness gathering in New York on August 29
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat will address a major gathering of Hindu Americans in New York City on August 29, marking a rare public appearance by him in the United States
Indulge in these three new food menus in Mumbai this August
Weekly fix of new menus food corner
Adani case: US judge dismisses criminal fraud charges against three executives
A US federal judge has dismissed with prejudice three criminal fraud-related charges against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain after the Justice Department abandoned the prosecution
Surat crackdown: 24 allegedly violate externment orders, booked by SOG
The Special Operations Group of Surat City Police arrested 24 people allegedly found staying in the city in violation of externment orders during a special checking drive
Maharashtra: Two 3.4-earthquakes tremors hit Palghar within an hour
Two tremors of magnitude 3.4 struck Maharashtras Palghar district within an hour, with the seismic activity recorded at a depth of 5 km in Jawhar taluka. No casualties or property damage were reported, while authorities continued to monitor the situation
Maharashtras Palghar hit by two 3.4-magnitude tremors within an hour
The back-to-back tremors occurred at shallow depth, prompting local authorities to monitor the situation while urging residents to remain calm.
Earthquake Strikes Palghar Twice in One Hour, Magnitude Recorded at 3.4
Mumbai, August 11: Two earthquakes were felt in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Monday night within just one hour. Both tremors registered a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale, occurring at a depth of only 5 kilometers beneath the surface, according to the Palghar district administration. The first earthquake struck at 10:04:11 PM on ... Read more Earthquake Strikes Palghar Twice in One Hour, Magnitude Recorded at 3.4
Two back-to-back tremors hit Palghar in Maharashtra; no casualty
Two tremors of magnitude 3.4 struck Maharashtras Palghar district within an hour on Monday night, officials said. The earthquakes occurred at a depth of 5 km in Jawhar taluka at 10.04 pm and 11 pm. No casualties or property damage were reported, while authorities monitored the situation and urged residents to remain calm.
Mid-Day Opinion: Foy saw both Bombay and Mumbai
August 8 was the death anniversary of one of the citys most respected chroniclers, who silently captured the seen and the unseen with humane-ness. The Danes work ought to be permanently displayed
Typhoon Dolphin hits Chinas east coast, over 3.8 lakh people evacuated
Typhoon Dolphin made landfall along Chinas east coast, bringing heavy rain and flooding that forced nearly 3.83 lakh people to evacuate in Fujian Province and around Shanghai
Starlink satellites help Kyoto researchers map Earths elusive thermosphere
Researchers at Kyoto University have used orbital changes from about 1,200 Starlink satellites to map Earths thermosphere, a difficult-to-observe layer of the upper atmosphere
AI reconstructs missing atoms to unlock new material simulations
Researchers have developed an AI model capable of reconstructing missing atoms in experimentally known crystal structures with a 97 per cent success rate
Chinas first freshwater cave snail found with no eyes and translucent shell
Scientists have identified a new freshwater cave snail, Erhaia dijiang, deep inside a mountain cave in Yunnan Province, China
Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until US ends naval blockade, says Iran
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as long as the US naval blockade continues, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei linking the waterways reopening to an end to US and Israeli military actions
Abhishek Banerjee gets SC nod for three-week overseas eye treatment
The Supreme Court has permitted Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee to travel abroad for three weeks for eye treatment, despite the West Bengal governments apprehension that he may not return due to 16 pending cases
Kerala minister says Vande Mataram should not become a political pinprick
Kerala Transport Minister C P John accused the BJP of pinpricking the government over the demand for a complete rendition of Vande Mataram
Blinkit facility in Malad loses food licence after FDA flags safety lapses
The Maharashtra FDA has suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd, which operates Blinkit, after inspectors found serious food-safety violations at its Malad West facility
Maharashtra Cyber uncovers 23,328 bank accounts linked to172 Cr fraud network
Maharashtra Cyber has identified 23,328 bank accounts allegedly linked to money mule operations, fraudulent cheque withdrawals and ATM scams involving Rs 172 crore. Under Operation 1930: Cyber Safety
Weather Today: India anticipates widespread rainfall and thunderstorms on Tuesday, August 11. Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast across several northern and central regions. The monsoon trough and a low-pressure area are driving the active weather systems. Many states will experience thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds over the coming days. Residents should monitor local updates and exercise caution during intense showers.
Maharashtra to expand EV charging network across MSRTC depots and RTOs
The proposal is part of Maharashtras broader push to expand charging infrastructure and accelerate the transition towards cleaner public transport.
Mumbai rains: SpiceJet issues flight advisory as heavy rain may affect arrivals, departures
NCP Faces Leadership Challenges Amid Internal Strife
Mumbai, August 11: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is grappling with escalating tensions within the Ajit Pawar faction, leading to significant internal power struggles, administrative hurdles, and leadership disputes. The situation intensified following reports of political strategist Prashant Kishor meeting with Maharashtras Deputy Chief Minister and party president Supriya Pawar, along with MP Parth Pawar, ... Read more NCP Faces Leadership Challenges Amid Internal Strife
Nothing wrong, says Fadnavis on NCP(SP) MPs meeting PM Modi
At the meeting Maharashtra related issues were discussed, said NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, adding that PM Modi assured of positive and concrete measures on all these issues
No Foreign Power Can Halt Indias Progress: CM Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai, August 11: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Monday that no force can prevent India from becoming a global superpower. He emphasized that under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership, India has emerged as the worlds fourth-largest economy. The nation is competing globally in information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), and new technologies, while ... Read more No Foreign Power Can Halt Indias Progress: CM Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Defends MSPSA; Calls Congress, CPIs Challenge Frivolous
The petitions, including one filed by the AITUC, challenge the constitutional validity of the law, arguing that its vague definitions grant the state excessive power to ban organisations, seize property, and silence peaceful dissent.
Maha FDA cracks down on Blink Commerce, Reliance Retail
The Maharashtra FDA has taken action against Blink Commerce, suspending its food licence due to severe hygiene issues including cockroach infestation. Separately, Reliance Retail is under investigation after a complaint of live larvae in a sweet product, highlighting increased enforcement of food safety standards across the state.
Protectors turn predators: how son preference fuels female foeticide rackets in Maharashtra
The arrest of a retired government doctor by the Kolhapur police on July 31 for allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated female foeticide ring shows that illegal abortion networks continue to operate in secret across the State
Maharashtra police save Rs 1,700 cr from cyber fraud
Mumbai: Maharashtra police have safeguarded more than Rs 1,700 crore of citizens money through timely intervention and freezing of funds before the money could reach cyber fraudsters, while over two lakh cybercrime complaints have been handled during the first seven months of 2026, officials said. Police have registered 803 proactive FIRs against persons and entities []
Indias board games move into serious play
SPPU engg students to hold protest tomorrow
Moshi Tragedy: Compensation for nine victims families hiked to 40 lakh
AMRUT Mess: Buck Stops At Asst Commissioners
4 illegal bridges razed to restore Kachipura nullah flow
Bombay HC directs PDKV to decide 2019 plea for 52-acre club land in 8 weeks
VC to decide Vidarbha City Clubs long-pending application for lease of Kachipura land
Locopilot dies in hit and run on Sadar flyover
Police bust casino near Hasanbagh graveyard
Fadnavis: Special Vehicles, Gig Jobs For Disabled Soon
Lender bank from Beijing inspects MSEDCL projects
Cousins held within 9 hours of murder in Akola district
No Central Database For Co-op Fraud FIRs In Maha: RTI Reply
RSS to host 3-day national meet from August 19 in Andhra
Security, traffic chaos put Sarafa Bazaars night food hub under lens
Strict action will be taken in frauds in name of land development: Bawankule
BDSM Horror: Police Set 30-Day Deadline For Filing Chargesheet
Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan, min Vikhe Patil appear in city court in 2017 case
HC steps in over roads, healthcare crisis in Gadchirolis remote Madia-Gond villages
4-month extension for housing projects hit by West Asia conflict
Mumbai traffic police crack down on dazzling lights, penalise nearly 1200 motorists
Dog-bite scare grips Kalyan, 107 fresh cases reported
From silk to cards, Mumbai siblings win gold in offbeat sports
BMC panel to consider proposal to scrap cinema amenity at Alexandra Cinema plot
Soybean seed firms get more time to defend against poor germination complaints
Two months on, 57,000 PCMC students yet to get bags, shoes and raincoats
Expedite road works, open Keshavnagar bridge by weekend: PMC chief
Teachers seek separate honorarium, leave for assistant BLO duties amid rising election workload
Metro Line 3 launch awaits date from CMO three weeks after safety clearance
NCP (SP) MPs meeting with PM Modi upsets Congress
Regional transport authority (RTA) revises rates for private ambulances in Pune district
PMC to appoint consultant to prepare DPR of proposed Pashan-Panchavati-Kothrud tunnel project
69-year-old lawyer cheated of Rs 70 lakh by online fraudsters threatening her with digital arrest
Mumbai Police Arrest 4 Haryana Residents for Cheating in CSU Exam using Bluetooth
The Teen Founders Everyone's Talking About: Saachi Pasari and Arjun Phoolka
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 10: At an age when most people are filling out college applications, Arjun Phoolka and Saachi Pasari are filling purchase orders. Phoolka, 17, runs Ollo, an eyewear label built around a price band he felt the market had abandoned. Pasari, 18, runs Hangover, a party-wear label whose limited drops have sold out within days of release. Both are students at DSB International School, Mumbai. Neither business is a class project.
NCP(SP) MPs, led by Supriya Sule, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. They presented several Maharashtra-specific demands, including Bharat Ratna for social reformers. Bajrang Sonawane requested increased financial aid for MPs under the PM CARES Fund. The MPs also highlighted the severe drought situation in Beed district. They sought immediate relief measures and water release from Ujani dam.
15-year-old drowns in water-filled trench in Dighi
22-year-old bludgeons woman to death in Koldare village
Wigs, wheels and break-ins: Four held for burglaries across city
Doctors report 20-30% rise in influenza and other viral fever cases across city
Five-year-old girl injured by stray dogs in Pimpri
Baramati airstrip set for major upgrade, first phase of works to cost Rs 70 crore
BMC proposes Rs 42 crore retaining wall work below elevated nature walkway in Kamla Nehru Park
Rs 1,351 crore bid for Century Mills plot to come up before BMC panel on Aug 12
Mumbai University wont grant NOC to colleges if any institution under same management defaults
Gangs of WhatsAppur: Mumbais thieves reinvent codes for digital age
White Gold: Indias Cotton Story
66-year-old Vinodbhai Virjibhai Vadodriya, a farmer living in Gujarat's Rajkot, has been producing cotton throughout his life. Often, changing temperatures and plant diseases forced him to bear heavy losses. When he was introduced to the High-Density Planting System, he implemented this system in his field. The outcome surprised him. He produced 15 quintals of cotton per acre, a jump of 30-35 percent over his previous produce using the old method. In the previous agriculture year, instead of the usual 135 cm by 45 cm spacing, Vadodriya packed his plants closer, at 90 cm by 15 cm. Vinodbhai Virjibhai Vadodriya, a cotton grower from Gujarats Rajkot Vinodbhai says he was informed that he should harvest earlier, which meant less damage from the pink bollworm, one of cotton's most stubborn pests. Most of the farmers in the neighbourhood noticed the change in the outcome, and they also decided to follow suit. Bhaskar Tapiram Chaudhary, a cotton farmer from Jalgaon district, Maharashtra Six hundred kilometres away, in Maharashtras Jalgaon, Bhaskar Tapiram Chaudhary was also introduced to the High-Density Planting System, in 2025. Bhaskar, who is in his 50s, remembers how he was initially reluctant to switch to closer spacing, because that was not his usual method. However, he went on, cleaned up his fertilizer use, and managed pests and nutrients carefully. The results also surprised him. His yield rose from 8 quintals an acre to 11 (37.5 % rise), despite a dry spell that would normally have hurt his crop. The improved produce of thousands of farmers indicated how India's cotton policy: small, practical changes in farming technique, backed by government support, is producing significant outcomes. And likely so, India's cotton sector remains in need of reforms. According to official statistics, India has more land under cotton cultivation than anyone else globally. The country, at present, has 114.84 lakh hectares, about 38 percent of the world's cotton area. India is the only country wherein all four known cotton species are cultivated. The industry is so widespread that at least 6 million farmers grow cotton here, and almost 40-50 million people earn a living from processing and trading it. That is why cotton is White Gold for most Indians. Despite its critical importance, India ranks only second in actual production, behind its massive acreage lead. In 2025-2026, output stood at 290.91 lakh bales, while domestic demand ran higher, at 328 lakh bales. The reason behind this gap is that India's fields simply have not been able to produce as much cotton per acre as compared to Brazil and the US. However, the farmers of Rajkot and Jalgaon have shown that this gap can be altered using basic and modern methods. What is the government doing to fix it? In the recent past, the central government has responded with a mix of price support and productivity push. The Minimum Support Price for 2026-27 was raised to INR 8,267 per quintal for medium-staple cotton and INR 8,667 for long-staple (an increase of INR 557 over the previous year). The Cotton Corporation of India expanded its procurement network from 508 centres to 571, now covering 152 districts, and bought 105.09 lakh bales worth INR 41,530 crore this season alone. On the productivity side, a five-year Mission for Cotton Productivity was launched in 2025-26 with INR 5,659 crore allocated for it, aiming to nearly double output from 297 lakh bales to 498 lakh bales by 2031. It will reach 32 lakh farmers across 140 districts. The High-Density and Closer Spacing planting systems, the very techniques that worked for farmer Vinodbhai and Bhaskar, are central to this new change. Field trials have already recorded yield gains of roughly 40 percent under high-density planting and over 32 percent under closer spacing. Technological intervention has also made it easier for farmers. As per records, Kapas Kisan app now has over 41 lakh farmers registered, letting them book procurement slots, get Aadhaar-linked payments, and track updates by SMS turning what used to be long queues into a paperless process. And there's a quieter, longer-term bet: Kasturi Cotton Bharat, a branding and traceability programme using QR codes and blockchain to certify premium Indian cotton for global buyers. Estimates suggest that over 3.29 lakh bales have been certified so far, a small start toward positioning Indian cotton as a mark of quality abroad rather than just a cheap bulk export. The future ahead There is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration before we expect greater outcomes. It's spacing between plants, apps for slot booking, QR codes on bales. India's cotton sector doesn't need a revolution it needs to replicate what farmers in Rajkot and Jalgaon have done, and the process needs to be replicated across millions of acres. To summarise, if the Mission for Cotton Productivity delivers even a fraction of its 2031 target, India won't just grow the most cotton land in the world. It will finally grow enough cotton to match it. (Courtesy: PIB Srinagar)
Fake currency notes with face value of Rs 1 crore seized in Virar
FDA suspends Blinkits Malad warehouse licence over hygiene violations
Maharashtra to Adopt Keralas Health Model for Enhanced Public Healthcare
Mumbai, August 10: The Maharashtra government is actively working to make its public healthcare system more accessible, efficient, and technology-driven. In this effort, a delegation from the Maharashtra Public Health Department visited Kerala from August 6 to 8. The purpose of this visit was to understand the best practices, systems, and implementation strategies adopted in ... Read more Maharashtra to Adopt Keralas Health Model for Enhanced Public Healthcare
Maharashtra FDA Seizes Millions in Food Products Amid Quality Control Drive
Mumbai, August 10: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a special campaign from August 7 to 9 to ensure the quality and safety of food products across the state. During this operation, a significant quantity of food items, including milk and dairy products, cooking oils, packaged drinking water, sweets, and banned gutkha, were ... Read more Maharashtra FDA Seizes Millions in Food Products Amid Quality Control Drive
First meeting to handle medical negligence, scope of work by homeopaths in Maharashtra held
Mumbai Police Locate Missing 14-Year-Old Boy in Kota, Rajasthan
Protesting Maharashtra farmers demand 2 lakh incentive for regular loan repayment
Along with a waiver ofup to 2 lakh, farmers, who paid EMIs regularly were supposed to receive incentive of 50,000, which farmers believe is unfair
Maharashtra FDA suspended a Blink Commerce facility's food license due to cockroach infestations and improper storage. An outlet of Reliance Retail is now under investigation after live larvae were found. These actions followed intensified state-wide enforcement of food safety standards by the FDA. Inspections revealed unhygienic conditions and expired products at the Blink Commerce facility. Further legal action will be taken based on laboratory analysis of collected samples.
BMC to file reply by Aug 20 in MFAs plea to save Bandra football ground
