Police said they have also arrested three other persons on charges of extorting money from ChinmayanandFORMER Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand was arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a law student and sent to 14 days judicial custody by a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, police said. The BJP leader was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of UP police from his ashram here around 8.50 am amid heavy security deployment. He was then produced at the court of Chief Judicial ..

NEW DELHIUNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the Modi Government was committed in making India a big manufacturing hub and the slashing of corporate tax rates would make the country’s markets “much more exciting” for potential investors. Shah also said “rationalisation” of corporate tax had been a long-pending demand which has now become a reality.  “Modi Government is committed to making India a big manufacturing hub and this decision along with ..

HINDI has emerged as the second-most used language globally on Google Assistant, the tech giant’s artificial intelligence powered assistant, behind just English, according to the tech giant. The company, which has been working on supporting Indic languages across its products like Search, Lens and others on its platform, said it will soon make Google Assistant available in Hindi on all Android TVs.   “Since introducing the Assistant in India nearly two years ago, we’ve ..

The new tax structure is effective from April 1, 2019, and will bring Indian corporate tax rate at par with Asian peers in a bid to attract investments BATTLING a six-year low economic growth and a 45-year high unemployment rate, the Government on Friday slashed corporate tax rates for companies by almost 10 per cent to 25.17 per cent to bring them at par with Asian rivals such as China and South Korea, as it looked to boost demand and investments.  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ..

THE Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and top executives of ExxonMobil, Perot Group and Hillwood, Baker Hughes and of 13 other top US energy companies would join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the roundtable meeting in Houston on September 21, sources said on Thursday...

THE Supreme Court on Thursday closed a contempt case against an 88-year-old retired public servant for writing letters cursing senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan for appearing for Muslim parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said the man had expressed regret for using such objectionable words in his communication to Dhavan. “Why are you saying all these things...

  KARACHI :   DOUBTS have been raised over the autopsy report of a Hindu dental college student found dead in her hostel room in Pakistan’s Sindh province, as some medico-legal experts cited several flaws in it, according to a media report. Namrita Chandni, a final-year student of Bibi Asifa Dental College in Larkana district and a social activist, was found lying on a cot by her friends on Monday with a rope tied to her neck. Her room was locked from inside.   Police ..

GIVING rise to a lot of speculation about the future of ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, praised the tenure of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his efficient leadership of the State Government, and opted to omit even the mention of Bharatiya Janata Party’s junior partner Shiv Sena in the encomium. In stern words, Modi blamed ‘loudmouths’ for their chatter on an out-of-court resolution to the Ram temple issue. He said, the Supreme Court was hearing Ram ..

BENGALURU DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flew in the Tejas fighter aircraft from the HAL airport in Bengaluru, becoming the first Defence Minister to fly in the indigenously-built light combat aircraft. After the 30-minute sortie, the Defence Minister said he chose the aircraft because it was built indigenously and described the flying experience as thrilling. “Flight very smooth, comfortable, I was thrilled. It was one of the most memorable events of my life,” said the 68-year-old Singh ..

  European Conservatives and Reformists Group’s Geoffrey Van Orden said that Pakistan allowed its special services to support ‘suppression and terrorism’ across the Line of Control (LoC) since its inception. He also said that Islamabad has illegally occupied the parts of Jammu and Kashmir.   BRUSSELS :   IN A major blow to Pakistan, several Ministers of European Parliament (MEPs) have called out the Islamic nation for providing ‘sanctuary’ ..

 NEW DELHI : Scientists and teachers bagged the second and third places respectively in terms of trustworthiness in professions in India, as per a study by market research firm Ipsos  OVER 70 per cent of Indians in urban areas find the Armed Forces the most trustworthy profession, while a majority of them are sceptical about politicians, according to a new survey. Scientists and teachers bagged the second and third places respectively in terms of trustworthiness in professions ..

UNITED NATIONS INDIA was the leading country of origin of international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million strong diaspora, according to new estimates released by the United Nations, which said the number of migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million. The International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) on Wednesday, provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by age, sex and ..

PETROL and diesel prices were on Wednesday hiked by 24-25 paise per litre, the steepest increase since July 5 Union Budget, as a fallout of turmoil in global oil markets following drone attacks on Saudi Arabian crude oil facilities. Petrol price was increased by 25 paise per litre to Rs 72.42 and diesel by 24 paise to Rs 65.82 in Delhi market, which is sort of a national benchmark, according to price information available from state-owned fuel retailers...

  NEW DELHI :   DELHI Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday at India Gate with a massive cake having 370 and 35 A written on it. The party workers led by the State president Manoj Tiwari assembled at the India Gate lawns on the Tuesday night. Waving party flags and placards, the workers raised slogans hailing the Prime Minister.   A birthday cake shaped in the form of a massive ‘laddu’ having 370 and 35 A written ..

 KARACHI :  A PAKISTANI Hindu dental college student was found dead in her hostel room in Pakistan’s Sindh province with a rope tied to her neck, a media report said on Tuesday. Namrita Chandni, a final-year student of Bibi Asifa Dental College in Larkana district, was found lying on a cot by her friends on Monday with a rope tied to her neck. Her room locked from inside, ‘The Express Tribune’ reported. Chandni belonged to Ghotki, the district which was in the news since ..

 NEW DELHI :  THE Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday inked MoUs with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for development of human centric systems for the Gaganyaan project, the Defence Ministry said. Some of the critical technologies to be provided by the DRDO to ISRO include space food, space crew health monitoring and emergency survival kit, radiation measurement and protection, parachutes for safe recovery of crew module, the ministry said in a statement. ..

  KEVADIYA/New Delhi :   PRIME Minister Narendra Modi turned 69 on Tuesday and spent his birthday in his home State of Gujarat offering prayers to goddess Narmada at the Sardar Sarovar dam filled to capacity for the first time, visiting the Statue of Unity and sharing a meal with his nonagenarian mother. Modi, who was greeted by leaders across the political spectrum, also addressed a public rally in Kevadia where he lauded the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying his Government ..

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India expects to have physical jurisdiction over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir “one day”. “Our position on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) very clear. PoK is a part of India and we expect one day we will have physical jurisdiction over it,” the EAM said during a briefing on the 100-day achievements of the MEA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term in power...

A TEAM of Home Ministry officials on Monday inspected the ongoing construction work for Kartarpur corridor on the Indian side at Dera Baba Nanak here. “I come here in my capacity as the Chairman of the Land Port Authority of India to inspect the work of the Kartarpur corridor on the Indian side of the border. The work would be completed within time,” said Govind Mohan,..

  RAIPUR :   IT IS often said that India is a land where talent is hidden in every corner. Inspired by Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’, a Raipur-based teenage girl has perfected a unique skill of mirror writing with one hand, while simultaneously writing in plain script with the other. Speaking to ANI about the skill, the girl named Kavya Chawda said, “It takes a lot of concentration, but I have been practising this since the last three to four years. I can do ..

By Ajit K Dubey   NEW DELHI :   The seven warships include Chinese Landing Platform Dock and three vessels each of its counter-piracy escort task force 32 and counter-piracy escort task force 33   PRESENTLY, seven Chinese Navy warships are operating in and around the Indian Ocean Region, including an over 27,000 tonnes amphibious vessel, which have been tracked closely by the Indian Navy using its American-origin P-8I anti-submarine warfare spy planes and other surveillance ..

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir amidst reports of around 230 terrorists waiting at terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir to enter the country, officials said. During the two-hour long meeting, also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba among others, the Home Minister was given a detailed presentation on the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly along the Internation..

Vasudeo S Gaitonde’s untitled 1982 work, painted during the peak of his career, has fetched a whopping Rs 26.9 crores at Saffronart’s recent live evening sale on Modern Indian Art, making it one of the top five highest value works ever sold by an Indian artist. The green oil painting representing the artist’s precise, deliberate technique,..

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya on his birth anniversary and greeted the nation on the occasion of Engineers’ Day saying that human progress would be incomplete without their innovative zeal. “Engineers are synonymous with diligence and determination. Human progress would be incomplete without their innovative zeal. Greetings on Engineers’ Day and best wishes to all hardworking engineers...

AROUND 45,000 people were evacuated on Sunday from flood-hit areas in various districts of Madhya Pradesh to safer places after heavy rainfall caused water-logging in many places, an official said. They have been shifted to 150 relief camps in various districts, including Mandsaur and Neemuch, where heavy rains have triggered floods, he added...

THE Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is expected to reach its full storage capacity soon, a milestone that will be witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, which also happens to be his birthday. The water in the dam, considered as ‘Gujarat’s lifeline, is likely to touch the full reservoir level of 138.68 m soon, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said...

A PRIVATE boat carrying around 60 tourists capsized in swollen Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, leaving at least eight people dead and 25 others missing on Sunday, the state government said. As many as 27 people survived the tragedy and were brought to safety, the state Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said in a release late tonight. The boat ‘Royal Vasishta’ was on its way to the picturesque Papikondalu tourist spot in the middle of the river when it met with the accident, apparently on colliding ..

  DINDORI :   IN a shocking and strange habit, a man in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori claims he has been eating glass just for fun for over 40 years. Dayaram Sahu, a lawyer by profession, has been eating glasses of bulbs, liquor bottles and other objects since his childhood. “I wanted to do something different so I started this. I felt a good taste when I first ate it.   When people came to know that I can eat glass, they found it startling so I continued eating for ..

NEW DELHI :   The exhibition is on Narendra Modi’s achievements as Prime Minister    AN exhibition on Narendra Modi’s achievements as Prime Minister opened at the BJP headquarters here on Saturday, showcasing key decisions taken by his dispensation -- from abrogation of Article 370 provisions to making a law against ‘triple talaq’. Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah inaugurated the exhibition being held under party’s “seva saptah”..

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday pitched for a common language for the country and said as Hindi is spoken the most, it can unite the whole country. The Home Minister also asked everyone to use their native languages as much as possible, but said efforts will be made to expand Hindi’s reach to different parts of the country...

FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday unveiled over Rs 70,000 crore of measures for exporters and the real estate sector, including about Rs 30,000 crore new spending in plans such as setting up of a stressed asset fund, as part of efforts to boost economic growth from a six-year low. While measures to boost exports include remission of duties, higher insurance coverage and technology enablement to cut downtime at ports, for real estate sector a Rs 20,000 crore fund -- with half of the money ..

ISLAMABAD :   PAKISTAN on Thursday said that pilgrims will be charged USD 20 as service charge for visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. “Pakistan will charge USD 20 per person as service fees, not entrance fees, for Kartarpur Corridor,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in a weekly briefing. Earlier this month, India and Pakistan had failed to finalise an agreement on the Kartarpur corridor following differences over key issues including Islamabad’s ..

    CHENNAI :   Using ‘15 mins of terror’ term is disservice to science, says Senior Advisor to ISRO Tapan Misra This term was coined by a team in Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), US    EVEN as serious attempts are being made by Indian space agency to establish communication link with its Moon lander Vikram that lost contact with ISRO before landing on the lunar surface, a Senior Advisor in ISRO has explained in simple terms the landers planned operations. ..

TOP Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) on Thursday came out in support of the Centre’s decision abrogating provisions of Article 370, saying Kashmir is an “integral part” of the country and the welfare of people in the Valley lies in their integration with India. In the resolution passed in its annual general meeting held here, JuH rallied for a united India. “It is our belief that the welfare of the people of Kashmir lies in getting integrated with India...

ARMY chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday said that forces are always ready for action in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). “The Army is always ready (Sena to hamesha taiyar rehti hai),” General Rawat told reporters when asked if his force is ready for action in PoK. However, the Army chief made it clear that a decision in this regard has to be taken by the Central Government. “This has to be done by the Central Government...