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Lack of funds for resources keeps more than 200 newly built health centres locked in Mah

MORE than 200 newly constructed primary health centres (PHCs) and sub-centres in Maharashtra are lying unused, as funds have not been allocated for essential supplies and staff, a senior official from the public health department said. PHCs and sub-centres are crucial to the rural healthcare system and are the first respondents during medical emergencies and outbreaks of diseases in villages, providing affordable treatment. They run national health programmes, including immunisation drives and provide ..

Pak knocks Muslim countries’ doors

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday urged brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia, to impress upon India to de-escalate and defuse tensions heightened after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Sharif separately met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliky, UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi and Kuwait Ambassador Nasser Abdulrahman Jasser in Islamabad when the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire for peace and stability in South Asia, state-run media said here...

RG Kar rape-murder case SC asks victim’s parents to pursue plea in Calcutta HC

THE Supreme Court on Monday allowed the parents of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim to pursue before the Calcutta High Court their plea for a further court-monitored CBI probe into the gruesome incident. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna took note of the submissions of senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the parents, that a further probe was needed to ascertain the alleged role of some other persons. “Without making comments, we dispose of the application (of the ..

Manipur violence All cases to be tried in Guwahati: SC

THE Supreme Court on Monday said the trial of the Manipur ethnic violence cases, probed by the CBI, would be conducted in Guwahati, Assam, where it was transferred to earlier. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna also extended till July 31, 2025, the tenure of a committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, the former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court...

Woman tortured, raped by man she befriended on social media

A MAN from Thane district in Maharashtra allegedly raped a 27-year-old woman, compelled her to marry him after blackmailing her and also burnt her with cigarette buts and hot ‘tawa,’ police said on Tuesday. The ordeal started four years back after they became friends on social media, and police have now registered an FIR against the 38-year-old man and five of his family members, including mother, based on the victim’s complaint, they said...

PNB fraud: ED begins restitution of over Rs 2,500 cr assets of Mehul Choksi

THE Enforcement Directorate Tuesday said it has begun restituting assets worth more than Rs 2,500 crore as part of a money laundering investigation against absconding businessman Mehul Choksi in connection with the alleged Rs 13,000 crore PNB loan fraud case. The federal agency said in a statement that it initiated the ‘restitution of assets’ to the rightful owners in this case following an order passed by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court based in Mumbai...

Assad flees Syria ; ends 50-yr regime

SYRIAN President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday, bringing a dramatic close to his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. A video shared on Syrian Opposition media showed a group of armed men escorting Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel on Sunday. Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on ..

SP decides to walk out of MVA

THESamajwadi Party on Saturday said it was quitting the Maha Vikas Aghadi over Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide hailing the demolition of the Babri structure and a related newspaper advertisement congratulated those behind the act. The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. “An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri structure. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition ..

Fadnavis credits ‘ek hai toh safe hai’, ‘Ladki Bahin’ for mega win

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has credited PM Narendra Modi’s ‘ek hai toh safe hai’ (together, we are safe) slogan and schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana, for the massive mandate the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance got in the Assembly elections. Hindutva played an important role and counter-polarisation also helped the MahaYuti score the thumping victory, Fadnavis told TV news channels. “PM Modi’s ‘ek hai to safe hai’ slogan caught the imagination of the people,” Fadnavis said. During the ..

Nirbhaya Fund: Fast Track Courts decide 2.87 lakh rape, POCSO cases in 6 years

THE 750 Fast Track Special Courts, including exclusive POCSO Courts, in the country have decided 2.87 lakh cases since their creation following the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Minister of State (Independent Charge), for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said that the Centrally-sponsored scheme has been extended twice, with the latest extension up to March 31, 2026, targeting the establishment of 790 courts. ..

Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2’ earns Rs 294 cr on opening day

‘PUSHPA fire nahi, wildfire hai’, the popular dialogue from Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa” franchise has come true with the historic box office performance of the second part, which has amassed Rs 294 crore gross globally on day one of its release. The day one collection of the Sukumar-directed movie, a sequel to 2021’s Telugu blockbuster “Pushpa: The Rise”, has shattered the record for the highest opening in the history of Indian cinema, which earlier belonged to SS Rajamouli’s “RRR” (Rs 223.5 crore), followed ..

23 killed, dozens hurt inroad accidents across UP

TWENTY-THREE people were killed and severalinjuredin separate road accidents in various districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said. In Pilibhit, six people were killedwhena carcarryingawedding party crashed into a tree, before plunging into a ditch aroundmidnight.InChitrakoot, six people were killed when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) collided head-on with a truck. In Kannauj, eight passengers lost theirliveswhenaprivatebus hit a water tanker on the AgraLucknow Expressway...

C’garh liquor case: Disturbing featuresin arrest of ex-IAS officer by ED: SC

THE Supreme Court on Friday flagged “disturbing features” in the arrest of former IAS officer Anil Tuteja by the E n forcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih termed the facts of the case as “glaring” and recorded the “disturbing features” in the arrest of the former bureaucrat on April 20...

‘Modi Govt will purchase all farm produce at MSP’

    NEW DELHI :   THE Narendra Modi Government will purchase all farm produce at minimum support price, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. He gave the assurance while answering supplementarie..

Will extend all possible cooperation to Fadnavis, will work as a team: Shinde

MAHARASHTRA Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said he will extend all possible cooperation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and will work as a team. Addressing a news conference, Shinde described his tenure as Chief Minister as very successful. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for firmly backing the Mahayuti Government in the last two-and-half years. Shinde said the MahaYuti not just secured a majority but the poll results did not give ..

Sambhal violence: Forensic team seizes empty cartridges made in US, Pak

A FORENSIC team investigating the Sambhal violence site on Thursday seized four empty cartridges, two of which were manufactured in the US, police said. Six empty cartridges, five of which were allegedly manufactured in Pakistan, were seized from the spot on Tuesday. Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar Vishnoi told reporters that as part of the probe into the November 24 violence in this Uttar Pradesh district, the forensic team investigated the spot on Thursday...

Got evidence showing man disappeared from Army camp: Manipur CM

MANIPUR Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said that he received a “key piece of evidence” which showed that the 56-year-old man missing for 10 days disappeared from an Army camp at Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district. The evidence was submitted to him by representatives of the Joint Action Committee formed in response to the disappearance of Laishram Kamalbabu Singh on November 25, sparking protests in the northeastern State. “Met the representatives of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against ..

Panel on Waqf Bill writes to States regarding disputed properties

THE parliamentary panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has written to State Governments, seeking details of the disputed Waqf properties within their jurisdiction. This was disclosed by Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, after a meeting of the panel here on Thursday. The meeting was the first after the panel was granted an extension of tenure till the last week of the Budget Session next year. Pal said the committee would also call Chief Secretaries of State Governments ..

‘Six airports leased out through competitive, transparent process’

CIVIL Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said six airports were leased out to the Adani group through a thorough, competitive and transparent process. State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has leased out six airports -- Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram -- to the Adani group. While mentioning about the leasing out of these airports, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said in the Lok Sabha that Niti Aayog and the Department of Economic Affairs ..

Allu Arjun booked for woman’s death at “Pushpa 2” screening in Hyderabad

A CASE was registered against actor Allu Arjun and others in connection with the death of a woman due to asphyxiation as crowds “jostled” at a film theatre here during the premiere show of the actor’s latest film “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, police said on Thursday. According to police, the victim has been identified as 35-year-old Revathi. She was accompanied by her 13-year-old son Sreethej who also suffered suffocation and is being treated in a hospital where he is kept under 48-hour observation. The police ..

Fadnavis takes oath as Mah CM for third time

DEVENDRA Fadnavis on Thursday evening took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister, while leaders of the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers at a grand ceremony in south Mumbai’s sprawling Azad Maidan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of various States besides thousands of supporters of the MahaYuti alliance were present at the ceremony, which took place almost a fortnight after results of the Assembly ..

ISRO’s PSLV places two satellites of European Space Agency into orbit

ISRO on Thursday successfully launched the Proba-3 mission onboard a PSLV-C59 rocket, a solar experiment undertaken by the European Space Agency. Around 18 minutes after lift-off, the two satellites were placed into the ‘right orbit’, said ISRO Chairman S Somanath. The Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Autonomy) mission consists of twin satellites in which two spacecraft (placed inside the satellites) would fly together as one, maintaining a precise formation down to a single milli-metre to study the Sun’s ..

12 Kuki-Zo men laid to rest in Churachandpur

ALL the 12 Kuki-Zo youths, including the 10 killed in an alleged gunfight with CRPF in Jiribam district of Manipur, were laid to rest on Thursday in Churachandpur. Coinciding with the day-long funeral programme, a total shutdown was observed to pay respect to the deceased in the hill district of the state with thousands of people joining the march and attending the ceremony. “The bodies of the village volunteers, which were taken from the morgue to their respective homes the previous evening, were ..

Delhi’s women helplinereceives over 2 lakh callsbetween July-Nov 2024

DELHI’S women helpline 181 received over 2.41 lakh calls between July and November 2024, addressing a wide range of issues from eve-teasing and cyber fraud in matrimonial scams to disputes over metro seat reservations and altercations with auto drivers. Previously managed by the Delhi Commission for Women, the helpline was taken over by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department on July 2, 2024. Within the first two days of the transition, the helpline recorded 1,024 calls, marking a sharp increase ..

Motorcyclistdragged on car’sbonnet for 3 kmin Pune;3 held

THE driver of an Audi allegedly draggedamotorcyclerideron the car’s bonnet for more than three km after an argument in Maharashtra’s Pune district, police said. Hours after the incident on Sunday evening in PimpriChinchwad township, police arrested the car driver, Kamlesh Patil (23), and his two associates -- Hemant Mhalaskar (26) and Prathamesh Darade (22) -- who were with him in the high-end vehicle, they said...

CBI conducts searches in Rs 117 crore cyber crime enabled financial frauds

THE CBI conducted searches at 10 locations in Delhi and surrounding areas in connection with a case of transnational cyber-enabled financial frauds involving Rs 117 crore, officials said. The central probe agency had registered the case last year in December on a complaint from the Union Home Ministry’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre alleging that unidentified foreign actors and organised cybercriminals were allegedly engaged in a systematic financial fraud across India. During the year, the CBI ..

Fadnavis returns To take oath as Mah CM today

AFTER over two weeks of intense negotiations, BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis is set to be sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday at a grand ceremony in Azad Maidan here, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. In addition to Fadnavis, two Deputy Chief Ministers, including NCP leader Ajit Pawar, will also take their oaths during the event in south Mumbai. While the formation of the Government under Fadnavis is confirmed, uncertainty remains regarding ..

CBSE mulls standard, advanced levels for Science, Social Science for classes 9-10

THE Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considering introducing two levels of Science and Social Science — standard and advanced — for students in Classes 9 and 10, according to officials. The board already offers two levels of mathematics for Class 10 students. Its curriculum committee has approved the idea, which is in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP). However, the board’s governing body is yet to give its nod. According to the NEP, all subjects and corresponding assessments, ..

HC quashes police order cancelling arms licence of Puja Khedkar’s mother

THE Bombay High Court has quashed an order passed by the Pune police commissioner cancelling the arms licence of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s mother Manorama Khedkar. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan on November 27 remitted the matter for fresh consideration to the Pune Commissioner noting that the earlier notice was not duly served on Manorama Khedkar...

Over 2,000 Army men deployed to search for missing man in Imphal

THE Indian Army has deployed over 2,000 personnel for the search of the Meitei man who has been missing for over a week, police said. Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, a native of Assam’s Cachar district who lived in Khukrul in Imphal West, was a works supervisor for a contractor working with the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Leimakhong Military Station of the 57th Mountain Division, according to the Army. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said he went missing from the military station, asking its ..

LS passes Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill

THE Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which allows bank account holders to have up to four nominees in their accounts. Another proposed change relates to redefining ‘substantial interest’ for directorships, which could increase to Rs 2 crore instead of the current limit of Rs 5 lakh, which was fixed almost six decades ago. The Bill piloted by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was approved by a voice vote. Replying to the debate on the Bill, Sitharaman said depositors ..

28-year-old from UP creates AI-enabled eye-glasses to help visually-impaired

TALENT knows no boundaries. A testament to this is 28-year-old Muneer Khan from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, whose innovations and technical skills have gained him global recognition. From a ‘smart water bottle’ to ‘smart soil testing device,’ and more recently, ‘AI-enabled eye-glasses,’ what makes his innovations stand out is their ability to improve everyday convenience for ordinary people. Born in a humble and poor family in Kheri’s Gauriya village, Muneer lost his father when he was just ..

Azad Maidan getting set for oath of new CM, Dy CMs

PREPARATIONS are in full swing at the Azad Maidan here for the swearing-in ceremony of the new MahaYuti Government in Maharashtra on December 5, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend the event. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is being considered the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, but the MahaYuti alliance has not announced any name yet with the State BJP legislature party’s meeting scheduled to take place on December 4. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has ..

IMD issues red alert for four districts in Kerala

THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a red alert for four districts in the state, predicting isolated heavy rains on December 2. According to the latest update from the IMD, the northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall on Monday. The weather agency has placed Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts under an “orange alert,” while a yellow alert was sounded for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad, ..

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya aligns classroom learning with industry requirements: Vaishnaw

THE Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya in Gujarat’s Vadodara has been set up with a clear vision to align classroom learning with industry requirements and it will soon be among the top ten institutes in India, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said here. Addressing the 2nd convocation of GSV as its Chancellor, Vaishnaw said BTech and MBA courses it offers have been carefully designed, adding the university will supply talent required by large corporations in the aviation, semiconductor and other sectors ..

Strong anti-rape laws can eliminate menace: TMC leader Abhishek

TRINAMOOL Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said only a strong anti-rape law can effectively eliminate the menace of rape in the country. He made the remark at a doctors’ convention organised to announce the launch of the ‘Sebaashray’ health camp programme. Addressing the gathering, Banerjee said, “At a time when the country was protesting the RG Kar rape-murder, rape incidents kept occurring in every 10 minutes, according to official data. Hence, I reiterate ..

Kannada actress Shobitha dies by suicide in Hyderabad

KANNADA film and TV actress Shobitha S allegedly died by suicide at her residence here on Sunday, police said. Shobitha (32) was found hanging from a ceiling fan by a sari in her bedroom, according to police. Shobitha, who had appeared in TV serials and films in Kannada, had been residing in Hyderabad after her marriage last year. Police stated that the exact reasons behind her alleged suicide are under investigation. No suicide note was found, a senior police official said, based on preliminary ..

Panel seeks details of Waqf properties from State Govts

The parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sought details from various state governments about the veracity and updated details of Waqf properties which, according to the Sachar committee, they had occupied in an unauthorised manner, sources said. The parliamentary committee, whose tenure has been extended by Lok Sabha till the last day of the next Budget Session, has also sought from the states details of the properties claimed by Waqf boards exercising Section 40 of the ..

Indian bus attacked in Bangladesh: Minister

TRIPURA’S Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury alleged that a bus on the way to Kolkata from Agartala was attacked in Bangladesh. The incident happened on Bishwa Road in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district, he said. “A Sahyamoli Paribahan bus on the way from Tripura to Kolkata was attacked in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria Bishwa Road. The incident terrified Indian passengers on the bus. The bus was maintaining its lane when a truck intentionally hit it. At this point, an autorickshaw came in front of ..

Fadnavis to be Maharashtra CM, BJP meet on it soon

THE name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra who will be elected as the legislature party leader in a meeting to be held either on December 2 or 3, a senior BJP leader said on Sunday night. Earlier in the day, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would support the BJP’s decision to pick the new Chief Minister. “The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The meeting to elect the new BJP legislature ..

Bangladesh in throes of religious fanaticism Rabid crowds gather in streets demanding ban on ISKCON

THE situation in Bangladesh turned for the worse on Friday as rabid mobs demanded ban in ISKCON, and authorities ordered freezing of the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON for 30 days, including its member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges, media reports said. The move comes after the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), following the killing of a lawyer in a clash between the Hindu ..

Mah withdraws GR for Rs 10 cr to Waqf Board

A DAY after issuing a Government resolution (GR) for the release of Rs 10 crore funds to strengthen the State Waqf Board, the Maharashtra Government on Friday withdrew the order amid opposition by the BJP. State Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik confirmed that the order has been withdrawn. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won the recent State Assembly elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance, opposed the GR saying the decision was taken at the administrative level, and added that Waqf Board has ..

Coordinated operation CBI, NIA, Interpol secure extradition of LeT operative from Rwanda

THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an operation with the NIA and Interpol has brought from Rwanda a member of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba who had an Interpol Red Notice against him for a terror offence in Bengaluru, officials said on Thursday. Salman Rehman Khan, an alleged member of the internationally proscribed terrorist organisation, had assisted in providing arms, ammunition and explosives to further terrorist activities in Bengaluru, they said. “The Global Operations ..

Immortalising family bonds Punjab sculptor making life-size statues of departed loved ones

PATHANKOT resident Resham Sharma feels that his grandfather, who passed away three years ago, is still with him courtesy of a life-size statue that he installed in a family-owned field in his village. Sharma’s grandfather Chiranji Lal led a life of struggle and hard work and died at the age of 80. He says the carbon fibre statue -- donning a traditional turban, ‘kurta-pyjama’ and shoes -- is a source of inspiration for the entire family. “My grandfather was landless and just owned a few cattle. He ..

Parliamentary committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill headed for extension

The parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set for an extension till the last day of the next Budget Session following a stormy meet of the panel marked by a brief walkout from its Opposition members before a unanimous decision was taken to seek more time to finalise its report. The Opposition members of the committee staged a walkout and slammed Pal, who is the Joint Parliamentary Committee chairperson, for asserting that the panel’s draft report was ready. Temperatures ..

Robotic fire tenders to be deployed at Mahakumbh 2025

FOR the first time, robotic fire tenders will be deployed at Mahakumbh 2025 to enhance fire safety at the world’s largest spiritual gathering. Alongside these cutting-edge machines, 200 specially trained fire commandos will be stationed to manage emergencies and protect visitors. Additional Director General (Fire Services) Padmaja Chauhan said that three robotic fire tenders, weighing 20-25 kilograms each, will be used to reach areas inaccessible to personnel. These robots are capable of climbing ..

Impose President’s Rule in Manipur to check violence: RS MP

Lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram, K Vanlalvena, has reiterated the need for imposing President’s rule in strife-torn Manipur to contain the ongoing ethnic violence, an official statement said. Vanlalvena called for the imposition of President’s rule “the first and immediate step” to contain the violence that has claimed over 250 lives since May last year, it said. The Mizo National Front (MNF) MP said the move is the need of the hour to allow the Centre to directly intervene in the matter...

CM Siddaramaiah to inaugurate Bengaluru Tech Summit on Nov 19

CM Siddaramaiah to inaugurate Bengaluru Tech Summit on Nov 19..

Australian towns ordered to evacuate amid bushfire threat

Australian towns ordered to evacuate amid bushfire threat..

Sukhbir Badal resigns as Akali Dal chief

Sukhbir Badal resigns as Akali Dal chief..