Category: India

Kannada film actor Ranya Rao, was arrested in one of the largest gold seizures at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in recent years, after allegedly smuggling 14.8 kg of the contraband from Dubai attached to her body.

33-year-old Rao, the stepdaughter of a senior DGP-rank IPS officer in Karnataka, was arrested by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3, acting on a tip-off about her arrival at the airport.

How did Ranya Rao smuggle the gold?

While it had been suspected that Rao had smuggled gold bars in her jacket, the DRI confirmed that the contraband was found on her during a physical check.

“Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.2 kg were found ingeniously concealed on (her) person,” the DRI stated.

Ranya Rao had allegedly strapped 14 old bars, approximately one kg each, to her thighs with tape and crepe bandages and had worn pants to conceal them, reported The Indian Express.

The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman may not be able to accuse a man of forcing sexual relations on her through a promise of marriage if the two were in a long-term live-in relationship. The man can’t be charged for rape if the couple was living together for a long period of time, the top court ruled, saying that in such cases, it is hard to determine whether the reason behind the sexual relations was just the promise of marriage, said a report by the Times of India.

The case in question was of a bank manager who was charged by his live-in partner of 16 years, a lecturer, of rape by saying that he established sexual relations with her over fake promise of marriage. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta quashed the criminal proceedings against the man, saying that both the parties were well-educated and were in a consensual relationship.

Stating that both the partners would visit each other even when they were posted in different towns, the top court called the case a live-in relationship gone sour, the TOI report said.

What the court said

“It is hard to believe that the complainant kept on bending to the demands of the appellant for a period of nearly 16 years without raising any protest to any quarter that the appellant was exploiting her sexually under the pretext of a false promise of marriage,” the report quoted the bench as saying.

The court also said that a long period of the relationship also pointed that there was no deceit between the two parties. “The prolonged period of 16 years during which the sexual relations continued unabatedly between the parties, is sufficient to conclude that there was never an element of force or deceit in the relationship,” the court added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/woman-cant-claim-rape-if-she-was-in-long-term-live-in-supreme-court-101741221099922.html

A security cover comprising only women police personnel will be deployed at a mega event to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat’s Navsari district on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, a state minister has said.
This will be the first such initiative in the country, he said.
“The Gujarat police is taking a unique initiative on the occasion of International Women’s Day. For the first time in the history of India, only women police will handle the entire security arrangement of the PM’s event – right from his arrival at the helipad at Vansi Borsi village in Navsari till the event venue,” Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on Thursday.

The women police personnel will include IPS officers and constables, he said.

The prime minister will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on Friday and Saturday, during which he will address the ‘Lakhpti Didi Sammelan’ at Vansi Borsi village on March 8.
“All women police personnel, including more than 2,100 constables, 187 sub-inspectors, 61 police inspectors, 16 deputy superintendents of police, five SPs, one Inspector General of Police and one Additional DGP rank officer will handle the security that day,” he said.
Senior woman IPS officer and Home Secretary Nipuna Torawane will supervise the security arrangements, the minister said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/all-women-security-cover-for-pm-modis-event-in-gujarat-on-womens-day-article-118774502

The United States Supreme Court rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s ” “emergency application” opposing his extradition to India. Rana on Thursday moved an “emergency application” with the US Supreme Court against his extradition to India. In the application he had claimed that he would be tortured there since he is a Muslim of Pakistani origin.

Rana is a Canadian national of Pakistani origin. He is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. The Canadian national is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai attacks.

Rana had filed an “Emergency Application For Stay” with the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced that his administration approved the extradition of “very evil” Rana “to face justice in India”. This followed the rejection of his review petition by the Supreme Court in January.

In that petition, Rana had argued that his extradition to India violates United States law and the United Nations Convention Against Torture “because there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture.”

“The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application had said.

The application had also stated that his “severe medical conditions” render extradition to Indian detention facilities, a “de facto” death sentence in this case.

Who Is Tahawwur Rana?

Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani former military doctor who served in the Pakistan Army. Rana moved to Canada after gaining citizenship and became an immigration service businessman.

In 2011, he was convicted of providing support to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and of allegedly plotting an attack on the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

On 17 January 2013, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the Danish newspaper attack case. A US court has denied the bail plea of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and declared a fugitive by India, asserting that he has not negated the “risk of flight”.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/2611-mumbai-terror-attack-accused-tahawwur-ranas-extradition-stay-request-rejected-by-us-court

For decades, Indian music has been synonymous with Bollywood, whose glossy soundtracks have long dominated the country’s music market. But a seismic shift is underway, led by India’s rising global music star.

Diljit Dosanjh, a 41-year-old musician, actor and producer from Punjab in northwestern India, is rewriting the formula for success in the world’s fastest-growing music market. Moving away from traditional film soundtracks with his hip-hop and rap-infused rhythms and high-profile collaborations with pop icons like Ed Sheeran and Sia, Dosanjh is breaking boundaries and amassing a massive following.

Last summer, Dosanjh made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he was introduced as “the biggest Punjabi performer on the planet.” He regaled fans with hits Born to Shine and G.O.A.T.

His 2024 Dil-Luminati tour sold 742,000 tickets worldwide, according to Warner Music Group, making it the biggest tour of any Indian artist. The North America and European legs drew more than 346,000 fans combined and brought in more than $44 million.

“Indian music is not just Bollywood music,” said Dosanjh, who sings in his native Punjabi, in a phone interview while touring in the Middle East. “The traditional folk music in every part of the country is supremely good. It’s unfortunate that the world so far could only get a taste of Bollywood music that is commercial.”

Dosanjh’s unique blend of musical styles, combined with his winsome personality and ubiquitous social media presence, is raising the profile of Indian music and proving to be a successful bet for his label Warner Music, a late entrant to the Indian market when it arrived in 2020.

While India ranks as the 14th-largest recorded music market, dwarfed by the the US and Japan, the influence of Indian music on global streaming charts has surged, thanks to a young and digitally savvy population. The Indian diaspora, estimated to be around 35 million and largely based in North America, the UK and the Middle East, is a major contributor to the demand for Indian music streaming and concerts. Consumption of music from India skyrocketed by more than 2,000% from 2019 to 2024, according to Spotify Technology SA.

There’s room for even more growth, according Jay Mehta, managing director of Warner Music India. The Indian music industry has a chance to double its base in the next three to four years, he said. Mehta has been exposing Indian artists to a wider, global audience by paring them up with the label’s international stars like Coldplay and One Republic.

People’s tastes have also evolved. According to Spotify, domestic fans streamed almost 70% international music on the platform when the company debuted in India in 2019, compared with 70% local music now. Punjabi tunes in particular are topping the charts, not just in India but among a global audience, according to Spotify. Dosanjh is partly responsible for that.

Over the past four years, a major change in how people consume music has taken place, “moving from a soundtrack-driven ecosystem to an artist-centric ecosystem,” Mehta said.

The shift plays to Dosanjh’s strengths—he’s a social media star who posts funny, heartfelt videos on TikTok and YouTube, encouraging engagement from fans. His online presence is a mix of humor, cultural pride, and personal moments, making him highly relatable. An avid cook, he often posts videos of himself brewing coffee or scrambling some eggs. He acknowledges his halting English is a barrier to greater reach, but still managed to convince Sheeran to sing a bit in Punjabi with him. He actively reposts fan content, creating viral sensations that amplify his brand, such as a dance challenge for his latest hit song, Water.

“Today, the digital era allows for instant global exposure,” Dosanjh said. “Any song I create has the potential to become a worldwide success overnight, thanks to this connectivity.”

The rise of artists like Dosanjh exemplifies the superfan strategy taking hold in India. Mehta has taken a page from the playbook of K-pop superstar BTS’ fan group, ARMY, to help drum up even more enthusiasm for Dosanjh and Hindi rapper King. One of the leaders of ARMY was recruited by Warner Music to spearhead social communication projects between the record label’s artists and their superfans.

This artist-driven model is boosting engagement with listeners who stream songs and buy tickets to see their favorite artists in person. The live-events business is booming in India. There were more than 30,000 concerts held in the country last year, and ticket revenue now outpaces sponsorships—a reversal of the pre-pandemic model, according to consultancy EY.

Described as having a “soulful” voice, Dosanjh’s live performances are brimming with energy, unique dancing and an engagement with the audience that has endeared him to legions of fans.

Dosanjh’s Coachella debut in 2023 marked a turning point, spotlighting Indian, non-Bollywood music on an international stage. He was the first act ever to perform at the festival entirely in Punjabi. “Music is a universal sound and universal force. You cannot limit it to one genre or category,” he said.

Since then, he has collaborated with Australian artist Sia on the Punjabi song Hass Hass, which helped elevate each artist’s profile in their home country. Sheeran joined the stage at Dosanjh’s concert in Birmingham, England, as a surprise guest for a remix of their hit track ‘Nania x Shape of You.’

Dosanjh is also an actor, best-known for the 2016 action crime film Udta Punja and Amar Singh Chamkila, a biographical drama about a Hindi singer, both available on Netflix, and Shadaa, a romantic comedy on Amazon Prime Video.

His popularity and high profile has given Dosanjh broad influence in India. In a conversation earlier this year with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he pitched an idea to hold a global music festival in India bigger than Coachella.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/features/music/indias-rising-music-star-diljit-dosanjh-is-breaking-the-bollywood-mold-3434464

Seven cyber fraudsters arrested by Gurugram cyber police over the last two months allegedly duped hundreds of people across the country for more than Rs 87 crores, officials said on Wednesday.

Police recovered Rs 7.60 lakh in cash, seven mobiles and three SIM cards from their possessions, they said.

The accused were involved in various cyber crimes, including cyber bullying, stalking, impersonation, and fraudulent investment schemes, police said.

“A total of 10,956 complaints and 399 cases are lodged against the accused across the country. Among these, 22 cases are registered in Haryana, of which six cases are in Gurugram,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Priyanshu Dewan said.

All the accused were arrested in the last two months. They were identified as Sonu Kumar, Ishwar, Sunil Kumar, Pawan Kumar Sharma, Neeraj, Salim and Priya Mishra, he said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/haryana/rs-87-crore-in-cyber-frauds-seven-held-in-gurugram-for-duping-people-3433862

Two weeks after securing bail in Rs 3,600 Agustawestland scam CBI case from the Supreme Court, British national Christian Michel James on Tuesday secured bail from the Delhi High Court in the case probed by Enforcement Directorate case too which means that he will soon come out after spending more than 6 years in Tihar jail ever since he was extradited from UK.
Granting bail in ED case, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma wrote in the judgment: In view of the above discussion, considering the period of incarceration of about six years and two months undergone by the
applicant, and in view of the fact that he has also been granted bail in the case pertaining to predicate offence by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the ground that the investigation has not been completed and the trial has not even begun, and considering that there seems to be no possibility of trial in this case concluding too within the remaining duration of the maximum prescribed sentence under Section 4 of PMLA, in as much as the same has not even begun as of now, this Court is inclined to grant regular bail to the present applicant.

Bail on furnishing a personal bond and surety in the sum of Rs 5,00,000/- each and on surrendering the passport before the learned Trial Court, which be not released without permission of this Court, considering that investigation qua the present applicant is still pending. The rest of the conditions be imposed by the learned Special Court, since as per order of the Hon‟ble Apex Court, the learned Trial Court has been directed to impose conditions as deemed appropriate while granting bail in predicate offence, said the High Court.

HC found merit in the argument of Michel’s lawyer Aljo K Joseph that learned Special Court erred in mechanically rejecting the bail application on the sole ground that the applicant is a flight risk, without appreciating the prolonged incarceration, the documentary nature of evidence, and the undue delay in the trial.
Referring to Adv Joseph’s arguments, HC said “It is argued that the Hon‟ble Supreme Court has
repeatedly held that bail cannot be denied solely on the apprehension of flight risk, especially when stringent conditions can be imposed to mitigate such concerns. The learned counsel for the applicant vehemently argues that during the pendency of the present bail application, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has granted bail to the applicant in the predicate offence.
Apart from Advocate Aljo K Joseph, Michel was also represented by advocates Sriram Parakkat and M S Vishnu Shankar. It is to be mentioned that Rosemary Patrizi an Italian lawyer had represented Michel as he challenged extradition to India and also was present in Delhi to brief the legal team during the initial hearings.
ED had vehemently argued Michel committed a grave economic offence of huge magnitude “The petitioner, not being a citizen of India, is a flight risk and his extradition has been obtained with extreme difficulty. It is apprehended that if the petitioner is enlarged on bail, he might flee to avoid the investigation which shall be prejudicial against the course of the proceedings.” But HC was not convinced.
Michel was arrested in December 2018 after being extradited from Dubai. He is termed as a ‘Middleman’ for the alleged illegal transactions that took place in the VVIP chopper scam.
The CBI had alleged that there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (about 2666 Crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.
James had challenged the September 25 order of the Delhi High Court in the apex court, denying him bail. Before the Delhi HC, a trial court had also rejected his plea seeking release from custody.
According to CBI, the accused, who was extradited in 2018 after India won the extradition case in Dubai, is the alleged middleman in the deal. After being deported from the UAE, he is currently in Indian judicial custody.
James, in his bail plea, had argued before the top court that his detention, deportation, and custody in India were in contravention of the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and that he was already acquitted by courts in Italy on similar charges.
Last year in May, the apex court issued a notice in a similar bail application filed by James, while directing the CBI and Directorate of Enforcement to submit their replies.
This September, the Delhi HC denied bail to James stating that there were “no new grounds or substantial changes in circumstances warranting reconsideration of his bail. “The accused, if released on bail, could lead to witness tampering and or evidence manipulation in the case,” the HC noted.
His lawyers earlier also cited Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which allows undertrials to be released on bail if they have undergone half the sentence of the maximum punishment that they can be sentenced to if convicted.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/agustawestland-scam-after-cbi-christian-michel-gets-bail-in-ed-case-too-to-come-out-of-jail-soon-article-118715812

Fresh details have emerged in the murder case of Congress worker Himani Narwal in Haryana’s Rohtak, with police piecing together the events leading up to the crime. The accused, identified as Sachin, has been taken into custody and reportedly confessed to killing Narwal after an argument on February 28. According to police, Sachin, who ran a mobile shop in Jhajjar, was acquainted with the victim and had been in contact with her for over a year.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Krishan Kumar Rao said that Sachin and Himani had connected through social media and he had been visiting her residence in Vijay Nagar, Rohtak, frequently over the past several months. An HT report quoted the ADGP as saying, “On February 27 around 9 pm, Sachin visited Himani’s house and stayed overnight. The next day, an argument broke out between them over an undisclosed issue. During the altercation, Sachin tied Himani’s hands with her dupatta and strangled her using a mobile phone charger. He then stuffed her body into a suitcase along with a bloodstained quilt.”
Following the murder, Sachin took away the victim’s mobile phone, laptop, and jewellry, which he later hid at his shop in Jhajjar. “He used her scooty to transport the stolen items to his shop,” Rao added.

After securing the stolen valuables, Sachin returned to the crime scene, packed Himani’s body into a suitcase, and hired an auto-rickshaw. He got off near Sampla bus stand to mislead investigators before abandoning the suitcase. CCTV footage later surfaced, capturing him dragging the suitcase.

A bottle of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) was seized “every four seconds” in dry Gujarat in 2024, as per the police. The law enfocers seized 82,00,000 bottles worth Rs 144 crore across the state, according to a report.
The majority of seized bottles (4,38,047 to be exact) were reported from Ahmedabad city, Ahmedabad rural, and Western Railways’ Ahmedabad jurisdiction.
Ahmedabad city alone reported 2,139 cases involving 3.06 lakh IMFL bottles. The police also registered 7,796 cases against those involved in the sale and purchase of over 1.58 lakh litres of countrymade liquor.

In Vadodara, IMFL bottles bottles worth Rs 9.8 crore were found in secret compartments of trucks and godowns, according to TOI report.

The police crackdown in Surat rural unearthed Rs 8.9 crore worth of IMFL disguised as household goods in an interstate transport racket. Navsari followed closely with the seizure of 6.23 lakh IMFL bottles. Godhra saw the seizure of Rs 8.8 crore of IMFL bottles.
Bhavnagar reported the seizure of Rs 8.7 crore worth of IMFL and countrymade liquor. The spirits were reportedly concealed in water tanks and under loads of fresh vegetables.
“For the smugglers, the raids served as a stark reminder that no matter how innovative their tactics may be, they will not be allowed to violate the law. The message is clear: There’s no room for the spirit of lawlessness in the land of Gandhi,” a senior official told TOI.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/in-dry-gujarat-liquor-seized-every-four-seconds-some-were-concealed-under-vegetables-article-118705535

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Bengaluru International Airport after she was found in possession of 14.8 kg of gold, officials said on Tuesday.

Following her arrest on Monday night, she was presented before an economic offences court, which remanded her to 14 days in judicial custody, they added.

According to officials, Rao had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and had been under surveillance due to her frequent international travel.

Investigators revealed that she had allegedly smuggled the gold by wearing a significant portion of it and concealing gold bars in her clothing.

Authorities grew suspicious after noticing that she had travelled to Dubai four times in 15 days, prompting a targeted operation upon her return.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the actress may have attempted to use her connections to bypass customs checks.

Reports indicate that upon landing, she allegedly claimed to be the daughter of Karnataka’s Director General of Police and contacted local police personnel to escort her home.

Officials are now probing whether any law enforcement officers, including her IPS relative, were aware of her activities or were misled into assisting her. After her arrest, Rao was taken to the DRI headquarters in Bengaluru’s HBR Layout for questioning.

Authorities are investigating whether she was acting alone or was part of a larger smuggling network operating between Dubai and India.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kannada-actor-ranya-rao-arrested-at-bengaluru-airport-for-possessing-14-8-kg-of-gold-7848402

A groom was left stunned when his bride went into labour just two days after their wedding, forcing him to rush her to the hospital. The incident unfolded in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where a lavish wedding, filled with music, rituals, and festivities, took a shocking turn.

The groom’s family accused the bride of cleverly concealing her baby bump under her lehenga, preventing anyone from noticing.

In a viral video, the groom’s sister can be heard demanding answers from the bride, insisting she disclose the baby’s father. “She was wearing a lehenga from her waist up. So tell me, if she wears a lehenga so high, how would anyone understand? We thought maybe she was feeling cold, so she wore it that way. How were we supposed to know what she was hiding?” she says in the video.

As per reports, the groom’s family claimed that the groom and bride slept separately after the wedding, with the bride insisting they avoid contact. The groom’s sister added, “They didn’t have any physical relationship, so the bride must reveal who the child’s father is.”

The couple tied the knot on February 24, and the bride was welcomed into her new home the following day, where the customary ‘Muh Dikhai’ ceremony was performed in the presence of relatives and guests.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/up-wedding-turns-scandalous-as-bride-gives-birth-2-days-after-marriage-grooms-sister-claims-she-hid-baby-bump-with-lehenga-video

Shahzadi Khan, a caregiver from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, was executed in the UAE on February 15 for the death of a child under her care. The news of her execution came to light during a Delhi High Court hearing on Monday when the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that she had been hanged last month.
Shahzadi, 33, was executed nearly two years after she was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023.
Shahzadi’s family alleged that she was not given justice and that the Indian government did not extend any support to the family. The family’s legal counsel, Ali Mohammad, has termed the execution an “extrajudicial killing in the guise of judicial killing”.

The Indian Embassy, in a statement, said it provided all possible legal assistance to Shahzadi, including sending mercy petitions and pardon requests to the Government of the UAE. “The UAE authorities intimated to the Embassy on February 28, 2025 that the sentence of Shahzadi has been carried out in accordance with local laws. The family of Shahzadi has been informed of the matter,” XP Division, MEA, said.

India has strongly rebutted the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) over its remarks on Kashmir and Manipur, urging the global body to take a “long and hard look in the mirror” before making “sweeping and generalised remarks.” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Arindam Bagchi, dismissed the comments made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk as “unfounded and baseless.” In his address at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Bagchi asserted that India “continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society.”

“As India was mentioned by name, let me begin by emphasising that the world’s largest democracy continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society. Unfounded and baseless comments in the update contrast jarringly with ground realities,” Bagchi said, as quoted by PTI.
India took issue with Turk’s reference to “Kashmir,” stating that he had “erroneously referred to” the region instead of Jammu and Kashmir. Bagchi pointed out that the update ignored key developments, including high voter participation in provincial elections, rapid economic progress, and a thriving tourism industry.

Criticising the UNHRC’s approach, Bagchi said, “The High Commissioner has sensed a pervasive unease, but we would submit that a key element to addressing this is a long and hard look in the mirror by the Office of the High Commissioner.”

India also slammed what it called “cherry-picking of situations” and “misplaced concern,” arguing that the global update failed to provide an accurate representation of India’s democratic framework. “We would urge a better understanding of India and our civilizational ethos of diversity and openness, which continue to define our robust and often cacophonous civic space,” Bagchi added.
Turk, in his address, had expressed concerns about “violence and displacement in Manipur,” urging “stepped-up efforts to address violence and displacement in Manipur, based on dialogue, peacebuilding and human rights.” He also raised issues about “the use of restrictive laws against human rights defenders and independent journalists,” alleging a “shrinking civic space, including in Kashmir.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/kashmir-or-jk-india-urges-long-and-hard-look-in-the-mirror-by-unhrc-over-sweeping-remarks-article-118697191

By 2050, India could have over 440 million obese and overweight people, a global analysis published in The Lancet journal has estimated.

Number of overweight and obese adults by mid-century in India (218 million men and 231 million women) could be the second highest in the world, after China, with the US, Brazil and Nigeria expected to rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively, the findings by an international team of researchers reveal.

These researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research, collaborated for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021.

As per the study, already almost half the world’s adults — a billion men and over a billion women aged 25 years and above — were overweight and obese in 2021. In India, the numbers were over nearly 180 million — 81 million men and 98 million women.

However, by 2050, this number globally could rise to nearly 3.8 billion — 1.8 billion men and 1.9 billion women — “over half of the likely global adult population at that time”, the authors said.

“While China, India, and the USA will continue to constitute a large proportion of the global population with overweight and obesity, the number in the sub-Saharan Africa super-region is forecasted to increase by 254.8 per cent,” they wrote.

The researchers also estimated that about 16 million boys and over 14 million girls in India, aged 5-14 years, could be overweight and obese by 2050, making it world’s second highest after China.

However, in the 15-24 age group, the world’s highest burden could come from India, with over 22 million men and nearly 17 million women in the country suffering from this health crisis in 2050.

Lead author Emmanuela Gakidou, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US, which coordinates the GBD study, said, “The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure.” The study, the “most comprehensive global analysis to date”, could help governments and the public health community “identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies”, Gakidou said.

The latest estimates come against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a strong pitch for combating obesity in his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radiocast on February 23.

Obesity will have to be dealt with to be a fit and healthy nation, he said.

Obesity, a body mass index (BMI) of over 30, is known to have wide-ranging effects, including raising one’s risk of metabolic and heart disease. It can also impact one’s bone health and fertility and increase cancer risk.

However, experts recently called for a more nuanced approach to measuring obesity.

In January, authors of a Lancet Commission report urged an overhaul of how obesity is diagnosed and called for a new method that looked at aspects such as waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, in addition to BMI.

BMI is not an honest measure of health or disease and can thus result in a wrong diagnosis, they said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/by-2050-india-may-have-over-440-million-overweight-people-report-7842167

Amid a widespread controversy over harsh criticism and fat-shaming of Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohamed’s old social media post on talismanic batter Virat Kohli has resurfaced.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) in 2018, Ms Mohamed had slammed Mr Kohli, the then Indian captain, for his “those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India” remark.

Mr Kohli was embroiled in controversy when he read out messages addressed to him by fans and responded to them in November 2018. In a message sent to him, the fan had said, “I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than these Indian.” The fan also called Mr Kohli an “over-rated batsman”.

“I don’t think you should live in India, go and live somewhere else. Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don’t mind you not liking me, but I don’t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right,” Mr Kohli responded.

The Congress leader had then called out the Indian batter for his remark.

“Virat Kohli plays a British invented game, makes crores from endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Hershelle Gibbs his favorite cricketer and Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India,” she said.

Her post has now gone viral, with many users saying that it looked like she has a “problem with every Indian player”.

“He (Mr Kohli) has done so much for the country,” a user wrote in the comment section of her post on Monday.

“So, it was not one one-sided arrow; rather she hates all of them,” said another user.

Shama Mohamed’s “Fat” Remark On Rohit Sharma

After India entered the Champions Trophy semifinal by defeating New Zealand on Sunday, Shama Mohamed said that Rohit Sharma, who turns 38 next month, is “fat for a sportsman”. Mr Sharma was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls during the match.

“Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!” she said in her posts, which were deleted after she was reprimanded by her party.

A Pakistan-based sports journalist then countered her remarks and said Mr Sharma is a “mighty effective and world-class performer”.

She then asked what was so “world-class about him” when compared to his predecessors like Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and the rest.

“He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India,” she wrote.

BJP Slams Shama Mohamed

Shama Mohamed’s remarks also invited criticism from the ruling BJP, which asked if the Congress now expects Rahul Gandhi to play cricket.

“Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics?” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.

“It’s an insult to every patriot who supports the Indian cricket team through thick and thin. I question the Congress’s criticism,” he said.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also attacked Ms Mohamed and termed her comments “deeply shameful” and “outright pathetic.”

“Remarks made by leaders from these parties (Congress and Trinamool Congress), indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete’s place in the team, are not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic.”

“Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sports persons make to represent the country on the global stage.” Shama caused a stir on social media with her controversial post directed at the Indian captain,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-leader-shama-mohamed-old-post-on-virat-kohli-resurfaces-after-fat-shaming-rohit-sharma-amid-champions-trophy-2025-7842310

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said his government acted swiftly to control the situation after the January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, ensuring timely medical aid for victims while preventing widespread panic.

Addressing a gathering of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Indian Postal Service officials in Lucknow, Yogi Adityanath said, “We did not allow the incident to be excessively highlighted as eight crore devotees and sadhus were present in Prayagraj and the Kumbh Mela area at the time and panic could have worsened the situation.” At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in the stampede at the Sangam ghat on Mauni Amavasya, a key bathing day of the Maha Kumbh.

Yogi Adityanath noted that apart from millions of devotees, seers and sadhus from 13 Akhadas were also scheduled to take the ritualistic ‘Amrit Snan’ (holy dip) that morning.

He explained that two major challenges often arise in such events — determining the bathing order among the Akharas, which has historically led to disputes, and ensuring the ritual proceeds smoothly at the scheduled time of 4 AM.

Despite the tragedy, all Akhadas were prepared to go ahead with the ‘snan’, but the administration intervened to postpone the event.

“I personally requested them to delay the ritual to manage the situation,” Yogi Adityanath said, adding that officials closely monitored the crowd, evacuated the Sangam area by noon, and ensured the ‘snan’ resumed by 2:30 PM.

He underscored the importance of effective crisis management, stating, “In difficult situations, many people panic and give up, but we must develop the strength to make firm decisions with patience and control.” The chief minister also emphasised the importance of effective coordination among stakeholders, including devotees, sadhus and administrative officials.

“I personally initiated dialogues to maintain order and ensure smooth execution of the event,” he said.

“When faced with adversity, many people give up, assuming that things will take their course. However, true leadership lies in tackling challenges with composure, just as we did during Maha Kumbh to ensure its smooth execution,” he said.

The Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, attracts millions of pilgrims from across the world, making crowd management a critical challenge for authorities. This year, over 66 crore pilgrims attended the religious event, according to the Uttar Pradesh government which has been projecting it as a major success.

Yogi Adityanath also stressed the importance of patience and resilience in handling difficult situations, citing the successful execution of the Maha Kumbh as an example.

Speaking at the programme on “Nation-Building through the Successful Organization of Mahakumbh,” held with officials from IIM and the Indian Postal Service, he highlighted how effective crisis management ensured a smooth and orderly event.

The Chief Minister noted that Mahakumbh teaches patience and adherence to natural laws.

Referring to past reports by international media and UNESCO, the chief minister pointed out that earlier editions of Maha Kumbh were often associated with chaos, mismanagement, and filth.

“In 2019, we aimed to change that perception. When we step away from the beaten path and do something different, it becomes memorable,” he said.

Recalling an incident from the 2013 Kumbh, Yogi Adityanath said, “As a Yogi, I was at my camp in Prayagraj when I read news reports that the Prime Minister of Mauritius had visited but refused to take a dip in the Ganga due to pollution. He merely offered his prayers from a distance and left.

“This incident stayed with me. A foreign dignitary came to our sacred event and left disappointed. It meant there was a flaw in our preparations, and we needed to fix it.” Underlining the 2019 Kumbh’s emphasis on hygiene, the chief minister explained that the event site, located on sandy riverbanks, previously had unsanitary toilet arrangements.

“Sanitation facilities were makeshift, leading to unbearable stench, flies, mosquitoes, and potential disease outbreaks. We changed this by installing one lakh properly managed toilets with routine cleaning, ensuring not a single drop of sewage entered the Ganga or Yamuna,” he said.

The chief minister credited the police for their role in maintaining security and managing crowds efficiently. “For any large-scale event, crowd management is critical. A sense of safety among attendees is paramount. In 2019, we introduced special four-month training programs for police personnel to enhance their preparedness,” he added.

Discussing the 2025 Maha Kumbh, the Chief Minister acknowledged that the turnout exceeded expectations.

“We estimated that the crowd would double compared to 2019, but the actual numbers surpassed all records. This required significant expansion in event planning,” he said.

Preparations for 2025 included expanding the fairgrounds, increasing infrastructure, and designating parking and holding areas across neighbouring districts like Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Kaushambi, Jaunpur, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Chitrakoot, and Rae Bareli.

“In 2013, a stampede at the railway station claimed 42 lives. Learning from that, we expanded not just the main Prayagraj Junction but nine other railway stations and the airport,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath stressed that religious gatherings are inherently disciplined.

“During the 2025 Mahakumbh, a minor stampede occurred between 1:15 AM and 1:30 AM on January 28-29, while over four crore people were present at the venue. Yet, within 15 minutes, people voluntarily created a green corridor, allowing medical teams to reach the injured,” he noted.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the economic benefits of such large-scale religious events. “Maha Kumbh contributes significantly to the economy. It provides employment opportunities and supports various businesses. Previously overlooked, its economic impact is now being recognised,” he said.

Maha Kumbh 2025 was held from January 13 (Paush Purnima) to February 26 (Maha Shivaratri), marking the first time the fair lasted until Maha Shivaratri.

“In past editions, the event would wind down after Basant Panchami, leaving only Kalpvasis. This time, daily attendance after Mauni Amavasya ranged from 1.5 to 1.75 crore people. On Basant Panchami, around three crore people participated, while on Magh Purnima, the count was two crore,” he explained.

Highlighting international participation, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The event saw visits of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, governors, chief ministers, 74 ambassadors and high commissioners, Bhutan’s King, 12 foreign ministers, and representatives from over 100 countries. Business leaders, film stars, and cricketers also took part.” The CM mentioned UNESCO’s interest in studying Mahakumbh’s environmental impact. “We ensured that no sewage or industrial waste entered the Ganga.” “In Kanpur, four crore litres of sewage used to flow into the river daily. We had it sealed off three years ago. Today, not a single drop enters the Ganga,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath highlighted Maha Kumbh’s role in national unity, infrastructure development, and environmental conservation, aligning with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.” He emphasised that the event transcended caste, religion, and language barriers, bringing millions together in devotion.

The Uttar Pradesh government invested Rs 7,500 crore, with Rs 6,000 crore allocated for infrastructure in Prayagraj and surrounding areas. “This ensured better connectivity, sanitation, and essential facilities for pilgrims,” Yogi Adityanath noted.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-stampede-yogi-adityanath-on-why-kumbh-stampede-was-not-excessively-highlighted-7838970

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin warned people that the state’s parliamentary representation may be reduced because of population-based delimitation

In the wake of the Union government’s delimitation plans, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday appealed the people of his state to immediately produce children while emphasising that the successful family planning measures of the citizens can now prove to be a disadvantage for the state.

Stalin warned people that Tamil Nadu’s political representation could be impacted by population-based delimitation and appealed them to keep their egos aside and listen to his call.

“I urge them to attend as well. Please set aside ego. Don’t think why should you listen to my call,” said Stalin, adding that this is a pressing issue for the state.

Speaking about the changing demographic scenario, Stalin said, “Earlier we used to say, take your time and have a baby. But now the situation has changed, and we should say it now.”

He said that the issue is concerning because delimitation is likely to be implemented on the basis of population census figures. “We implemented family planning successfully, and now we are facing such a situation,” Stalin said.

Re-emphasising his stance, the chief minister urged the newlyweds to have babies soon after their marriage so that the state could have a good political representation after the delimitation.

“But now with schemes such as delimitation that the Union Government is planning to implement, we cannot say that. We focused on family planning, but we were pushed into a situation such as this. So I would now urge newlyweds to immediately have babies and give them good Tamil names.

Stalin has called for an all-party meeting on March 5 where the issue of delimitation would be discussed.

He has said that 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission will take part in the meeting to discuss the implications of constituency delimitation, which he has called a “sword dangling over Tamil Nadu”.

“They are trying to implement delimitation which will reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats to Tamil Nadu. I have convened an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss our stand on delimitation. Forty registered with the Election Commission have been invited. A majority of them have said yes, a few are skipping it. But they should understand that this is not a problem of DMK, it is a problem for the entire state. So I urge everyone again to stand together for the welfare of this state and its rights,” Stalin said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/politics/immediately-have-babies-mk-stalins-fresh-appeal-to-tamilians-in-the-face-of-delimitation-9247756.html

A CCTV footage was released by the authorities on Monday (March 3) in which accused Sachin is seen carrying the suitcase in which the dead body of Congress worker Himani Narwal was stuffed. The Haryana Congress worker was murdered by the accused identified as Sachin with the wire of a mobile charger and her dead body was dumped in a suitcase on the highway near Sampla bus stand in Rohtak.

The police have confirmed that the person who is seen in the CCTV footage dragging the suitcase is Sachin and that he has confessed to his crime on Monday after his arrest.

The police revealed the details of the crime after the investigation. The police said that 32-year-old Sachin strangled Himani Narwal (22) with a wire of a mobile phone charger on Thursday (February 27) after a fight at her residence which is located in the Vijay Nagar area of Rohtak in Haryana.

The police further stated that the accused dumped the dead body of the victim in a suitcase on the highway which is located near the Sampla bus stand and fled the spot. However, the accused was caught on the CCTV camera installed in the area while dragging the dead body after stuffing it in the suitcase which was recovered by the police later.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/himani-narwal-murder-case-cctv-footage-captures-accused-sachin-carrying-suitcase-with-congress-workers-dead-body 

A 67-year-old Indian-origin nurse, Leela Lal, was severely beaten by a psychiatric patient at Palms West Hospital in Florida. The accused, 33-year-old Stephen Scantlebury, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement.

According to reports, the attack occurred on Tuesday while Scantlebury was being held under the Baker Act, a law that allows for involuntary hospitalisation of individuals experiencing mental health crises. Witnesses stated that Scantlebury was lying on his hospital bed on the third floor when he suddenly jumped up and launched a violent assault on Lal, punching her repeatedly, according to the arrest affidavit quoted by WPBF, a local news channel.

Details On The Brutal Attack

The assault was so vicious that Lal is expected to lose her eyesight. Nearly every bone in her face was fractured and she had to be airlifted to a trauma center for emergency treatment. The arrest affidavit confirmed the extent of her injuries, stating, “Essentially every bone in the victim’s face is broken, and the victim is likely to lose the use of both eyes.”

Days after Manav Sharma, a techie in a private company, died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, another video of his wife Nikita Sharma surfaced online. In the undated clip, Nikita could be seen admitting to having sex with a man named Abhishek before marriage. She also revealed that her maternal uncle also forced him on her. Nikita also said that she never told this to Manav despite being asked several times just to save her marriage.

“It’s wrong. I did have sex. I told Manav about Abhishek before marriage. But I never told him that I had sex. I told him after marriage as he asked me many times. I was scared that I might lose Manav. As soon as he came into my life, I cut all my contacts. My ‘mama’ (maternal uncle) also forced me, which was very wrong,” Nikita could be heard in the undated video.

Nikita Sharma’s Undated Video Clip:

“I know, I have made a lot of mistakes. I lied to Manav, I didn’t tell him. But only because I didn’t want to ruin our marriage. Manav never harmed me or hit me. I love him a lot. For these mistakes, I will accept whatever punishment he gives me. But it was my past. I didn’t even see any boy with Manav. I don’t want to bring anyone into my life. Now I have told Manav everything about my life. And I feel very guilty,” she said.

Nikita also claimed that Manav’s father never asked for a dowry and her in-laws are very nice people. In the end, she said if she ever commits suicide, nobody will be responsible for it.

“If anything happens to me, If I commit suicide or anything happens to me, then no one has any responsibility. I will do whatever I want. I am sorry, Manav. I was wrong,” she stated,

It is not clear whether the video was recorded before Manav’s death.

Nikita Sharma’s Video After Manav’s Death:

Bengaluru-based EV major Ola Electric Mobility Ltd has carried out layoffs, letting go of around 1,000 employees, citing “restructuring” and “automation” as reasons.

The company has eliminated “redundant roles”, an Ola spokesperson confirmed to DH on Monday.

“We have restructured and automated our front-end operations delivering improved margins, reduced cost, and enhanced customer experience while eliminating redundant roles for better productivity,” the spokesperson said.

These layoffs began in December and have now been completed, sources said. This was around the same time Ola Electric underwent a large expansion, opening 4,000 new stores across India.

The layoffs comprised both employees and contract workers spanning multiple departments, including procurement, fulfillment, customer relations, charging infrastructure, in addition to front-end sales, service and warehouse staff at Ola’s showrooms and service centers, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Ola Electric’s shares declined by about 5 per cent during the day, hitting a new all-time low. The stock closed 3 per cent down at Rs 55.12 a share. The company’s public listing was in August.

This also marks Ola’s second round of mass layoffs. Last November, the company had cut around 500 jobs. Ola also saw a series of top-level exits in 2024, the latest being in December.

In the third quarter of the current fiscal (ended December 31, 2024), Ola saw a drop in revenue to Rs 1,069 crore, from Rs 1,336 crore in the same quarter in 2023. The company reported a 50 per cent widening of losses for Q3.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/business/companies/ola-cuts-1-000-jobs-says-eliminating-redundant-roles-3430127

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, better known as BeerBiceps, to resuming hosting his podcast, The Ranveer Show, provided he ensures that it does not breach general standards of morality and decency.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh passed the order on a petition filed by Allahbadia after he faced multiple criminal cases across the country for controversial remarks made by him and others part of a judges’ panel for an episode of India’s Got Latent.

The Court had earlier granted him interim protection from arrest on several conditions, including that he cannot appear in any show.

Today, his counsel, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud argued that this condition was affecting not only Allahbadia’s livelihood but also those of his 280-odd employees.

The Court took note of the concern and told Allahbadia that he may resume his podcast, provided that the podcast content does not contain any vulgar content.

“As of now petitioners were restrained from airing any shows. Subject to the petitioner furnishing an undertaking that his podcast shows will maintain the desired standards of morality and decency so that viewers of any age group can watch, the petitioner is permitted to resume the Ranveer Show,” the Court ordered.

The Court today also hinted that it may expand the scope of the present case to examine whether some regulation should be put in place to prevent similar instances of obscene speech being broadcast.

The Court asked Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to suggest measures to do this without infringing on the Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression.

“We have requested SG to deliberate upon and suggest such measures which shall not impinge the fundamental right of free speech and expression but also be effective enough to ensure that it is within bounds of Article 19(4) of the Constitution. Any draft regulatory measures shall be brought in the public domain to invite suggestions from all stakeholders before taking any legislative or judicial measure in this regard. We are inclined to expand the scope of this proceeding,” the Court said.

The controversial episode of India’s Got Latent under scrutiny now before the top court was shot on November 14, 2024, at Khar Habitat but aired more recently.

Apart from Allahbadia, YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani had also approached the top court seeking to quash an FIR filed against him in Assam, arguing that a similar FIR was first registered in Mumbai.

He had alternatively requested for the transfer of the FIR to Mumbai. The Gauhati High Court had earlier granted him anticipatory bail.

During the last hearing of the matter, the Supreme Court had sharply criticized Ranveer Allahbadia over the obscene remarks made in the show, stating that his language was degrading and reflective of a “perverted mind.”

The Bench had also questioned whether unrestricted vulgarity could be defended as artistic expression and remarked that the words used were deeply offensive to society, parents and women.

Nevertheless, it had granted interim protection to Allahbadia but barred him from doing any show.

The Court today allowed him to resume his show thereby, relaxing the condition set earlier.

Pertinently, the Court said it was inclined to expand the scope of the case to examine the boundaries of permissible free speech.

The Court took note of a submission by SG Mehta that some regulatory measures may be required to prevent the telecast of programmes that breach known norms of Indian society.

SG Mehta, who appeared for the governments of Maharashtra, Assam and Rajasthan argued that the remarks in focus were not just vulgar, but perverse.

“Humour is one thing, vulgarity is one thing, and perversity is another level,” he added.

“We hope he (Allahbadia) may have repentance for what he has done. Now, on his own channel.. he will not use any language.. which does not violate moral fabric of society…irrespective of age group,” the Bench replied.

SG Mehta added that he would not object to any such direction by the Court, but added that something needs to be done on the larger aspect of curbing obscene content on public shows.

“Something needs to be done. Some guidelines needs to be laid. Our notions of morality are far different from other countries. in US burning flag is a fundamental right under first amendment and it is a criminal offence here,” SG Mehta said.

The Bench agreed that the matter may need a closer look.

“We don’t want any regulatory regime which is about censorship.. but it is also cannot be a free for all platform,” Justice Kant added.

The judge went on to observe that humour and obscenity do not have to go hand in hand.

“There is a person who is now 75 and does a humourous show.. you should see how it is done. Full family can watch it. That is what talent is. Using filthy language is not talent. There is element of creativity and talent,” Justice Kant said.

“There are so many comedians who employ good behavior and critique the government strongly,” SG Mehta said, in turn.

The Bench agreed with SG Mehta that some measure should be put in place, although it should not amount to censorship.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-allows-ranveer-allahabadia-to-resume-the-ranveer-show

A 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Viluppuram allegedly died by suicide after her father scolded her over an OTP mistake while applying for an Other Backward Class (OBC) certificate. According to reports, the student’s father had gone to a government centre to complete the application process. When he called her for the OTP, she gave him the wrong code twice. Though he eventually managed to submit the application, he allegedly reprimanded her after returning home.
Initial reports suggested that exam pressure led to her death, but police have denied this, as per a report in NDTV.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/suicide-over-wrong-otp-neet-aspirants-death-raises-questions-article-118670959

The Haryana Police on Monday arrested one accused in connection with the brutal murder of Congress worker Himani Narwal, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase near a bus stand in Rohtak on Saturday. The accused, Sachin, has confessed to the crime, citing a monetary dispute between them as the reason for the killing.

According to an exclusive confession statement accessed by Times Now, Sachin admitted to being in a relationship with Himani. On February 28, just before she was supposed to attend a Congress meeting, he met her, and an argument followed. In a fit of rage, he strangulated her and later decided to stuff her body into her own suitcase.
The case has sparked outrage, with Himani’s family demanding strict action against the accused. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the matter, and the police have recovered her phone for further investigation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a lion safari at Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat’s Junagadh district on Monday morning, on the occasion of the World Wildlife Day, during his tour of the state.

In a post on X, PM Modi emphasised the importance of protecting our planet’s biodiversity, stressing that every species plays a crucial role.

“Today, on #WorldWildlifeDay, let’s reiterate our commitment to protect and preserve the incredible biodiversity of our planet. Every species plays a vital role—let’s safeguard their future for generations to come! We also take pride in India’s contributions towards preserving and protecting wildlife,” he wrote on X.

Modi had a night halt at Sinh Sadan, a forest guest house managed by the state forest department, in Sasan after his arrival from Somnath where he offered prayers at the Lord Shiv temple, the first among 12 jyotirlingas, on Sunday evening.

From Sinh Sadan, the PM went on the lion safari, with some ministers and senior forest department officials accompanying him.

At Sasan Gir, the headquarters of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, the prime minister will also chair the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.

The NBWL has 47 members, including the Chief of Army Staff, members from different states, representatives from NGOs working in this field, chief wildlife wardens and secretaries from various states.

After the meeting, Modi will also interact with some women forest staffers at Sasan.

The central government has approved more than Rs 2,900 crore for Project Lion, meant for the conservation of Asiatic lions for which Gujarat is the only abode, stated a government release.

Currently, the Asiatic lions inhabit nearly 30,000 square kilometres across 53 talukas in 9 districts of Gujarat, it said.

Additionally, as part of a national project, a National Referral Center for Wildlife is being established on over 20.24 hectares of land at New Pipalya in Junagadh district, it said.

A high-tech monitoring centre for wildlife tracking and a state-of-the-art hospital have also been set up in Sasan to strengthen conservation efforts, the release said.

On Sunday, Modi also visited Vantara, an animal rescue, conservation and rehabilitation centre located at the Reliance Jamnagar refinery complex.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-goes-on-lion-safari-at-gir-wildlife-sanctuary-on-world-wildlife-day-9247413.html

Foreign liquor in Chhattisgarh is set to get cheaper after the state government decided to scrap ‘additional excise duty’ of 9.5 per cent imposed on them, an official said.

As a result, the retail prices of foreign liquor, particularly in the medium and high-range categories, will drop by approximately Rs 40 to Rs 3,000 per bottle, he added.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday evening, he said.

“The cabinet approved the Chhattisgarh Excise Policy for the financial year 2025-26. As per the new policy, the 674 liquor shops will continue to be functional in the next financial year and the premium shops will be operated as per requirement,” the public relations department official said.

“For supply of country liquor the existing rate offer will continue to remain effective. The wholesale procurement and distribution of foreign liquor will continue to be managed by Chhattisgarh State Beverages Corporation Limited. Infrastructure development fee on liquor will remain unchanged, while ‘additional excise duty’ of 9.5% on retail foreign liquor will be scrapped in the next financial year,” he said.

The decision is expected to bring two major benefits, including foreign liquor in Chhattisgarh becoming affordable and curbing smuggling of liquor from other states, the official said.

“The government believes when liquor prices remain uniform, there will be no incentive for illegal imports. This move will not only benefit the state’s revenue but also help maintain market stability,” the official added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/foreign-liquor-to-get-cheaper-as-additional-excise-duty-scrapped-in-chhattisgarh-7832332

Praising India’s distinctive approach to education and scientific research, Brian Greene, a renowned theoretical physicist, author, and professor of mathematics and physics at Columbia University, emphasised the enthusiasm and ambition of Indian students to make a global impact.

“The passion for science and innovation that I have witnessed in India is unparalleled. The energy and curiosity among students here are truly inspiring,” Greene said during his visit to the Taj Mahal, as quoted by the Ministry of Culture.

Praising India’s distinctive approach to education and scientific research, he emphasized the enthusiasm and ambition of Indian students to make a global impact.

“India is even more beautiful from the ground,” remarked former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, who has observed the country from space.

Expressing his admiration for India’s aesthetic appeal, he lauded the exceptional craftsmanship of the Taj Mahal, calling it a testament to India’s rich legacy of engineering and design, the statement said.

Greene and Mike Massimino are currently on a visit to India, immersing themselves in the country’s rich scientific, educational, and cultural heritage.

As part of their visit, they explored the iconic Taj Mahal, where they shared their admiration for India’s advancements in science, engineering, and craftsmanship, as per the statement.

Greene is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to superstring theory, including the co-discovery of mirror symmetry and the discovery of spatial topology change.

Mike Massimino, a veteran of two NASA space missions, holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and currently serves as a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University. As the first astronaut to tweet from space, he has played a significant role in space exploration, particularly in the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions in 2002 and 2009, the Ministry stated.

Dr. Brian Greene, a distinguished physicist, and Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut, recently visited the Taj Mahal.

Throughout his career, Massimino has been honored with multiple NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the American Astronautical Society’s Flight Achievement Award. He currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Space Programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/india-even-more-beautiful-from-ground-ex-nasa-astronaut-brian-greene-visits-taj-mahal-7832459

Two key civil society organisations of Manipur’s Meitei community have thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for their recent decisions aimed at bringing peace in the violence-hit state bordering Myanmar.

Meitei Alliance, the global umbrella body of Meitei civil society organisations, in a statement commended four particular points – dismantling the drug trade network, ensuring free movement on roads and highways, taking action against extortionists, and accelerating border-fencing work.

“We deeply appreciate the decisive leadership of the Honourable Home Minister of India, and Governor of Manipur whose recent directives mark a significant step toward restoring safety, security, and social harmony in the region,” the Meitei Alliance said.

“One of the most crucial outcomes of this initiative has been the return of arms by civilians, who had taken up weapons to protect themselves, their families, and their communities against external Kuki terrorist threats. This act reflects a renewed trust in the central government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all citizens and preventing militant groups from targeting innocent civilians,” it said.

The Meitei Alliance said the Union Home Minister’s order to guarantee free movement for the public on all roads in Manipur from March 8 will be a step toward restoring Manipur’s “age-old, multi-ethnic, and pluralistic society.”

“It will also help revive the state’s ailing economy,” the Meitei Alliance said, referring to the Centre’s order to ensure obstacles and illegal ‘check posts’ are removed from roads and highways, and take action against those who try to obstruct free movement of civilians.

“Furthermore, the Meitei Alliance is committed to engaging with various communities in Manipur to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives and explore pathways for peaceful coexistence. Dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation are essential in shaping a united and prosperous Manipur for future generations,” it said.

Manipur came under President’s rule after Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his council of ministers resigned on February 9, after which the Governor placed the assembly in suspended animation, or MLAs active but without powers, following the imposition of the President’s rule.

The Association of Meiteis in the Americas (AMA) in a statement asked the government to go a step further by implementing complete disarmament for a gun-free Manipur.

“The presence of illegal arms has fueled violence, disrupted harmony, and hindered the path to progress. Disarming all armed groups regardless of affiliation, is essential in rebuilding the trust, restoring law and order, and making Manipur great again,” AMA said.

“The people of Manipur deserve to live without fear, and we believe that a comprehensive disarmament strategy, along with the initiatives announced, will pave the way for lasting peace and prosperity,” it said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla extended the one-week deadline for people from all communities to deposit looted and illegally held weapons till March 6. The previous deadline ended on February 27, the day Arambai Tenggol (AT) surrendered a large quantity of firearms to the security forces.

The AT members also met Governor Bhalla before the deadline ended, and agreed to hand over weapons on the condition that the security forces take full responsibility for civilians’ safety, and stop the firing from bunkers on hilltops dominated by the Kuki tribes.

The AT says it is a cultural organisation that was compelled to take up arms as “village volunteers” due to ineffective law enforcement in the early days of the ethnic violence; it says lack of law enforcement led to Meitei villages in the foothills coming under attacks from Kuki militants.

The Kuki tribes, however, have alleged the AT launched attacks on their villages along the inter-district borders after the first wave of clashes in May 2023, which forced the Kuki tribes to take up arms and form village defence forces.

Many AT members including its chief Korounganba Khuman are named as accused in police cases and those being handled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/meitei-groups-seek-gun-free-manipur-thank-amit-shah-governor-ajay-kumar-bhalla-for-peace-initiatives-7832773

Four more bodies were found on Sunday at the site of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, which was struck by an avalanche on Friday.

This takes the death toll in the avalanche to eight, with four bodies having already been found on Saturday.

There were 54 workers at the project site when the avalanche buried the containers that the workers were using as living quarters. Forty-six of them were safely rescued.

Eight helicopters, including five from the Army, two from the Air Force and one civilian helicopter hired by the Army, have evacuated all rescued persons from Mana Post, near the avalanche site, to Joshimath Military Hospital.

The State Disaster Management Authority said that of the 46 rescued workers, 44 were admitted to the military hospital in Joshimath and are in stable condition. “Proper medical arrangements have been made for their treatment, and all their needs are being taken care of,” the SDMA said.

Two workers are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Rishikesh, and their condition is improving, the administration said.

Earlier on Sunday, while the search was still ongoing, Lt Colonel Manish Srivastava talked of the hi-tech equipment being deployed in the operation. “A drone-based ‘intelligent buried object detection system’ has been airlifted from Delhi, and via Dehradun, has reached Joshimath by MI-17 (a helicopter) to assist the search and rescue operations,” he said. Five quad copters and three mini drones were also deployed by the Army in the search.

The eight dead were identified as Mohinder Pal and Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh; Jitender Singh, Manjeet Yadav, Alok Yadav, and Ashok Paswan from Uttar Pradesh; and Anil Kumar and Arvind Kumar Singh from Uttarakhand.

‘If only he had returned’

For their families, the news of their deaths came as a tragic conclusion to a panic-filled couple of days.

Ishwari Prasad, father of 23-year-old Anil Kumar from Sitarganj village of Udham Singh Nagar district, made frantic phone calls after learning of the avalanche and was initially told that his son was safe. However, on Sunday morning, Prasad learnt that Anil was among those still missing. Later in the day, Anil was confirmed dead.

“(Initially) I was informed that Anil was safe and in a hospital in Joshimath. The next day, newspapers carried articles saying he was safe. However, when I asked the authorities to help me connect with him, they could not do so,” he said.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “As the blessed month of Ramzan begins, may it bring peace and harmony in our society. This sacred month epitomises reflection, gratitude and devotion, also reminding us of the values of compassion, kindness and service. Ramzan Mubarak!”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes to the people on the start of the holy month of Ramzan on Sunday.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “As the blessed month of Ramzan begins, may it bring peace and harmony in our society. This sacred month epitomises reflection, gratitude and devotion, also reminding us of the values of compassion, kindness and service. Ramzan Mubarak!”

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1896032315601797235

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended Ramzan wishes to everyone on Saturday night.

Drone surveillance aided in the recovery of additional body parts from nearby fields on February 27, which included another severed leg and the upper torso from chest to head. Forensic teams collected samples, and the body was sent for post-mortem. The post-mortem report revealed that the girl was strangled to death.

Sitapur: A five-year-old girl’s mutilated body parts were found in fields near a police station here, officials said.

The girl went missing on the evening of February 25.

“The following day, her severed leg was discovered in a field, initially leading to suspicions of a wild animal’s attack,” said Additional Superintendent of Police, Sitapur, Praveen Ranjan.

However, the girl’s family insisted on investigating it as a case of murder, prompting police to initiate a probe.

Drone surveillance aided in the recovery of additional body parts from nearby fields on February 27, which included another severed leg and the upper torso from chest to head. Forensic teams collected samples, and the body was sent for post-mortem. The post-mortem report revealed that the girl was strangled to death, officials said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/body-parts-of-5-year-old-girl-found-near-police-station-in-mathura-3427980

Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar announced on Saturday that the state government will provide free cancer vaccines to girls aged 0-14, citing growing concerns over the increasing number of cancer cases across the state.
Abitkar, as per ANI, said, “With lifestyle changes, cancer cases are rising in both rural and urban areas. Previously, it was often linked to specific addictions, but now it’s being detected across all age groups, including children. This is highly concerning,” Abitkar said.
To tackle the issue, the state government has decided to launch a free cancer vaccination program.

“We have requested Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar to approve free cancer vaccinations for girls aged 0-14. He has agreed to implement this initiative through the Maharashtra government,” Abitkar added.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday said the Delhi government will stop providing petrol to vehicles older than 15 years at fuel stations across the city after March 31. The move is aimed at taking stringent steps to curb vehicular emissions and pollution.

The decision was taken after a meeting with officials to discuss measures to combat air pollution in the national capital. Sirsa said the government is taking stringent steps to curb vehicular emissions and pollution.

The meeting focused on key policy decisions, including restrictions on older vehicles, mandatory anti-smog measures, and the transition to electric public transport.

“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” Sirsa said after the meeting.

He added that the Delhi government would inform the Union Ministry of Petroleum about this decision.

In addition to restricting fuel supply to older vehicles, Sirsa announced that all high-rise buildings, hotels, and commercial complexes in the capital must install anti-smog guns to curb air pollution levels.

Furthermore, he said nearly 90 per cent of the public CNG buses in Delhi will be phased out by December 2025 and replaced by electric buses as part of the government’s push towards cleaner and sustainable public transport.

The announcements come as part of Delhi’s broader efforts to combat air pollution, a significant challenge for the city’s residents.

Petrol & Diesel Prices In Delhi

The price of petrol in Delhi on Saturday stood at Rs 94.72 per litre, while that of Diesel at Rs 87.62 a litre.

A massive political row has erupted in Haryana after the body of a woman Congress worker was found near the Sampla Bus Stand on the Rohtak-Delhi highway, on the day the state is witnessing municipal election.

The Congress has identified the deceased as Himani Narwal, an office-bearer of the Youth Congress in Rohtak, the stronghold of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

“The news of the barbaric murder of active Congress worker Himani Narwal in Rohtak is extremely sad and shocking. I pay my tribute to the departed soul and express my deepest condolences to the family members. The murder of a girl in this manner and finding her body in a suitcase is extremely sad and shocking. This in itself is a blot on the law and order situation of the state,” Hooda posted on X.

The body of the deceased was found in a big blue suitcase near the Sampla bus stand on Friday, following which the information regarding this was provided to the Sampla police station.

She had a scarf wrapped around her neck and mehendi on her hands.

Who was Himani Narwal?

Himani Narwal, hailing from Kathura village in Sonepat, was a Congress worker. According to an HT report, Narwal was involved in various political events, including those with Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda. She was known for performing with Haryanvi folk artistes at Congress rallies and social events.

Narwal’s X account mentioned her as the Indian Youth Congress vice president. “During my tenure in Youth Congress, my younger sister @himani_narwal was the District Vice President of Rohtak Rural. Be it Bharat Jodo Yatra or any organisational programme, Himani fulfilled every responsibility very well,” former Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV said on X.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-was-himani-narwal-congress-worker-found-dead-in-haryana-101740885573891.html

India has emerged as the world’s “second democratic superpower” and has the potential to “substitute for China” as a trusted part of global supply chains, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Saturday, Mr Abbott said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “cuts a pretty big figure on the world stage” and could influence many things that are happening around the world.

“When I was Prime Minister, I frequently said that India was the world’s emerging democratic superpower. I now think that India under Prime Minister Modi has well and truly emerged. It is the world’s second democratic superpower. I think right now we need more democratic superpowers and if there’s any unpredictability in the American role, I think that it’s important that India is an important bulwark of democracy, not just here in the subcontinent, but globally as well,” Mr Abbott said.

Asked whether India could play a role in bridging the tensions between the US and Europe, Mr Abbott praised Prime Minister Modi for his “not an era of war” comment on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“I think Prime Minister Modi cuts a pretty big figure on the world stage. And I think that, should he choose to use it, he certainly could influence many things that are happening around the world right now. I’m certainly conscious of the fact that a couple of years ago, at a conference with President (Vladimir) Putin of Russia, he really took the Russian dictator to task for Putin’s use of war as a national policy. And I thought that was a really fine thing for President Modi to say, particularly to President Putin’s face,” he said

“As the world’s most populous nation, as the world’s fifth largest economy, as a country which has so much potential to, I think, substitute for China, as a trusted part of global supply chains, India has great and growing influence, and I think it should use its influence for good,” he added.

‘Russia Started War’

On the very public argument between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, the former Prime Minister said what happened was “deeply regrettable”.

“I do think that this deal between the Americans and the Ukrainians should go ahead. I hope it goes ahead at the earliest possible opportunity. I would like to see an end to the war in Ukraine. I think we would all like to see an end to the war in Ukraine, but it’s got to be accompanied by serious security guarantees. Because, let’s never forget, this war started when Russia invaded. And if the war’s going to stop, it can’t stop in ways which give a victory to aggression,” he insisted.

Trade With India vs Trade With China

Discussing Australia-India ties, Mr Abbott said the two countries have grown closer because of the Quad grouping – which also includes the US and Japan – the growing Indian diaspora in Australia, and increasing trade. He also said that while India could be trusted to honour deals, trade with China was based on the political interests of the country’s government.

“India’s exports to Australia have been increasing at twice the rate of India’s exports to the wider world. And I think that India has the opportunity to be a much larger source of Australian exports of raw materials, particularly to feed the ‘Make in India’ campaign of President Modi. And I think that India can substitute for China in our critical supply chains because you know when you do a deal with India, you can trust India to honour it,” the former prime minister said.

“But what we discovered a couple of years back with our China trade was that it could be turned on and off like a tap to suit the political interests or the strategic interests of the Chinese Communist government. So I think that the potential for vastly bigger two-way trade is there. Australia is also, I think, an important potential source of strategic minerals to India in the years and decades to come,” he emphasised.

‘Sky’s The Limit’

On whether India and Australia could explore new avenues for ties, Mr Abbott said there is an “ease and comfort” in the relationship, influenced by the shared love for cricket and Indian and Australian soldiers having fought together, which can be built on.

The former prime minister also emphasised that the Quad has the potential to be as important as the Five Eyes partnership between America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which he described as “probably the most significant strategic partnership in the post-war world”.

The Enforcement Directorate has sent a notice to Paytm-owner One97 Communications for alleged violation of certain FEMA rules by the company and its two subsidiaries- Little Internet and Nearbuy, with respect to certain investment transactions, according to an exchange filing.

Paytm clarified that the alleged breach pertains to the period when the two companies were not its subsidiaries.

“We hereby inform you that a show cause notice…has been received by the Company on February 28, 2025…from the Directorate of Enforcement. This is in relation to alleged contraventions for the years 2015 to 2019 of certain provisions of the “FEMA” by the Company, in relation to its acquisition of two subsidiaries namely Little Internet Private Limited (“LIPL”) and Nearbuy India Private Limited (“NIPL”) erstwhile Groupon, along with certain Directors and Officers,” Fintech firm One97 Communications (OCL), which owns the Paytm brand, informed BSE that it has received a FEMA violation notice from the Enforcement Directorate on February 28 which does not specify financial impact but alleges contraventions in respect of aggregate amount of over Rs 611 crore.

According to the break-up shared by the company, OCL transactions amounting to over RS 245 crore, LIPL’s about Rs 345 crore and NIPL about Rs 21 crore have been listed in the alleged breach.

“The alleged contraventions relate to certain investment transactions relating to OCL, LIPL and NIPL,” it explained.

“Certain alleged contraventions attributable to two acquired companies – Little Internet Private Limited and NearBuy India Private Limited – pertain to a period when these were not subsidiaries of the Company,” the filing said.

Paytm said the matter is being addressed with a focus on resolving it in accordance with applicable laws and there is no impact of this matter on Paytm’s services to its consumers and merchants, and all services are fully operational and secure, as always.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/paytm-gets-probe-agency-notice-over-foreign-exchange-rule-violation-by-units-7825801

In an effort to revive the iconic yellow taxis which are dwindling in numbers with time, the West Bengal government in association with a private company, has launched a fleet of 20 modern cars. The hatchback cars were flagged off by the state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty on Friday.

The transport secretary, Soumitra Mohan, and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Christened ‘Yellow Heritage Cabs’, the fleet is likely to evoke the nostalgia and emotions surrounding the iconic yellow taxis which have been an integral part of the city for many years.

According to a transport department official 3,000 such cabs hit the streets in two months.

The private company has entered into an agreement with a leading automobile company to launch the new yellow taxis in the city.

All the taxis will have modern features, including seat belts and airbags, he said.

The taxis will run on CNG and petrol. The cars will have images of the city’s iconic landmarks like the Victoria Memorial Hall and the Howrah Bridge on their bodies.

“These taxis can be booked with the government’s ‘Yatri Sathi’ app,” the official said.

The development comes in the wake of the imminent phasing out of yellow taxis as per the Calcutta High Court’s order in 2009.

It had said that commercial vehicles older than 15 years would not be allowed to ply in the Kolkata and Howrah under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) area.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/kolkata-news/kolkatas-iconic-yellow-taxis-return-as-heritage-cabs-with-new-features-7827656

Laying on a bed at the Army’s Jyotirmath hospital, Gopal Joshi, recalled the horrific experience of how tonnes of snow came crashing down on the BRO Camp. Joshi was one of the workers who were trapped after an avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.
The avalanche hit the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 am on Friday, burying 55 workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army.
Fifty workers have been pulled out of snow from the site since then. Gopal Joshi was also pulled out by the rescuers. Laying on the bed, he thanked Lord Badrinath for saving his life.

Recounting the harrowing experience, Joshi said, “Fresh snow was falling outside. As soon as we came out of the container house, we heard thunder and saw a deluge of snow hurtling towards us. I shouted to alert my companions and started running.”

“Several feet of snow prevented us from running fast. After two hours, the ITBP rescued us,” Joshi told PTI.
Joshi, a native of Narayanbagar in Chamoli district, had been operating an accelerator machine for the last several months. The group was employed at a BRO camp by Vijay Infra Construction Company.
Vipin Kumar of Himachal Pradesh, who hurt his back, said he was buried in snow for about 15 minutes. “I was able to get out of the snow only when the avalanche stopped,” said Kumar, who said it was his second birth.
Another worker, Manoj Bhandari, said he woke up to a “mountain of snow” sliding from the peak. “I shouted to alert everyone and ran behind the loader machine parked nearby to save myself.”
According to latest rescue updates provided by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), five labourers were missing but one of them — Sunil Kumar from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh — has reached home safely on his own and now, the search is focused on the four remaining workers.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/mountain-of-snow-sliding-through-peak-uttarakhand-avalanche-survivors-recount-horror-article-118657461

A devastating avalanche took place in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, burying a camp of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and trapping several workers under the snow.

At least 50 workers were rescued from the avalanche-hit site in Mana village, but four of them succumbed to their injuries as authorities are racing against time to rescue four more labourers feared trapped in the snow. Rescue operations resumed on Sunday for the third day.

According to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), five labourers were feared missing, but one of them – Sunil Kumar from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra – had reached home safely on his own, bringing the focus to the remaining four workers.

The Indian Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were leading combined efforts to rescue labourers trapped in the avalanche.

“A total of 54 (BRO workers) were missing, 50 have been rescued, and 4 people have lost their lives. Four people are still missing, and a search and rescue operation is going on, and we hope that we will find them soon,” said Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman on Sunday.

PM Modi, Amit Shah Monitor Efforts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were closely monitoring the rescue operations led by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was seen providing instructions at regular intervals.

Of the 50 workers rescued so far, 33 were rescued on Friday and 17 on Saturday. The rescue operations on Saturday were carried out mostly by the Army and IAF helicopters as the road was blocked by snow at several points, making vehicular movement nearly impossible.

The Army used sniffer dogs to locate the missing workers trapped in the snow. The Army also used five helicopters and a civil chopper as part of the rescue operations.

A search operation using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) will be carried out on Sunday, along with thermal imaging cameras and victim location cameras to rescue the missing labourers.

CM Dhami Reviews Rescue Ops

Dhami received updates on the rescue operations from Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman and Chamoli District Magistrate on Saturday evening. He directed a comprehensive search and rescue operation to find the missing workers.

The four missing labourers were identified by the USDMA as Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand. On Saturday, the Army found eight containers, but no workers were found inside.

On Saturday, 24 workers were transferred from the Army hospital in Mana to Joshimath, among whom two workers were reportedly in critical condition and were referred to AIIMS Rishikesh.

One worker succumbed to his injuries in Joshimath, while three other workers rescued from Badrinath/Mana also lost their lives. The deceased were identified as Mohindra Pal and Jitendra Singh from Himachal Pradesh, Manjit Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and Alok Yadav from Uttarakhand, according to the USDMA.

The Chamoli Police released a list of names of 55 workers who got trapped in an avalanche in Mana of Chamoli district. According to the shared information, most of the workers hail from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

When Did The Avalanche Struck?

The avalanche struck the workers’ camp on Friday morning between 5:30 and 6:00 am, burying 55 workers alive in eight containers and a shed. These workers were part of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the high mountains of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.

The Indian military and paramilitary forces acted swiftly to rescue the trapped workers, starting the rescue operations immediately, with Chief Minister Dhami taking charge of operations.

Dhami assured that the government is fully committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected by this crisis, emphasising that the safety of the workers is the top priority. He also conducted an aerial survey of the site and spoke to PM Modi, who provided unwavering support to aid the rescue efforts.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/uttarakhand-avalanche-rescue-operations-labourers-killed-missing-workers-army-cm-dhami-pm-modi-latest-updates-9246489.html

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement during the inauguration of `Mumbai Tech Week 2025′, where an MoU was signed between the state’s Information Technology Department and Meta, which owns WhatsApp.

Mumbai: In a push towards digital governance, the Maharashtra government on Friday announced that more than 500 services from its ‘Aaple Sarkar’ portal will now be available through WhatsApp.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement during the inauguration of `Mumbai Tech Week 2025′ here, where an MoU was signed between the state’s Information Technology Department and Meta, which owns WhatsApp.

Additionally, an agreement was signed between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for allotment of land in the Bandra Kurla Complex here for the NPCI’s global headquarters.

A `Knowledge AI Hub’ will be established in collaboration with TEAM to promote advancements in artificial intelligence, an official statement said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/over-500-services-of-maharashtra-govt-to-be-available-through-whatsapp-3426899

Four students from a college in Indore were expelled for allegedly holding 150 staff members hostage after being denied permission for a Holi fest.

Four student “leaders” from a college in Indore were expelled Friday for allegedly holding over 150 staff members hostage after being denied permission to celebrate a Holi programme. According to officials, the students had planned to organise a Holi fest on March 7, featuring DJ performances and a “rain dance.” News agency PTI reported that a civil services examination coaching centre co-sponsored the event, which also had an entry fee of ₹150. However, the college administration refused permission, prompting the students to paste posters on campus despite the denial.
“The students had put up posters on February 23, announcing a Holi event at the college on March 7 without the permission of the principal. These posters were removed on the instructions of the college head,” an official stated, citing an administrative investigative report.
The situation escalated on February 24 when students protested the removal of posters. According to reports, the students locked the door of a college hall from outside, cut its power supply off at a time when a meeting involving around 150 people, including female professors, was in progress. Due to intense shouting and heckling by the students, they were trapped inside for about 30 minutes.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/indore-college-students-hold-150-staff-hostage-over-holi-fest-denial-expelled-article-118631001

Uttarakhand glacier burst: The actual number of trapped workers was subsequently found out to be 55, not 57 as initially reported. Two of the BRO workers at the camp site were on leave, officials said.

Thirty-three workers of the Border Road Organisaton trapped under an avalanche in the high-altitude village of Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been rescued, with concerns over the safety of the remaining 22 mounting as rescue efforts were temporary halted for night. The 22 remaining workers are yet to be traced amid adverse weather conditions, according to an official.
The actual number of workers trapped in the avalanche was 55.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have left for the spot, about 300 km from the state capital Dehradun, to join the rescue operations. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Mi-17 choppers are also scheduled to leave for Mana on Saturday morning to aid the search-and-rescue operations.

Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said that the task is challenging as there is seven feet of snow near the avalanche site. However, more than 65 personnel are engaged in the rescue operations, he added.

The snowslide buried the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath as it rolled down early on Friday morning.
Rescue officials battled through the tough terrain, heavy snow and icy temperatures to reach the trapped labourers. They initially pulled out 10 of them and then the others, according to reports.
All 33 rescued labourers are undergoing treatment at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana, news agency PTI reported, adding that four of them rescued are reported to be in a critical condition.
Located three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.
The avalanche hit between 5:30 am and 6 am, burying the workers inside eight containers and a shed. The Army deployed its swift response teams, comprising more than 100 personnel from the Ibex Brigade, specially trained for high-altitude rescue operations. The teams included doctors and ambulances.
According to Suman, the situation is critical with the containers buried under six to seven feet of snow.
Administration Providing All Assistance To The Affected
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have left for the spot, about 300 km from the state capital Dehradun, amid continuing snowfall and rain.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said rescuing the trapped people is the government’s priority. In a post on X, Shah said he spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the directors general of the ITBP and NDRF.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said all efforts are being made to rescue the trapped workers by utilising every available resource. “An unfortunate avalanche has occurred in the Mana area of Joshimath (Uttarakhand) today impacting a GREF camp of BRO. Spoke to CM Shri @pushkardhami regarding the situation. The administration is providing all assistance to the affected,” Singh said in a post on X.
Villagers in Mana said the site of the accident is considered vulnerable to avalanches in winter and the BRO camp is usually closed this time of the year.
“The camp was not closed this year due to a lack of snowfall and that is why these people got trapped,” Mana village headman Pitambar Singh told PTI.
Officials were on alert for bad weather and its possible impact.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/uttarakhand-avalanche-22-remaining-workers-trapped-under-seven-feet-of-snow-iaf-choppers-to-join-rescue-work-today-article-118640012

‘IIT Baba’ filed a police complaint, alleging that saffron-clad men stormed the newsroom, misbehaved, and attacked him with sticks, but later withdrew it.

Abhay Singh, also known as ‘IIT Baba’ who gained popularity during the Maha Kumbh 2025 that recently concluded in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, has alleged that he was assaulted during a news debate on a private channel in Noida, news agency PTI reported on Friday.

In his police complaint, Abhay Singh claimed that a group of “saffron-clad people” entered the newsroom, misbehaved with him, and attacked him with sticks. Following the incident, ‘IIT Baba’ staged a protest outside the police outpost in Sector 126. However, he later withdrew his protest after being persuaded by the police, the report added.

Sector 126 station house officer (SHO) Bhupendra Singh confirmed that he was convinced and chose not to pursue a formal complaint.

Videos of the incident, which have gone viral on social media platform X, show ‘IIT Baba’ engaged in a discussion when a group of sadhus enters the studio, leading to an argument. As tensions escalate, IIT Baba attempts to leave the studio. However, the exact cause of the altercation remains unclear.

HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

Who is ‘IIT Baba’?
Since the Maha Kumbh began last month, several influencers, models, and actors have gained viral fame, including model-turned-sadhvi Harsha Richaria, bead garland seller Mona Lisa, ‘IIT Baba’ Abhay Singh, and actor Mamta Kulkarni.

Baba Abhay Singh, who has a background in aerospace engineering from IIT Bombay, describes his journey into spirituality not as a conscious decision but as an irresistible rujhaan (inclination)—a pull that led him towards devotion and service.

In an earlier interview with ANI, Abhay Singh reflected on how his engineering background shaped his perspective on life. He explained that studying aerospace engineering enhanced his logical reasoning and intellectual abilities. However, he stressed that while science develops IQ, art nurtures EQ (emotional quotient), both of which are essential for a balanced life.

He believes that all disciplines, from art to philosophy, are interconnected with self-discovery, devotion, and a deeper connection to the divine.

Discussing his diverse career path before embracing spirituality, he said, “I did many kinds of jobs. The last job I did was designing applications and websites. Before that, I did travel photography and a government-sponsored project, as well as documentation of Indian arts and crafts and history. I travelled a lot and documented a lot of old temples and painting styles. I also worked in magazines and filmmaking and made fictional films.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-s-viral-iit-baba-claims-saffron-clad-people-attacked-him-during-news-debate-in-noida-101740791082458.html

Speaking at the 25th edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau, which commemorates famous Sufi poet and scholar Amir Khusrau, PM Modi said the Sufi tradition has carved a unique identity for itself in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded the Sufi tradition as India’s shared heritage and praised its saints for their pluralistic message, saying they recited the verses of Quran and also listened to the Vedas.

Speaking at the 25th edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau, which commemorates famous Sufi poet and scholar Amir Khusrau, PM Modi said the Sufi tradition has carved a unique identity for itself in India.

Following a performance by Sufi artistes, PM Modi said their music is a shared heritage of Indians. People have lived this tradition together, he added.

The prime minister named a number of Sufi saints and poets like Nizamuddin Auliya, Rumi and Raskhan, who was born a Muslim and wrote famous devotional poems dedicated to Lord Krishna, besides Khusrau, to praise their message of love and harmony.

He said the Sufi saints did not confine themselves to mosques and shrines. If they recited verses from the sacred Quran, then they also listened to the words from the Vedas, PM Modi noted.

Khusrau, who was born in the 13th century, praised India as greater than any other nation, its scholars better than others and Sanskrit as the world’s best language, he said, noting that the country’s philosophy and mathematical discoveries had reached across the world.

PM Modi said Khusrau did not only mention this in his book but was also proud of it. When the period of slavery wreaked so much damage, he played a big role in introducing people to their heritage, the prime minister added.

PM Modi said he fondly remembered Rumi when he visited Afghanistan’s parliament in 2015 and recited a Hindi translation of the sayings of the mystic and poet.

Rumi had said he does not belong to any one place and belongs to every place, the prime minister noted, stressing that this philosophy is not different from the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is a family), an inscription from the Upanishads.

“These ideas give me strength when I represent India in different countries,” he said and also recalled his visit to Iran during which he had quoted Mirza Ghalib’s verse that pointed to the short distance between Kashi and Kaashan (an Iranian city) if one makes up his mind.

“When war is inflicting so much harm on humanity in today’s world, this message can be of a lot of help,” he said.

Expressing happiness at attending the event, curated by filmmaker and artist Muzaffar Ali, PM Modi said art and music are the expression of a country’s tradition and culture.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/he-called-sanskrit-worlds-best-language-pm-modi-on-sufi-poet-amir-khusrau-7818867

Gade was arrested by police from his native village of Gunat in Shirur taluka of Pune district around 1.10 am on Friday, following a rigorous three-day search operation.

A court remanded Dattatraya Ramdas Gade — who is accused of raping a woman at Swargate depot in Pune city — to police custody till 12 March. The police on Friday submitted before the court that the 26-year-old woman was raped twice by the accused in a government-run Shivshahi bus in the early hours of February 25.

Gade was arrested by police from his native village of Gunat in Shirur taluka of Pune district around 1.10 am on Friday, following a rigorous three-day search operation. He was placed under arrest after a medical examination at Sassoon hospital. A team that included senior police inspector Yuvraj Nandre produced Gade before a court of judicial magistrate (first class) T S Gaygole around 6.15 pm.

Police said, on the day of the incident, the victim had gone inside the bus with the accused Gade (37), as he allegedly gained her confidence by repeatedly calling her “tai” (sister). Defence lawyers claimed the accused did not rape the victim and that they had consensual physical relations.

Police submitted before the court that the victim had been waiting at Swargate bus depot to catch a bus to go to her hometown in Satara district around 5.30 am on the day of the incident. Police said Gade, who had been loitering at the bus depot, allegedly approached the victim and asked her “tai, kuthe challis tu? (sister, where are you headed?)”. As she replied, Gade allegedly told her that the bus for her hometown was parked at another location at the depot.

Police said that the accused Gade constantly calling her sister made the victim trust him, but he allegedly misled her and made her go with him to the Shivshahi bus (which commutes along the Swargate-Solapur route) in the depot.

Police said she found no lights inside the bus, but the accused told her that passengers might be sleeping and she could use a mobile phone light to see. Police said she put on the light to check the bus and found no passengers inside. So she told the accused “Dada, mala baher jau dya, mala ghari jayche ahe (Brother, let me go out of the bus, I have to go home)”.

The accused then allegedly raped her twice in the bus and fled the spot, leaving the victim crying. She got off the bus and boarded another one for her hometown. On reaching Hadapsar, she spoke to a male friend over the phone. He insisted she should approach the police.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-bus-rape-accused-held-he-called-victim-sister-raped-her-twice-police-tell-court-9861953/

In a major development, Union finance ministry on February 27 said the the number of UPI transactions in January has crossed 16.99 billion with the total value exceeding Rs 23.48 lakh crore.

For 2023-24, the digital payments landscape has demonstrated remarkable expansion, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) remains the cornerstone of India’s digital payment ecosystem, contributing to 80 per cent of the retail payments across the country, it said.

The total transaction volume exceeded 131 billion and the value exceeded Rs 200 lakh crore for the 2023-24.

Its ease of use, combined with a growing network of participating banks and fintech platforms, has made UPI the preferred mode of real-time payments for millions of users across the country, it said.

As of January, 2025, over 80 UPI Apps , 641 banks are currently live on UPI ecosystem, it said.

In FY 24-25 (till Jan, 2025), the People to Merchant (P2M) transactions contributed 62.35 per cent and P2P transactions contributed 37.65 per cent of the overall UPI volume, it said.

Source : https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/highest-in-any-month-january-sees-over-16-99-billion-upi-transactions-govt-12952739.html

The state has recorded widespread snowfall and rainfall over the last 24 hours, leading to closure of over 200 roads and disruption of other essential services like power and water. Several areas in districts of Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba have been cut off from the rest of the state.

Heavy snowfall is continuing in the Dodra-Kwar in district Shimla, and all roads leading to the valley are shut for traffic. In a few districts like Lahaul and Spiti and Chamba, educational institutions will remain closed today.

The precipitation is likely to continue with the same intensity throughout the day today.

There’s an orange alert for light to moderate snowfall at most places and isolated spells of very heavy snowfall in the districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti and over the higher reaches of Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur, Kangra and Kullu’s Manali.

In most other parts of the state, there’s an orange alert for light to moderate rainfall over the next few hours.

Shimla received continual rainfall last night. There’s a yellow alert for more rain and light snowfall in the city and adjoining areas. In Shimla, all educational institutions will remain open.

National Highway 5 (Hindustan Tibet Road) was closed near Narkanda in Shimla district due to slippery conditions following a heavy spell of snow.

Traffic has been diverted from Sainj to Shimla via Luhri/Sunni, officials added. A total of 12 roads are closed in Shimla district.

A flash flood threat caused panic in Tosh village in the Manikaran Valley in Kullu district due to the formation of an artificial lake in Jeera Nallah.

People living downstream of the Nallah have been evacuated and shifted to safer places, officials said.

The avalanche threat looms large following fresh snowfalls in Himachal Pradesh, and the weather department has issued an orange warning for Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Kinnaur and areas above 2,300 meters altitude.

This warning will remain valid until 5:00 pm on February 28. An increased risk of avalanches in higher altitude regions has been warned by the Met department.

The general public is advised to avoid unnecessary travel and refrain from visiting high-altitude areas prone to avalanches, Lahaul and Spiti police said on Thursday. Due to heavy snowfall, the Darcha-Shinkula, Darcha-Sarchu, Koksar-Manali via Rohtang, Koksar to Losar via Kunzum and Atal Tunnel to Manali, Tindi and Udaipur have been blocked.

Travellers have been advised to avoid these routes. The local MeT department has issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rain and snow at isolated places in Mandi, Kangra, Kullu and Chamba districts for Thursday and Friday.

Source : https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/heavy-snowfall-in-manali-200-roads-closed-schools-shut-power-disrupted-in-himachal-pradesh/

A techie from Uttar Pradesh’s Agra allegedly died by suicide earlier this week, leaving behind a distressing video blaming his wife of one year. Manav Sharma, who was an employee at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was found hanging in his home on February 24, officials said.

According to the police, the techie’s sister found the video on his phone two days after his death.

With a noose around his neck, Sharma recorded a nearly seven-minute harrowing video in which he accused his wife of being involved with another man romantically. “This is for authorities. The law needs to protect men, or there will be a time when there will be no men left to blame. My wife was involved with another man…But what can I do? It does not matter anymore,” he said.

He paused for a while, then added, “I don’t have a problem with dying. I want to go. Please think about men. I’m sorry, everyone. Please, someone should talk about men. They become very lonely. Everything will get better once I go. I have attempted suicide even before.”

Shortly after the clip was released, the techie’s wife, Nikita, made a counter-video in which she denied the allegations and accused her husband of beating her.

“The day he died by suicide, he had dropped me at my maternal home. Whatever claims he has made about me, it is about my past. It is not related to anything after our marriage. He has tried to harm himself multiple times before…I have stopped him at least three times. He used to drink and beat me up too,” she said.

The techie’s wife also claimed that she had informed his parents about him trying to harm himself, but they did not do anything.

“I had told his parents everything, but they said the issue is between husband and wife. They came for two days and left. I had called up his sister too and informed her about him attempting to die by suicide. To this, she told me to sleep and said he would not do anything,” she added.

Police said that a complaint was filed against Nikita after the techie’s sister found the video blaming her.

“The incident took place on February 24. Manav Sharma’s body was taken to the Army hospital and sent for post-mortem. We did not receive any complaint that day. They filed a case after they found the video on his phone. His wife has called the allegations against her false. We are investigating further,” a senior official said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/please-think-about-men-tcs-employee-kills-self-blames-wife-in-video-7814920

More than 75,000 digital subscribers to The Washington Post have cancelled since its owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced on Wednesday that he would radically overhaul the paper’s opinion pages to reflect libertarian priorities and to exclude opposing points of view.

Wednesday’s announcement led to the immediate resignation of Opinions Editor David Shipley. He had vainly sought to persuade Bezos to drop the plans, according to a person with direct knowledge. Shipley did not respond to requests for comment.

Bezos’ decision also prompted an outcry from longtime Post figures, including Associate Editor David Maraniss and former Executive Editor Marty Baron. Baron called the move “craven” and told Zeteo News that Bezos, whom he praised extensively in his 2023 memoir, was “basically fearful” of President Trump.

The number of cancellations comes from a person who asked for anonymity because of the fear of repercussions at the Post. The Washington Post Co. declined to comment on the figures, first reported here by NPR, citing its status as a privately held company. Nor did it comment on the criticism.

A net loss of hundreds of thousands

The rapid-fire cancellations since Wednesday represent a historic level of reader fury over the changes. Yet they are only the most recent wave in a series of mass cancellations that began in late October. That was when Bezos killed a planned endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Between then and Election Day, more than 300,000 subscribers canceled the Post, as NPR first reported last month. That was more than 12% of digital subscribers, which make up the vast majority of the paper’s paid circulation.

The Post has aggressively wooed new subscribers to replace them, boosting circulation by 400,000, often at highly discounted rates, according to a Post executive. (The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because the Post does not release circulation figures.)

Even so, there is broad consensus inside the Post that without Bezos’ decisions, the paper would be up hundreds of thousands of paying subscribers from where it was before the election. Instead, the numbers NPR has been able to obtain indicate a net loss of a couple hundred thousand subscribers.

In support of “personal liberties and free markets”

During Trump’s first term, under Bezos’s ownership and Baron’s editorial leadership, the paper adopted the motto, “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” an alliterative promise to deliver hard-hitting accountability journalism. The editorial page, which operates separately from the news section, laid out an argument in 2020 titled, “A second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery.”

No such emphasis was found in Bezos’ memo on Wednesday setting out his new philosophy, which promised a reorientation of the opinion section in support of “personal liberties and free markets”.

“We’ll cover other topics too of course,” Bezos wrote in a note to staffers that he posted publicly on Elon Musk’s social media site X, “but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

In this age of the Internet, he said, a newspaper no longer must provide a “broad-based opinion section that [seeks] to cover all views.”

The Post newsroom has covered the return of Trump aggressively. Wednesday’s announcement alarmed senior news editors severely enough that Executive Editor Matt Murray assured them that morning that he had heard nothing to suggest that Bezos wanted to interfere with news coverage, which is separate from the opinion section. Murray sent a memo to the full newsroom to say they should continue to report “without fear or favor,” in the memorable journalistic aphorism.

A stated desire to regain public trust

Bezos said his decision not to publish the planned Harris endorsement just days before the election was driven by a desire to shore up the paper’s standing among the broader public. “Most people believe the media is biased,” he wrote in an opinion piece published by the paper. “Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose.”

Yet he also admitted that his other business interests made things complicated. Amazon and the space company Blue Origin maintain contracts with the federal government worth billions of dollars annually. Government regulators make decisions daily that can affect their vast fortunes. The Trump administration is moving aggressively to reshape the government and private industry in line with the president’s priorities. The media has served as a particular target.

“You can see my wealth and business interests as a bulwark against intimidation, or you can see them as a web of conflicting interests. Only my own principles can tip the balance from one to the other,” Bezos wrote in October.

Distrust grows in newsroom

Since then, however, he has given $1 million toward Trump’s inauguration fund. In January, Bezos sat on the dais with other tech titans as the president was sworn in. And on Wednesday evening, he had dinner with Trump, the president told The Spectator.

Many Post staffers have questioned the motives for Bezos’ warmer relations with Trump. Some have been more public than others.

In early January, Shipley rejected a cartoon by Pulitzer Prize-winning staffer Ann Telnaes, whose proposed sketch showed Bezos alongside other tech and media billionaires abasing themselves before Trump. Telnaes quit, telling NPR, “Of course these are businesses, and I understand that. But they own a newspaper and they have an obligation, frankly, to protect the free press.”

Another spike of subscription cancellations followed in the week after Telnaes quit and Shipley’s decision became public — at a volume many thousands above typical levels.

Source : https://www.npr.org/2025/02/28/nx-s1-5312819/washington-post-bezos-subscriptions-cancellations

The top court refuses to halt disposal of hazardous waste from Bhopal gas tragedy, directs aggrieved parties to approach High Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 27, 2025) remarked the petitioners opposed to the transportation and disposal of 337 metric tons of Bhopal gas tragedy toxic waste at a Pithampur facility in Madhya Pradesh are indulging in the ‘NIMBY’ (not in my backyard) principle

A Bench headed by Justice BR Gavai rejected the pleas made by the local populace of Pithampur and civil rights organisations to intervene in a Madhya Pradesh High Court order on December 3 to shift and destroy the hazardous waste which had been lying buried in and about the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) plant site for nearly 40 years after a methyl isocyanate gas leak claimed over 5400 lives in one of the biggest industrial disasters in history.

“You seem to be following the NIMBY principle, that is, not in my backyard. You are saying if they want to pollute, they may do it somewhere else, but not in my backyard. Not in Indore,” Justice Gavai remarked at the petitioners.

The court noted that the State action to take the waste to Pithampur and dispose it there was based on reports by an expert committee which had comprised Central and State officials, the Director of the National Environment Engineering Institute (NEERI), the Director of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board.

The Bench said even the Supreme Court consulted NEERI if it faced difficulties in adjudications involving environmental issues. The NGRI was similarly acclaimed in the field of geophysics.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh/bhopal-gas-tragedy-supreme-court-refuses-to-halt-disposal-of-hazardous-waste-from-union-carbide-factory-at-pithambur/article69269291.ece

After several days of desperate appeals, the US Embassy has granted a visa to the family of an Indian student lying in a coma in the US, on Friday morning.

After days of desperate appeals, the US has finally granted an emergency visa to the family of an Indian student lying in a coma after a road accident in California, on Friday morning. Nilam Shinde, 35, is in a critical state after the accident on February 14. Her family in Maharashtra’s Satara had been trying to get a visa since then.

The family, including Ms Shinde’s father, cousin brother, and uncle, will be taking the next flight out to the US.

“The visa interview process was very smooth. We have even received the printed copy of the visa. We will take the next flight out to the US. We are thankful to the media, Eknath Shinde and Supriya Sule,” Ms Shinde’s cousin, Gaurav, told NDTV.

They will also be taking a loan of Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh to go to the US. “Financially, if the government helps us, it would be great. We are not aware of her hospital bill yet,” he said.

Ms Shinde, a post-graduate student at California State University, was hit from behind by a car on February 14. She has suffered fractures in both arms and both legs and also required emergency brain surgery. She has been in a coma since then.

Her family learnt of the accident two days later, following which they had applied for a visa to go visit their comatose daughter in US. However, the interview slot they got was for next year. The family then made appeals to the media and politicians. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) intervened after the incident was highlighted by NCP leader Supriya Sule, resulting in an expedited US visa appointment interview slot for the family.

“When we first came here, nobody entertained us. They in fact told us that the police would take us away if we kept waiting here. We then went back home…We thought we would not see her. But Nilam’s friend helped us a lot. For many days, we tried to get an interview, but nothing came up. We are thankful to the media. Because of your media and the government, the process was smooth,” Ms Shinde’s cousin said.

He also urged the Centre to change the visa process. “No other family should experience what we went through. These procedures should be changed for emergencies,” he said.

Ms Shinde is still in a critical condition, but her health has shown slight improvements, her family said.

“There is progress in her health…because of the accident, her blood pressure was running high, but now it has come down. She is still in a coma and is critical. There is hope that she is fighting it,” the cousin said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-embassy-grants-visa-to-family-of-comatose-indian-student-nilam-shinde-7812728#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The Pune Police arrested the accused Dattatraya Gade at around midnight from the city’s Shirur tehsil.

The Pune Police on Friday arrested the accused who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary bus at Swargate bus station.

The Pune Police on Thursday said that a total of 13 teams have been formed to nab the accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade
The Pune Police on Thursday said that a total of 13 teams have been formed to nab the accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade
“Accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade has been formally arrested,” DCP Smarthana Patil, Zone 2, Pune City Police, told ANI.

Gade is named in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He has been out on bail since 2019 for one of the offences.

Drones, dog squad deployed to nab accused

On Thursday, the Pune Police had deployed drones and a dog squad in Shirur tehsil to nab Gade, who allegedly raped the woman inside a Shiv Shahi bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) at Swargate bus station in Pune two days ago.

At least 13 police teams were formed to nab Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune.

Pune City and Pune Rural Police also launched a search operation in Gunat village, including in sugarcane fields, with drones and dog squads, officials said. More than 100 cops reached the village, they said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pune-bus-rape-accused-dattatraya-gade-detained-say-police-101740700986677.html

Pandey succeeds the current chairperson, Madhabi Puri Buch whose tenure is slated to end today.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new Chairman of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India).

The appointment is for a period of three years or until further orders.

Pandey succeeds the current chairperson, Madhabi Puri Buch whose tenure is ending today.

Pandey currently serves as the Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Revenue.

Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/corporate/tuhin-kanta-pandey-appointed-new-sebi-chairperson

CM Adityanath had earlier announced that those who could not visit the Maha Kumbh for a holy dip would receive Sangam water at their doorstep, the government said in a statement.

Prayagraj: In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s announcement, the Fire and Emergency Services Department has launched a unique initiative to distribute Sangam water across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, the state government said on Thursday.

CM Adityanath had earlier announced that those who could not visit the Maha Kumbh for a holy dip would receive Sangam water at their doorstep, the government said in a statement.

Following this, ADG Padmaja Chauhan directed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Pramod Sharma to ensure that all returning fire tenders from Maha Kumbh carry Sangam water to their respective districts.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/fire-tenders-at-maha-kumbh-to-deliver-sangam-water-across-all-75-districts-of-uttar-pradesh-3425241

At least one person with injuries was rescued and sent to a medical facility in an ambulance.

Mahakumbh Nagar: A fire broke out at the Maha Kumbh site here late night, officials said.

At least one person with injuries was rescued and sent to a medical facility in an ambulance.

Multiple fire tenders were rushed in around 11:30 pm.

The fire, which broke out in an enclosure near the Shastri Bridge, has been contained, the Fire Department personnel on duty told PTI.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/one-injured-as-fire-breaks-out-at-maha-kumbh-site-3425313

Harsha uploaded a video on her Instagram account in which she lamented that some anti-religious elements were defaming her through AI-edited videos of her.

Social media influencer and Bhopal resident Harsha Richharia who earned fame at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj has issued suicide threat after being trolled and defamed through AI- generated videos.

Harsha uploaded a video on her Instagram account in which she lamented that some anti-religious elements were defaming her through AI-edited videos of her. “I will fight till the strength given to me by Mahadev. I will face the odds but I will end my life if I fail to continue fighting and will take the names of those responsible for this,” Harsha said in a video uploaded on her Instagram page on Tuesday night.

‘Never claimed being a sadhvi’

Harsha in the video said she vowed at Mahakumbh to work for Hindutva and raise awareness regarding religion and Indian culture among youths.

The Maha Kumbh, billed to be the world’s largest gathering, ends on Wednesday.

In the 45 days of the mela, we saw and read about many quircky people and their stories, here are some of them:

‘His third eye opened up’: Sadhu thrashes YouTuber over one too many questions

A video went viral of a sadhu who was being asked questions by a YouTuber. But what follows next had the internet talking. Seemingly irritated by a question, the sadhu suddenly stands up and starts thrashing the man with a pair of tongs who then flees from his tent. The sadhu, however, soon regains his composure and later on even blesses another man who comes in.

Influencer goes viral as ‘Beautiful Sadhvi’, earns ire of saints and seers

Many sadhus and sadhvis went viral for various reasons, mostly based on how they looked or what quirks they had.

Referred to as the ‘Beautiful Sadhvi’, anchor, social activist and influencer Harsha Richaria stirred a controversy at the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj after she was seen atop a ‘rath’ (chariot) along with other seers during the ‘peshwai’ (a procession by the seers, naga sadhus of a akhara while entering the Fair), of one of the akharas. This has apparently triggered strong reactions from a section of the saint community.

The IITian baba

From aerospace engineer to sadhu, Abhay Singh Grewal’s journey made waves online. As an IIT-Bombay aerospace engineering student who turned into a sadhu and then attended the Maha Kumbh, his viral social media videos took the internet by storm.

He was among the various sadhus that gained fame in the first few days of Maha Kumbh.

Monalisa Bhosle and the perils of fame

A garland seller from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, Monalisa Bhosle, who had become an internet sensation for her amber eyes during Maha Kumbh 2025, faced an unfortunate incident.

Monalisa, who had come to sell handmade garlands and rudraksh beads, was praised and admired for her beauty and confident interaction with visitors which also made her the centre of attraction.

Not your typical lost in Kumbh story: After 27 years, Jharkhand family ‘finds’ lost member, now a monk

A Jharkhand family on Wednesday claimed to have traced their lost member at the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, ending a search for 27 long years.

The lost member, Gangasagar Yadav, is now a 65-year-old ‘Aghori’ monk Baba Rajkumar who belongs to a particular monastic order of sadhus.

Piety and profit: ‘Kumbh Chaiwala’ claims he earned Rs 5,000 gain in a day by selling tea

A content creator, Shubham Prajapat, who is calling himself ‘Kumbh Chaiwala’, set up a tea stall at the gathering in a bid to see how much money he could earn. His claims of earning a profit of Rs 5,000 in a single day captured the attention of the internet.

Might as well make some money: Students ply two-wheelers to become pilgrims’ lifeline at Maha Kumbh

Young locals on motorcycles and scooters are ferrying pilgrims through massive crowds at the Kumbh Mela religious festival, creating a lucrative temporary business for students.

While some pilgrims welcomed the service, others criticised the high fares, choosing instead to walk with their luggage to take the holy dip.

Mumbai to Maha Kumbh with generosity: Content creator’s hitchhiking journey melts heart on internet

In a rare adventure, content creator Divya Fofani completed his journey from Mumbai to Mahakumbh for the holy dip without spending a single rupee, relying solely on generosity of kind strangers.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/maha-kumbh-2025-mamta-kulkarni-as-mahamandelshwashar-iitian-baba-and-all-those-who-went-viral-this-year-3422745#9

The Centre is working on a Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) that aims to provide social security to all.

The proposed scheme — being worked out by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment — would allow people to contribute voluntarily and receive pension benefits after retirement.

Since the proposed scheme is open to all, even self-employed and unorganised-sector workers can also join and contribute funds for this, said an official in the ministry.

However, the government is unlikely to contribute any funds in the new scheme.

The government expects that the scheme will benefit a large section of people, including the self-employed, unorganised-sector workers, gig workers, traders, and those aged 18 and above who want to secure pension benefits after turning 60, said the official.

The new plan is likely to integrate existing pension schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM), the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed (NPS-Traders), and the Atal Pension Yojana.

The government will hold discussions to encourage state governments to merge their pension schemes with this new initiative to increase pension payouts and avoid duplication of beneficiaries, said the official.

Many countries in the world have proper social-security schemes. The social security system in India at present mainly depends on the provident fund system.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/centre-working-on-universal-pension-scheme-for-all-3423556

The Delhi High Court recently rejected a defamation case filed by online legal education company LawSikho against four individuals who had put out tweets on X criticising the quality of their law courses [Addictive Learning Technology Limited & Anr v. Aditya Garg & Ors].

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora also imposed costs of ₹1 lakh on LawSikho after noting that the company did not approach the Court with clean hands, since it did not disclose the full conversation in the thread.

“The Court notes that a plaintiff alleging defamation on social media platform arising out of a conversation thread must mandatorily disclose the full conversation thread, particularly his own tweets/comments as well and should approach the Court with clean hands. The plaint is thus rejected with costs of ₹1,00,000 payable to the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee within a period of four weeks,” the single-judge ordered.

The Court observed that in cases of defamation on social media platform, the alleged defamatory tweets cannot be read in isolation and have to be read in the context of the entire conversation thread.

“The Court notes that utterances in the nature of tweets in a conversational thread on platform X are not to be assessed in isolation for the purposes of determining the defamation claim. The Court has to consider that nature of the medium is casual and fast paced, conversational in character and an elaborate analysis of a 140-character tweet (or even more than that) may be disproportional. Importantly, the absorption by the reader and the reaction to the post is impressionistic and fleeting,” the judge said.

Pertinently, the Court noted that the LawSikho representative, Ramanuj Mukherjee, had sparked the debate on X by putting out a tweet.

The tweets by the defendants do not tantamount to defamation as they are a direct result of deliberate taunting and provocation by the plaintiff (Mukherjee), the judge said.

The issue pertained to an exchange on X between LawSikho and the defendants regarding the effectiveness of legal education at National Law Universities (NLUs) and quality of courses offered by LawSikho.

The exchange was started when Mukherjee put out the following tweet:

Advocates Aditya Garg and Ashish Goel, both NLU alumni, and others then responded to / quote tweeted Mukherjee about LawSikho courses.

LawSikho filed a defamation suit seeking permanent injunction and damages. It claimed that the tweets had the likelihood of causing loss of business and posed a significant threat to the value of its shares, listed on the National Stock Exchange. The defendants argued that their comments fell with the protection of fair comment and submitted that they were only stating their honest opinion.

The Court stated that comments made on a social media platform may be disparaging in nature, but cannot be defamatory since it is a casual medium that does not seriously sway public perception.

“The Court has considered that the casual nature of the medium invites anonymous posts which may ex-facie be disparaging but cannot amount to defamation as it may not have a serious effect to form an impression about the character of the plaintiff,” the judge stated.

While deciding on defamation, the Court observed that exchanges on X are of conversational nature.

“Before alleging defamation on the basis of a tweet, the plaintiff should bear in mind the conversational nature of medium and also bear responsibilities for the content of its own tweets which lead to the impugned Tweets,” the Bench said.

The Court also stated that in suits claiming defamation on social media platforms, the plaintiff must mandatorily disclose the full conversation thread.

Comparing online posts with newspaper reports, the Court said,

“The newspapers and magazines are read with the intent to collect and retain information and, therefore, it bears effect in forming of opinions. In contrast, the casual medium of a conversational social media platform such as ‘X’ is not perceived by the users of the said platform as a reliable verified source of information,” the Court stated.

It said that a person cannot be penalised for holding an opinion if such opinion does not cause injury, harm or loss to the plaintiff.

The Court also noted that LawSikho had not first availed its statutory remedy under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guideline and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by reporting to the Grievance Officer.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/delhi-high-court-slaps-1-lakh-costs-lawsikho-filing-defamation-case-without-full-disclosure

An unceasing stream of devotees from across India and abroad continued to throng Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on Mahashivratri for a sacred dip to attain ‘moksha’ and for spiritual purification, marking the final hours of the 45-day Maha Kumbh. The air resonated with chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ as helicopters added to the grand spectacle of faith by showering flower petals over the pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh where the footfall over the past six weeks has far exceeded those at Mecca and Vatican City, according to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Addressing the Legislative Council during the state’s Budget Session on Tuesday, Chief Minister Adityanath noted that while 1.4 crore pilgrims visit Mecca annually for Haj and 80 lakh visit Vatican City in a year, Ayodhya alone welcomed 16 crore devotees “in just 52 days”.
The latest count of devotees at 4 pm on Wednesday was recorded at over 1.32 crore, while the overall figures have already surged past 65 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is hosting the Maha Kumbh on the banks of the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

The Maha Kumbh, which takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of ‘akharas’ (monastic orders) including ash-smeared Naga Sadhus during the three ‘Amrit Snans’.
Mahashivratri on Wednesday marks the last of the special bathing dates and the culmination of the Mela. By 2 am on Wednesday, over 11.66 lakh devotees had immersed themselves in the sacred waters. The numbers surged to 25.64 lakh in the next two hours and 41.11 lakh by 6 am while it swelled to 81.09 lakh by 10 am.
Adityanath began monitoring the arrangements at the Kumbh Mela at 4 am from Gorakhpur with senior government officials.
In a post on X, the chief minister said, “Hearty congratulations to all the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam today on the holy bathing festival of Mahashivratri dedicated to the worship of Lord Bholenath in Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj…..Har Har Mahadev!” The state government arranged for showering of petals over devotees from a helicopter at the Kumbh. Twenty quintals of flower petals were showered on the devotees in five rounds.
Being the last special bathing day, devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight. While some camped and waited patiently to take the dip at the ‘Brahma Muhurt’, scores of them performed the bathing rituals well before the appointed time.
Billed as the world’s largest spiritual gathering on Earth, the mega religious festival on its last day attracted pilgrims from all four corners of the country.
Albina from Russia told PTI Videos this was her first day at Maha Kumbh. “It’s like seeing all of India. It’s interesting, I feel good here,” she said.
Constantine, who accompanied Albina, said in broken English: “Fantastic, mystic, very nice, wow!” Rajvir Singh Jhala (20), a BBA student from Rajkot took the holy dip right at the Sangam nose as did his mother and other family members who arrived in Prayagraj from Gujarat in a bus on Wednesday night.
“Lord Shiva for me means ‘Shunyata’, one must feel that he or she is nothing in front of him. Besides, one must have goodness inside. If one has dirt inside, washing oneself in holy Sangam will not cleanse any sin,” Jhala told PTI right after his ‘snan’.
UP cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta told PTI Videos that around 24 crore pilgrims had come for the (Ardh) Kumbh in 2019 and this time the figure has gone past 65 crore. “Certanly, Sanatan followers in the whole world are happy. Here at the Kumbh, there is no discrimination of caste and class, and everyone is taking a dip at the same Sangam.” Pilgrims also came from West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, covering the length and breadth of the country.
A group of devotees came from Nepal to witness the Maha Kumbh on its closing day and take the holy dip on Maharashivratri. Pinki Devi from Kolkata who performed the bathing rituals around 3.30 am was ecstatic that she could take the dip on the auspicious day.
Chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Jai Mahakal’ rang throughout the Mela ground.
Mahashivratri commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and holds special significance in the context of the Kumbh Mela.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva played a crucial role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence of the Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the very essence of the Kumbh Mela.
The Uttar Pradesh government said the total number of visitors to the fair exceeds the population of all countries in the world except India and China, both of which have populations exceeding a billion.
The Maha Kumbh has witnessed six special bathing dates — Paush Purnima on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on January 29, Basant Panchami on February 3, Maghi Purnima on February 12 and Mahashivratri on February 26 — including three ‘Amrit Snans’.
Given the scale of the event and the sheer volume of attendees, authorities have enforced a “no vehicle zone” in the Mela area and Prayagraj besides implementing strict crowd control measures and logistical support to facilitate a seamless culmination of Maha Kumbh 2025.
A stampede on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya last month led to the deaths of at least 30 people and left 60 injured, according to the government.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/maha-kumbhs-last-day-sees-1-3-crore-devotees-taking-holy-dip-in-prayagraj-article-118583015

Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, a history sheeter out on bail since 2019, allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the busy Swargate bus station in Pune city on Tuesday morning.

The shocking incident triggered a protest by the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), during which the security office on the premises was vandalised.

While Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said he has directed the Pune police commissioner to investigate the case and swiftly arrest the accused.

Who is accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade?

• Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, 36, has half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching registered against him in Pune and adjoining Ahilyanagar district, news agency PTI quoted a Swargate police station official as saying.
• Gade was out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences, the police official said.
• In 2024, a theft case was lodged in Pune against Gade who was summoned to the police station, the official said.
• A Pune police team on Wednesday questioned a brother of the accused . Police are examining CCTV camera footage of the Swargate bus station and nearby areas, and seeking technical assistance for clues and to track down the accused, police said.

What happened at Swargate bus station?

In her police complaint, the woman said as she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in the adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5.45am, a man approached and engaged her in conversation, calling her `didi’ (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.

The man took her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked elsewhere on the sprawling station premises.

The woman, who works in the private medical field, told the police that as the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in at first, but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. He then followed her inside and raped her before fleeing.

The accused also threatened the woman and asked her not to reveal the crime to anyone, the police said.

What police said

Deputy commissioner of police Smartana Patil told reporters that CCTV camera footage showed the woman walking towards the bus with the accused.

There were many people and several buses on the station premises when the incident took place, the DCP said.

The police officer said the woman did not approach the police immediately after the incident but took another bus to her hometown and narrated the incident to her friend on the phone while travelling.

On her friend’s advice, she got down within the city limits, and went to the police station, Patil said.

The DCP said police have formed eight teams to nab him.

What we know about the bus

As per a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation report on the incident, the bus in which the woman passenger was raped arrived at the Swargate bus stand from Solapur on February 25 around 3.40am, and it was parked in front of a sugarcane juice shop in the premises, PTI reported.

According to the MSRTC report, the accused posed as the conductor of the bus and took the woman inside the vehicle. Swargate bus station authorities learnt about the rape incident only at 10am, four hours after the crime.

Strong political reactions

In a statement, Ajit Pawar, who is the guardian minister of Pune district, said the incident is “painful, infuriating, and shameful”, and the accused deserves the death penalty.

More than a third of newborns diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition triggered by an infection, could be expected to die, a study conducted across five district hospitals in India has found.

The study, which analysed data from over 6,600 newborns, found that the overall incidence of sepsis ranged from 0.6 to 10 per cent across the hospitals. The incidence was higher among newborns referred from other hospitals than in those born at the same facility.

The findings, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, underscore the need to strengthen infection prevention and control measures while implementing programmes that ensure a judicious use of antibiotics, researchers said.

Researchers, including those from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Raipur, said that data of sepsis in newborns from district hospitals in low- and middle-income countries is scarce.

Sepsis occurs when one’s immune system produces an extreme response to an infection, thereby damaging tissues and organs. It can lead to multi-organ failure and can be potentially life-threatening.

Antibiotic resistance, in which infection-causing germs become immune to the drugs designed to kill them, is a major challenge to managing sepsis.

More than 39 million are projected to die due to antibiotic-resistant infections during the next 25 years, with most of them estimated to occur in South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to a 2024 analysis, published in The Lancet journal.

The study enrolled neonates admitted to newborn care units in five district hospitals, including Government Hospital, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, in India between October, 2019, and December, 2021.

Blood samples of the newborns were taken for developing cultures and diagnostic tests were conducted on suspected sepsis cases, identified in newborns based on signs such as lethargy, refusal to feed and severe chest in-drawing.

“The incidence of culture-positive sepsis was 3.2 per cent (213 of 6612). It varied among the study sites, ranging from 0.6 per cent to 10 per cent,” the authors wrote.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lancet-study-estimates-third-of-newborns-admitted-to-district-hospitals-with-sepsis-can-die-7803617

The family of an Indian student lying in coma in the US has made a desperate appeal to the Centre for a visa to be with her. Nilam Shinde, 35, is in a critical state after an accident in California on February 14. Her father in Maharashtra’s Satara has been trying to get a visa since then.

Nilam Shinde suffered fractures and injuries to her chest and head after a four-wheeler hit her. Her family learnt of the accident two days later. The hospital sought permission to operate on her brain, according to the family.

“We got to know about the accident on February 16 and have been trying for a visa since then. But we haven’t got it yet,” her father, Tanaji Shinde, said.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule has posted in support of the family and has requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s help to get Ms Shinde’s father a visa, tagging him in her X post.

“This is an alarming issue and we all need to get together and help resolve it. I have been engaged with the family and assuring them that this will be resolved,” Ms Sule told NDTV.

She also said she may have “political differences” with Mr Jaishankar, a BJP leader, but he is “very helpful and empathetic” whenever it comes to the issue of Indian students abroad.

“My experience with the MEA (the Ministry of External Affairs) has been extraordinarily very very good. They always go the extra mile to help” Ms Sule said, adding that she has also reached out to the US Embassy in Mumbai.

According to Ms Shinde’s family, the crash left her hands and legs fractured.

“The police admitted her to the hospital and her roommates informed us on February 16. They told us that she’s met with a huge accident,” her uncle, Sanjay Kadam, told NDTV.

“They (the hospital administration) took our permission to operate on her brain. She is in a coma right now and we need to be there,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indian-student-neelam-shinde-in-coma-after-us-accident-parents-supriya-sule-seeks-urgent-visa-7804737

In a boost for India’s maritime power capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have carried out successful flight trials of a first-of-its-kind naval anti-ship missile (NASM-SR) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.

The missile was launched in bearing-only lock-on after launch mode with several targets in close vicinity for selecting one among them.

The missile initially locked on to a large target within a specified zone of search and during the terminal phase, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target resulting in its being hit with pinpoint accuracy.

According to the Defence Ministry, the anti-ship missile trials were held on Tuesday. The trials demonstrated the missile’s capability against ship targets while launched from a Seaking helicopter of the navy.

The trials have proven the missile’s man-in-loop feature and scored a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range.

The Defence Ministry said that the missile uses an indigenous imaging infra-red seeker for terminal guidance. The mission also has demonstrated the high bandwidth two-way datalink system, which is used to transmit the seeker’s live images back to the pilot for in-flight retargeting.

The missile uses an indigenous fibre optic gyroscope-based INS and radio altimeter for its mid-course guidance, an integrated avionics module, electro-mechanical actuators for aerodynamic and jet vane control, thermal batteries and PCB warhead. It uses solid propulsion with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer.

The trials have met all the mission objectives.

The missile is developed by different labs of the DRDO including the Research Centre Imarat, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, and the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory. The missiles are currently being produced by development-cum-production partners with the help of MSMEs, startups, and others.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/india-successfully-tests-short-range-anti-ship-missile-with-re-targeting-feature

India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 match on Sunday. Pakistan was bowled out for 241 and India chased the target in 42.3 overs. The crushing defeat that the Pakistan team faced has been unpalatable for their fans and even Pakistani media.

A video of a Pakistani TV debate has gained much traction online for its strange allegations that India sent 22 priests to Dubai International Stadium to perform ‘jaadu tona’ (black magic) which distracted the Pakistani players.

The panel of journalists as seen in the video contended, “India could not send priests (pandits) to Pakistan, and that is why the Indian team played only in UAE.” They further alleged that seven priests went to the ground a day prior to the match to conduct rituals.

While many social media users ridiculed the TV debate, others called for action against the channel. Some users called the panelists “jealous”.

One user wrote, “Pakistani anchors are top-class murkh, they are accepting Power of India.” While another said, “Now I understand why Pakistan is bankrupt. With this mindset they can never progress in development.”

According to a report by News18, this is not the first instance when Pakistan media blamed ‘black magic’ for ts home team’s loss. Even during the ICC World Cup 2023, a Pakistani journalist alleged that BCCI used ‘black magic’ to win.

Hareem Shah, a Pakistani scribe, had claimed that Jay Shah, the then BCCI Secretary, hired tantriks to perform ‘black magic’ during the India-Pakistan match in which Pakistan lost and India won by 7 wickets.

Hareem Shah on social media wrote, “According to reliable sources, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had enlisted the services of a black magic expert and Tantrik named Karthik Chakraborty to perform black magic on the Pakistani team. The International Cricket Council (ICC) should investigate this matter thoroughly, as it is simply unacceptable.”

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/22-pandits-performed-black-magic-for-indias-victory-in-champions-trophy-pakistani-media-3420679 

How about travelling from Bengaluru to Chennai in less than 30 minutes, covering 325 km?

IIT Madras, with support from the Ministry of Railways, has developed India’s first Hyperloop test track, which is 422 metres long.

The Hyperloop system envisions transporting passengers in pods through low-pressure tubes at speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h. This technology could enable travel that covers 350 km in just 30 minutes.

“Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while sharing the news on X.

The project was built at the IIT Madras campus with funding from the Ministry of Railways. “The first pod of 422 metres will go a long way in developing technologies. I think the time has come when, after the first two grants of one million dollars each, the third grant of one million dollars will be given to IIT Madras for further developing the hyperloop project,” Vaishnaw said.

He also said that the Indian Railways will commence the first commercial project once the technology has been thoroughly tested and is ready. “We’ll decide on a site which can be used for good commercial transportation of, let’s say, some 40-50 kilometres,” he said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-to-chennai-in-half-hr-iit-m-unveils-hyperloop-test-track-3422161 

New India Cooperative Bank’s Prabhadevi branch in Mumbai had a capacity to keep Rs 10 crore at a time, but the cash in hand book showed there was Rs 122.028 crore in the safe on the day of RBI inspection, police officials said on Tuesday, citing probe into a fraud case.

Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is probing a Rs 122-crore embezzlement at New India Cooperative Bank and has arrested three persons, including two former top executives of the lender, so far.

The RBI inspection team visited the corporate office branch of the bank at Prabhadevi on February 11, where they found Rs 122 crore cash was missing from the safe, an official said.

The balance sheet at the corporate office branch was showing Rs 133.41 crore at the bank’s safe at Prabhadevi and Goregaon branches, and Rs 122.028 was the figure on the balance sheet of Prabhadevi branch on that day, he said.

During the probe, the EOW found the capacity of the safe at the corporate office to store cash was only Rs 10 crore, and they actually found Rs 60 lakh in the vault. At the Goregaon branch safe, they found Rs 10.53 crore cash on the day of the RBI inspection, according to the official.

The vault at the Goregaon branch also had a capacity to store Rs 10 crore. The EOW is now probing why auditors looking into the bank’s financial records did not raise an alarm over the missing cash from the bank, he said.

Various CA firms audited the balance sheets, daily reports, and the books of cash in hand. It was their role to verify the cash, which was kept in the safe, he said.

Meanwhile, the EOW has summoned representatives of half a dozen firms that conducted audit of the fraud-hit lender at different times, another official said.

These financial services firms were involved in statutory, concurrent or internal audits during 2019-2024, the period when the alleged embezzlement took place, he said.

As the initial audit of the lender was done by M/s Sanjay Rane Associates, a partner in the firm Abhijeet Deshmukh, is being quizzed by the EOW for the last four days. Now, the probe agency has summoned another partner in the chartered accountancy firm, Sanjay Rane, to record his statement, the official said.

Representatives of all auditing firms linked to the lender have been called from Wednesday onwards to record their statements, the official informed.

“If needed, the EOW will seek forensic audit of the bank’s financial records to ascertain how Rs 122 crore was misappropriated,” he said.

Bank’s former CEO Abhimanyu Bhoan, who is among three persons arrested so far for the alleged fraud, had signed all audit reports and balance sheets of the bank, the official said.

Bhoan was part of the conspiracy as he was aware how much cash was in the bank’s vaults, he said.

Besides the former CEO, the bank’s ex-general manager Hitesh Mehta and real estate developer Dharmesh Paun have been arrested in the case. The alleged misappropriation of funds came to light following an inspection by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

As per the police, Devarshi Ghosh, the bank’s acting chief executive officer, lodged a complaint against Mehta and others at the Dadar police station in central Mumbai nearly two weeks ago for alleged misappropriation of the lender’s funds.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and the probe was transferred to the EOW.

The complainant alleged that Mehta and his associates hatched a conspiracy and embezzled Rs 122 crore from the safes of Prabhadevi and Goregaon offices (in Mumbai) of the bank.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/new-india-cooperative-bank-vault-had-capacity-to-keep-rs-10-crore-but-book-showed-rs-122-crore-economic-offences-wing-3421727

A day after a class 10 student gave birth to a premature baby in the hostel of a state-run residential school in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, the authorities on Tuesday suspended the headmaster of the institute, officials said.

Following an inquiry, the district administration of Malkangiri also disengaged hostel matron Suchitra Charchi with immediate effect and put an auxiliary nurse and midwife under suspension.

The student delivered a baby girl on Monday after returning to the hostel after appearing in the board examination, officials said.

The headmaster of the school, run by the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Class Welfare Department, said, “Men are not allowed in the girl’s hostel. We do not know how she got pregnant.” “Health workers are supposed to conduct weekly check-ups of all students living in the hostel. This incident showed that the health worker was not doing her job,” he said.

The girl and the baby were taken to the sub-divisional hospital at Chitrakonda, and then shifted to the Malkangiri district headquarters hospital.

Hospital sources said that the student gave birth to a premature baby which was only eight months in the mother’s womb.

Sub-divisional Police Officer of Chitrakonda, Pradosh Pradhan, said that a case has been registered under several sections of the POCSO Act and BNS.

Following a hue and cry over the incident, the district administration disengaged lady matron Suchitra Charchi with immediate effect and placed headmaster Ajit Kumar Madkami and Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM) Kabita Kumari under suspension, an official said.

The girl’s parents have sought to know from the school authorities how the pregnancy remained hidden till she went into labour.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/odisha/class-10-girl-delivers-baby-in-odisha-school-hostel-headmaster-suspended-3421576

Satyaki Ashok Savarkar, a relative of the late Hindutva icon Vinayak Savarkar and complainant in the Savarkar defamation case, has objected to the plea by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to convert the nature of the trial in the case from a summary trial to a summons trial.

The case stems from Gandhi’s controversial speech in London in March 2023 in which he allegedly made defamatory remarks about Vinayak Savarkar’s actions.

Gandhi had reportedly referred to Savarkar’s writings about an incident where Savarkar, along with others, allegedly assaulted a Muslim man – a situation Savarkar supposedly found “pleasurable.”

Satyaki Savarkar filed the defamation complaint in 2023, refuting Gandhi’s claim and asserting that no such incident involving Savarkar is mentioned in his works.

Gandhi recently filed a plea to convert the trial in the defamation case to a summons trial so that he can bring historical facts and detailed evidence on record to back up his statements.

Satyaki Ashok Savarkar has now objected to the same.

In his affidavit filed through advocate SA Kolhatkar, Savarkar has accused Gandhi of attempting to divert the focus of the case by raising irrelevant arguments about Savarkar’s contributions to the Indian freedom struggle.

“The accused is again deliberately trying to divert the matter by raising irrelevant arguments about Veer Savarkar’s contributions during the Indian freedom struggle. The accused has raised issues regarding certain historical facts, which are irrelevant to the core subject matter of this case,” the reply states.

The reply has rejected Gandhi’s assertion that the case involves complex questions of fact and law, claiming that such an argument is without merit.

“The assertion that this case involves complex questions of fact and law is unfounded,” the reply reads.

It has stressed that the accused cannot dictate how the court should conduct the trial. Savarkar’s counsel also emphasized the importance of allowing the case to proceed promptly without further delays.

In his reply, Savarkar has highlighted Gandhi’s history of making defamatory remarks, which has resulted in multiple legal proceedings.

“Rahul Gandhi, has a documented history of making defamatory remarks…it can be inferred that he is a habitual offender making defamatory statements,” the response adds, referencing Gandhi’s previous conviction in a defamation case in Gujarat that led to his temporary disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/savarkar-defamation-complainant-opposes-rahul-gandhis-plea-to-bring-historical-evidence-on-record

The BJP-ruled Delhi government, in its audit report on AAP government’s 2021-22 liquor policy, said “cartelisation” in the process of issuing licences led to cumulative losses of over Rs 2,000 crore to the exchequer. “The policy provided for distribution of retail licenses in zones where one entity/person would get minimum 27 vends,” it said.
The report is one of 14 on the previous Aam Aadmi Party government’s performance to be tabled by the new Rekha Gupta-led government. It has pointed out that recommendations of an expert panel, formed to suggest changes for the formation of the now scrapped policy, were ignored by then deputy chief minister and excise minister Manish Sisodia.
The alleged liquor scam was a hot button issue in the run-up to the elections, with the BJP accusing senior AAP leaders of pocketing proceeds of the crime.

The audit report claimed a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 941.53 crore, saying timely permissions were not taken for opening the liquor vends in non-conforming municipal wards .

Two weeks after another bench of the Supreme Court while hearing air pollution matter got drawn into the issue of change of government in national capital, on Tuesday a bench led by Justice B R Gavai while hearing the Yamuna took note of same(BJP forming government in Delhi) and orally remarked that it may have a positive impact vis-à-vis implementation of measures to clean the river water is concerned.
At the outset, Amicus curiae Meenakshi Arora apprised the Bench about the background of the matter before it ‘In Re Remediation Of Polluted Rivers” wherein SC had in 2021 took suo motu cognisance of river pollution and had been passing periodic orders . This was done as the matter was coming before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih for the first time.
When Arora said earlier there was a lot of dispute between Haryana and Delhi related to sharing of the river water and also water contamination and pollution, Justice Gavai remarked: “Now with change of government all disputes might get solved..In changed circumstances, there may be better implementation possible”.

Remarks are important as at present all the states through which river Yamuna passes -Haryana,Delhi, Uttar Pradesh- have BJP governments and therefore coordination becomes easier. The SC noted that earlier National Green Tribunal was monitoring issues pertaining to water quality of Yamuna and passing periodic orders but after SC took suo motu cognisance NGT stopped monitoring and the Tribunal also disbanded its committees.
The Bench asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati as to what other issues related to River Yamuna was pending in the SC before other benches so that all of them could be clubbed and heard by SC itself or transferred to NGT.
On January 13, 2021, the apex court had taken cognisance of contamination of rivers-mainly Yamuna and Ganga– by sewage effluent and observed that pollution free water forms the basic right under the Constitutional framework and a welfare state is “bound” to ensure the same.
On February 13, 2025 also, during pollution hearing, the SC got drawn into discussion on change Of Government In Delhi.
The SC bench led by Abhay S Oka said he felt that constant friction between the Central government and the Delhi government and blaming each other may now end with the change in guard( that is a BJP regime set to form government in the national capital replacing the AAP government) but said that does not automatically mean that they would be proactive in resolving the air pollution crisis.
On that day the discussion pertaining to this was triggered by Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is acting as amicus curiae.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/after-air-pollution-case-sc-takes-note-of-change-of-govt-in-delhi-in-yamuna-hearing-too-article-118553924

This is not the first time Chandrashekhar has written a letter from jail, with former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandes among his recipients.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the conman currently serving jail term in several cheating cases, wrote a letter to Elon Musk, expressing his desire to invest $2 billion in the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).

Notably, this is not the first time Chandrashekhar has written a letter from jail, with former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandes and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu among his recipients.

“I am taking this Privilege and Pride today to say, Hey Elon, I am ready and wanting to invest ‘1 Billion USD’ immediately and another ‘1 Billion USD’ next year in your Company X, making a total ‘2 Billion USD’ as investment,” the letter reads as report by Hindustan Times.

He added that his investment in X would make him a “proud Indian”.

He referred to Musk as “my man” and congratulated him for heading the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration.

The conman also called US President Donald Trump his “big brother.”

“Elon, you are someone who I really look up to, you are solid, Tankman, Bulletproof. What you have built is amazing. Being a part of that build would be the craziest and greatest thing for me,” the letter reads.

“The investment of the above-mentioned amount is not under any valuation of X, but it’s an investment on what remarkable turn of fortune the company is going to achieve under your leadership, so the Bet is always on you, and surely know “X” value is going to rise to unexpectable heights,” Chandrashekhar added.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/conman-sukesh-offers-2-billion-investment-for-x-sends-letter-to-elon-musk-from-jail-9240799.html

Prajakta Koli, a digital creator under the name MostlySane, and her longtime partner Vrishank Khanal tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony on Tuesday. The couple got married at Oleander Farms in Karjat in a minimal yet outdoorsy ceremony attended by their close friends and family members.

Prajakta and Vrishank wore custom outfits designed by ace designer Anita Dongre for their special day. While the actor and YouTuber wore a cream-coloured lehenga set, Vrishank complemented her in an ivory sherwani set. Let’s decode their wedding ensembles.

Bride picks details that are an ode to her name

According to Anita Dongre, Prajakta Koli’s cream-coloured Pichhwai lehenga set featured hand-painted Parijaat flowers that are an ode to her name. Other details of the ensemble also took inspiration from nature, which was the dominant theme of the couple’s wedding. Meanwhile, the bridal lehenga features a choli, a lehenga skirt, a matching dupatta, and a veil to complete her look.

More details about Prajakta’s lehenga

The blouse features a round neckline, half-length sleeves, sequin and bead embellishments, floral embroidery, and a cropped midriff-baring hem length. As for the lehenga skirt, it features shimmering sequin adornments, an A-line silhouette lined with cancan, and a broad embroidered border on the hem.

Lastly, she paired the lehenga with a dupatta draped around her body like a saree pallu featuring scalloped borders, gotta patti embroidery and sequin work. She layered another matching dupatta on her head like a veil, which cascaded on the back with a long train.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/prajakta-koli-champions-self-love-for-wedding-in-lehenga-featuring-hand-painted-parijaat-flowers-as-an-ode-to-name-pics-101740539266585.html

The rescue operation of the eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel after a portion of it collapsed on Saturday has entered its fifth day. While no contact with the trapped workers has been established yet, the National Disaster Security Force (NDRF) managed to reach the last point of the roof of collapse site on Tuesday, reported The Times of India.

The rescue teams have been struggling for days to cross through the last 40-50 metre belt of the collapse site due to accumulation of water, mud and debris for the last four days.

Here are latest updates on Telangana tunnel rescue operation:

1. 1. Thermocol boats came to the aid of the rescue teams to navigate through the difficult terrain of the tunnel to bring out the trapped workers, the TOI report said. However, the chances of their survival still remain low.
   2. While the teams have managed to reach the last point of the collapsed roof of the tunnel, challenges still remain in the form of water and silt to obstruct the rescue operations, the report added.
   3. The family of one of the workers trapped inside the tunnel, Sunny Singh, awaits his safe return to Jammu and Kashmir. The family, living in Gurha Manhasan village in the Pargwal area on the India-Pakistan border, reported news agency PTI.
   4. Sunny’s younger brother Rajesh told PTI, “We have had no news about him for the last four days and are looking forward to hearing good news soon. One of our relatives, who is also working there, was the one who informed us about the incident.” Sunny’s mother said that while they would talk to him almost everyday, the family did not speak to him on the day of the collapse.
   5. Telangana minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, citing the experts, called the incident one of the most difficult tunnel rescue operations because there is only one entry and exit point to the tunnel, reported PTI.
   6. He also said that the collapse might have occurred due to a slight tectonic shift and the failure of some geological fault lines.
   7. Uttam Kumar Reddy added that due to heavy flow of slit and water in the tunnel, even the lives of rescuers could be at risk. “There is one problem. The flow of slit and water into the tunnel at a very high speed continues. So there was one opinion expressed by some experts that the people going into the rescue, even their lives could be endangered. So, we are a responsible government, we are taking the best expert opinion, and we will take a final call on that,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-tunnel-collapse-ray-of-hope-as-ndrf-inches-closer-to-8-trapped-workers-top-updates-101740533348769.html

The incidents involving sudden loss of hair in the Buldhana district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra could be linked to high high selenium content found in wheat from Punjab and Haryana supplied by local ration shops.

Selenium is a chemical element that is placed in the oxygen group of the periodic table – and is often found in combination with metals like mercury, copper, silver or lead.

Selenium, which is a metalloid – an element intermediate in properties between the metals and the nonmetals – is rare, composing approximately 90 parts per billion of the crust of Earth.

Around 250-300 persons in the Shegaon tehsil of Buldhana have suffered hair loss in December 2024 and January-February 2025.

People across all age-groups were found to be affected among the cases that have come to light.

Selenium is found in food sources, including meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, as well as foods grown in soil which is selenium-rich.

Teams of officials of the Public Health and Family Welfare Department and Medical Education Department are working on the issue.

“In some families more than one person is witnessing hair loss,” said Rama Patil, who is the sarpanch of Bondgaon village.

People face symptoms like headache, fever, scalp itching, tingling and loose motions and leading to hair loss (alopecia).

Dr Himmatrao Bawaskar, the Managing Director of Bawaskar Hospital and Research Centre in Raigad, who conducted a research, feels that it is because of the selenium content found in wheat procured from Punjab and Haryana and distributed through ration shops under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

“The primary cause of the outbreak was linked to wheat imported from Punjab and Haryana, which has been found to have a significantly higher selenium content than locally produced wheat. Our analysis of wheat from the affected region revealed that it contained 600 times more selenium than the locally grown variety. This high selenium intake is believed to be the cause of the alopecia cases,” he said.

Blood, urine, hair samples and stool samples were examined as part of the research.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/hair-loss-in-buldhana-could-be-linked-to-wheat-with-selenium-content-3420376

After nearly a year-long pause, India and the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday resumed negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) and decided to resolve outstanding issues at the earliest but did not give any timeframe for the deal, which has missed multiple deadlines.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK’s Secretary of State for Business & Trade Jonathan Reynolds made an announcement about the resumption of talks at a joint media conference in New Delhi.

“We have decided to build on the strong groundwork that 14 previous rounds had developed,” Goyal said, referring to the progress made in earlier rounds of negotiations held before talks were put on hold in early 2024 due to general elections in both the countries.

The negotiations for India-UK FTA were launched in early 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then UK PM Boris Johnson during a summit meeting in April 2022 had set a target to get the deal signed by October 2022.

Though both the countries have reiterated their commitment to conclude the negotiations fast, no new timeframe has been set.

“Make a robust agreement which is win-win for both sides. Therefore, neither should we rush into things but it’s always good to conclude fast. So we will have speed but not haste,” said Goyal.

“For us it’s about quality of agreement rather than speed,” Reynolds concurred.

Reynolds said the FTA deal with India is among the top priority of the UK government led by current PM Keir Starmer. “Not just my support but very strong support from the Prime Minister,” Reynolds said.

Alongside the FTA, the negotiations will also cover a double taxation avoidance agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).

The two countries made an important clarification on the issue of immigration saying it would not be a part of the trade negotiations.

“I have been negotiating many free trade agreements in the last six years but immigration has never been a part of trade negotiations. They are two totally different subjects and India has never ever discussed immigration in any free trade agreement negotiations,” Goyal said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-uk-resume-fta-talks-immigration-not-on-agenda-3420083

The Maha Kumbh Mela area will be a no-vehicle zone from 4 PM on Tuesday, with the entire Prayagraj following suit from 6 PM onwards in view of the massive influx of devotees for the last special bathing date coinciding with Mahashivratri on February 26.

Restrictions Imposed

Authorities have imposed these restrictions to ensure smooth crowd movement. However, vehicles carrying essentials will be exempted, according to an official statement.

The administration has urged all visitors to comply with the guidelines and cooperate with officials, according to the statement issued by the Mela Police.

“Devotees should bathe only at the nearest designated ghats based on their entry points. Those arriving from the Dakshini Jhunsi route should use Arail Ghat, while those from the Uttari Jhunsi route should head to Harishchandra Ghat and Old GT Ghat. Pande Kshetra entrants have been directed to Bharadwaj Ghat, Nagavasuki Ghat, Mori Ghat, Kali Ghat, Ram Ghat, and Hanuman Ghat. Devotees coming through the Arail sector should use Arail Ghat for bathing,” it stated.

“Essential services, including the transport of milk, vegetables, medicines, fuel, and emergency vehicles, will not be restricted. Government personnel such as doctors, police officers, and administrative staff will also have free movement,” it added.

February 26 marks both the concluding snan of the Maha Kumbh Mela and the festival of Mahashivratri.

In view of this, devotees are advised to bathe at their nearest ghats and offer prayers at local Shiva temples to prevent overcrowding at major pilgrimage sites, the statement read.

“To control the massive gathering, pontoon bridges will be managed based on crowd density. Officials have urged devotees to avoid unnecessary movement and return to their destinations promptly after completing rituals,” it stated.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/maha-kumbh-mela-area-to-be-no-vehicle-zone-from-4-pm-today-prayagraj-from-6-pm

An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the Bay of Bengal in the early hours of Tuesday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

According to NCS, the earthquake occurred at 6:10 am at a depth of 91 kilometres.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/51-magnitude-earthquake-recorded-in-bay-of-bengal-near-odishas-puri 

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted an exhibition and panel discussion titled “The Never Ending Persecution of Minorities in Bangladesh,” which highlighted the systemic discrimination and violence faced by religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, according to a statement by the VIF.

A key highlight of the event was the attendance of India’s National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, KC. The NSA visited the exhibition and attended the panel discussion, underscoring India’s deep concern over the plight of minorities in Bangladesh.

The event, held at the VIF Auditorium in Delhi, brought together distinguished experts, diplomats, and journalists to discuss the urgent human rights crisis unfolding in Bangladesh. The panel featured Ambassador Satish Chandra, Former Deputy National Security Advisor and Vice Chairman, VIF; Ambassador Veena Sikri, Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Francois Gautier, Correspondent for Valeurs Actuelles; and Anirban Ganguly, Chairperson and Trustee of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, and it was chaired by Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, as per the statement.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the speakers, after which the focus shifted to the panel discussion. Each speaker provided critical insights into the historical and ongoing persecution of minorities in a highly Islamized Bangladesh, examining the socio-political and international dimensions of the crisis, the statement said.

The exhibition, curated by FACT (Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism) showcased compelling visual documentation of human rights violations, forced displacements, and attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Bangladesh.

The exhibition aimed to raise awareness and encourage discourse on the urgent need for action. The exhibition and panel discussion highlighted Vivekananda International Foundation’s commitment to advocate for human rights and foster meaningful discussions on regional security and minority rights, especially the rights of minorities in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is seeking to strengthen its ties with India, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and reciprocal interest. Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Monday in response to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent comments that “there are anti-India remarks from Bangladesh.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/nsa-ajit-doval-attends-an-exhibition-on-bangladeshi-minorities-plight-7788094

A woman died on Monday after a person allegedly slit her throat when she refused to accept his marriage proposal in Odisha’s Balasore district, officials said.

The incident took place at Lingapada village. The deceased has been identified as Jyotirmayee Rana (25).

The woman’s mother claimed that her daughter was killed despite filing a complaint against a man at Soro police station three days ago about harassment.

“A man had been visiting our house recently and insisted that we fix his marriage with our daughter. I had rejected the proposal. We suspect that he killed our daughter,” she said.

Sources at Soro police station said that it does not have an office-in-charge at present following the transfer of the former OC.

A senior police officer said that teams were formed to arrest the accused person, who is on the run after the incident.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/womans-throat-slit-after-rejecting-marriage-proposal-in-odisha-dies-7786892

The Uttarakhand government has asked its employees to get their marriages registered under the Uniform Civil Code that was recently implemented in the state.

In a letter to the state’s district magistrates and heads of departments, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said under the UCC, registration of marriages done after March 26, 2010, has been made mandatory, an official release said.

The district nodal officers nominated for UCC will get the marriage registration of all the married employees in their district completed in a time-bound manner, Raturi said.

A regular report in this regard will be made available to the home secretary by each district every week, she added.

The chief secretary has also given instructions to nominate a nodal officer in each department who will ensure the marriage registration of the married personnel of his department.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/uttarakhand-public-employees-to-register-their-marriages-under-uniform-civil-code-7786708

Telangana tunnel collapse : Rescuers are battling to pull out eight workers who are stuck inside a Telangana tunnel for over 72 hours, after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22 in the southern state’s Nagarkurnool district. On Monday, Telangana minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the chances of survival of the trapped individuals are “very remote,” and rescuing them would take “at least three to four days,” as the accident site is filled with muck and debris, making it a daunting task for the rescuers.

Rao also mentioned that a team of rat miners, who had rescued the construction workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, has joined the rescue work.

“To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because, I myself went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the accident site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9 meter diameter (of the tunnel)–almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up up to 25 feet,” the minister stated.

“When we shouted their names also, there was no response…so, there (seems to be) no chance at all,” he added.

The persons who have been trapped in the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project tunnel have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (Jammu and Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

Of the eight, two are engineers, two operators and four labourers.

Telangana tunnel collapse : Food, water taken inside tunnel for rescue workers

Telangana tunnel collapse : Various teams are going inside the SLBC tunnel, where a rescue operation is underway.

Food and water are being taken inside the tunnel for the rescue workers.

Telangana tunnel collapse : Deputy CM reaches collapse site

Telangana tunnel collapse : Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, along with irrigation Mminister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, roads & buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao have reached the Srisailam Left Bank Canal in Nagarkurnool, according to The Hindu.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-slbc-tunnel-collpase-february-25-2025-live-updates-101740441092169.html

Actors Katrina Kaif, Raveena Tandon, her daughter Rasha Thadani, and Abhishek Banerjee participated in several religious events during the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. News agency ANI shared several videos and pictures of the celebrities performing aarti and attending the evening bhajan on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.

Katrina Kaif attends bhajan at Mahakumbh

In a video, Katrina was seen smiling and listening to the bhajan which was led by Parmarth Niketan Ashram President Swami Chidanand Saraswati. Dressed in a saffron outfit, she was seen sitting on the floor and slowly clapping to the religious song. Katrina was seen accompanied by her mother-in-law, Veena Kaushal.

Katrina performs aarti with Raveena, Rasha, Abhishek

Raveena Tandon sang the song while Rasha clapped, sitting next to her mother. Abhishek Banerjee was also seen sitting amid the other devotees. In another clip, all the celebrities stood with Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati as they performed aarti at the Mahakumbh.

Katrina and Veena were later spotted at the Kalina Airport after they returned to Mumbai from Prayagraj.

On devotees, including celebrities visiting Mahakumbh in huge numbers, Swami Chidanand Saraswati told ANI, “Mahakumbh is an occasion of snan, dhyan and daan (holy dip, meditation and charity). Today, she (Katrina Kaif) took a holy dip, meditated and did annadaan. She said that she sees god in everyone… Such a belief system keeps this nation alive.”

“I support the thoughts of PM Modi. The way CM Yogi Adityanath has arranged everything, this is a Mahakumbh of vyavastha, arthvyavastha and astitva (arrangement, economy and identity)…This Kumbh is for everyone, those who have not visited till now should come here and take a holy dip..,” he added.

Celebs at Mahakumbh

According to reports from the Uttar Pradesh government’s Information Department, nearly 630 million people had visited the holy site as of Sunday. Earlier, on Monday morning, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar took a holy dip at the Triveni sangam — the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/katrina-kaif-performs-aarti-at-mahakumbh-attends-evening-bhajan-raveena-tandon-abhishek-banerjee-rasha-thadani-101740445559803.html

Over 62 per cent of English test-takers in India believe that their Indian accent would negatively impact their speaking test outcomes while over 74 per cent feel that their appearance might impact their test score when a human examiner is involved, according to a Pearson survey.

The report revealed insights from a social perception survey conducted by the Pearson Test of English for study, work and migration visas.

Revealing stark insights about test-takers’ perceptions of biases — particularly those related to looks, accents and appearances — the report highlights the need for fairer systems that focus solely on learners’ knowledge and abilities.

The results are based on a survey of 1,000 respondents who have taken or are planning to take an English proficiency test for work, study or migration purposes. Ninety-six per cent of the respondents had experienced an English language test with a human examiner.

According to the survey, 59 per cent of the respondents believe that they will be treated differently based on their skin colour, calling out their fear of unconscious favouritism extended towards people with lighter skin.

Almost 64 per cent of the respondents believe that they can create a wrong impression based on how they dress. These perceptions are especially strong among test-takers in Maharashtra, where 67 per cent carry this belief.

Job roles and educational background are also feared to impact how people are treated, with seven in ten respondents, especially those in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, believing they will be treated with more respect if they have a prestigious job or a strong educational background.

According to the survey, over three out of five (63 per cent) test-takers, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, believe that removing their Indian accents while speaking English will positively impact test scores.

One’s external appearance is also believed to impact outcomes. Punjab feels this most strongly, with 77 per cent of respondents from the state believing appearance can impact the outcomes of their speaking test.

“For many years in India, people’s insecurities with their accents and appearances have determined the opportunities available to them, ultimately impacting their earning potential. We have seen this play out even in the most critical situations where people’s futures are often at stake.

“The English language testing and the broader global mobility space are not immune to these challenges. However, at Pearson, we are transforming this landscape,” said Prabhul Ravindran, director of English Language Learning, Pearson India.

“Our evaluation system leverages responsible AI (Artificial Intelligence) and language experts and to focus solely on assessing language proficiency, free from face-to-face interviews with technology that recognises more than 125 accents. By designing a test that eliminates biases and emphasises English skills, we aim to foster a positive and inclusive environment where everyone has a fair opportunity to chase their dreams,” Ravindran added.

Nearly two in three (64 per cent) respondents think that having a certain accent can help them get a better score in the speaking test. Thirty-five per cent of the respondents, including those in Tamil Nadu, believe an American accent contributes to better test scores, while 21 per cent, especially those in Uttar Pradesh, say a British accent will play to their advantage.

Over three in four (76 per cent) also believe that they can create a “professional” experience by dressing up formally, leading to higher scores.

Versant by Pearson is an English Language assessment tool that accurately and efficiently evaluates candidates’ English language proficiency, assisting businesses in hiring the best talent suited for their needs.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/62-indians-feel-their-accent-will-unfairly-impact-their-english-language-test-score-survey-3418099

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticised leaders who have made negative remarks about the Maha Kumbh, calling them “people with slave mentality” who attack India’s religious and cultural traditions with the support of foreign powers.
Modi made the comments while laying the foundation stone for the Shree Bageshwar Medical Sciences and Research Institute in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. The institute will include a cancer hospital and is linked to the Bageshwar Dham, a prominent religious site dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The 100-bed hospital, set to be built in phases over the next two years at a cost of Rs 218 crore, will occupy 10 acres of land.
“Recently, we’ve seen a group of leaders mocking our religion. They aim to divide us,” Modi said. “At times, foreign forces also support these people to weaken our country and religion.”

His remarks follow criticism from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who referred to the Maha Kumbh as “Mrityu Kumbh” (Death Kumbh) due to reports of mismanagement and stampedes. Banerjee also accused authorities of downplaying the death toll.

Modi condemned those who oppose Hindu beliefs, calling them “haters of the Hindu faith” who have existed in different forms for centuries. He accused them of attacking India’s temples, saints, and cultural traditions.
“These people want to break the unity of our society,” Modi said. “They disrespect our religion, which is inherently progressive.”
The Prime Minister said the religious importance of the Maha Kumbh, which is being held in Prayagraj after 144 years. He also praised sanitation workers and police personnel for their efforts in managing the large-scale event.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/people-with-slave-mentality-pm-modi-slams-opposition-over-maha-kumbh-criticism-article-118506104

Manipur Chief Secretary PK Singh on Sunday said the seven-day time given for voluntarily surrendering looted and illegally held weapons is enough if one wants to give up arms, and asserted that the forces will take action after the expiry of the period to recover such guns.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had on February 20 urged the people of the strife-torn state to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held weapons within seven days, assuring no punitive action would be initiated against those giving up arms during this period.

“The seven-day period is good enough. If one decides to give up arms, it can be done in a day. After that (period), we will go and take such weapons from them,” Mr Singh told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

He said the administration has been working on multiple fronts and there has to be peace and normalcy.

“Weapons should not be at the hands of the public. That is a dangerous situation. Weapons at the hands of those who are not authorised to use it is a dangerous situation… Looted weapons or any other weapons pose a threat to society. The first and foremost duty is to recover illegal firearms,” Mr Singh said.

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in ethnic violence between valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki tribes since May 2023.

The Centre imposed President’s rule in Manipur on February 13, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post, which led to political uncertainty in the northeastern state.

The Manipur assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/7-days-enough-for-giving-up-illegally-held-weapons-says-manipur-chief-secretary-7776908

Jammu and Kashmir is seeing a fresh political row over liquor ban – an issue that came up in 2016 but got thumbs downed by Mehbooba Mufti’s ruling People’s Democratic Party. Now the battlelines have been re-drawn, with the PDP spearheading the demand for a ban. The party has started a signature campaign in support of the ban and it is the ruling National Conference that is accusing it of hypocrisy.
Over the weekend, posters came up across Srinagar, supporting the ban and calling upon tourists to “respect local culture and traditions”. Police action to remove the posters has been questioned by the Opposition.

The matter is expected to dominate the assembly in the budget session which begins on March 3. Two members – one of the PDP and one from the National Conference — have submitted bills to ban liquor.

PDP’s Fayaz Ahamd Mir, National Conference’s Ahsan Pardesi and a third MLA — Awami Ittehad Party’s (AIP) Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad – have moved separate bills in the assembly seeking ban on sale of liquor in the Union Territory.

Today PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti joined the signature campaign that was launched by her daughter Iltija Mufti yesterday.

A day before, on Friday, traders at Srinagar’s historic Lal Chowk had put up posters that, after welcoming tourists, said, “For a memorable and enjoyable trip, we kindly request: Love and cherish your family, avoid liquor, drugs, spitting on roads and smoking. Respect our culture and traditions”.

NC MLA, Ahsan Pardesi said, in support of his bill, that the unchecked sale of alcohol disregards the religious and cultural ethos of Kashmir.

“Our heritage has always stood against intoxicants, and this bill is a step toward preserving those values,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pdp-vs-ncp-prohibition-in-j-k-signature-campaign-posters-spark-massive-row-7777609

Maha Kumbh Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna confirmed that 13 FIRs have been filed against 140 social media handles that disseminated misleading content. He also assured that the police have made all necessary arrangements for the upcoming Maha Shivratri festival on February 26, 2025.

“13 FIRs have been registered against 140 social media handles that shared misleading content…Today, more than one crore people have taken a holy dip,” Vaibhav Krishna told ANI.

“Complete arrangements have been made for the upcoming Shivratri festival… Efforts will be made to ensure that there is no traffic jam anywhere in the Mahakumbh area. All arrangements should run smoothly…No matter how big the crowd is, we are fully prepared,” he added.

A large number of devotees took a holy dip at the sacred Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Sunday.

The information department of the Uttar Pradesh government reported that as of Sunday, nearly 8.773 million people had taken the holy dip.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that 620 million devotees visited the Mahakumbh mela at Prayagraj. Meanwhile, the authorities managing the Mahakumbh Mela have implemented extensive crowd control measures at Ayodhya Dham Railway Station to ensure smooth management and safety.

A massive influx of devotees is expected during the upcoming Maha Shivratri festival.

Speaking to ANI, Deputy Superintendent of Police Yashwant Singh said that devotees can only go to the platform when the train arrives.

“We have increased alertness ahead of the Mahakumbh ‘snan’ on Maha Shivratri. Additional security has been deployed here, after which the total number of personnel deployed is more than 350. Barricading has been done all around. A holding area has been set up and passengers are being brought here,” DSP Singh emphasised.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/case-against-140-social-media-handles-over-misleading-content-on-maha-kumbh-7780086

As envisioned by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about a ‘Swachh Maha Kumbh’, a massive cleanliness campaign will be launched on Monday in Prayagraj, the state government said in a statement on Sunday.

Over 15,000 sanitation workers will conduct a synchronised cleanliness drive across four zones. This historic effort aims to set a Guinness World Record for cleanliness, the statement added.

Under Chief Minister Adityanath’s leadership, Maha Kumbh is setting new benchmarks in cleanliness every day, the statement said, adding that the grand religious gathering has been dedicated to maintaining high hygiene standards, earning it the title of ‘Swachh Maha Kumbh’ (Clean Maha Kumbh).

A previous world record attempt to clean river Ganga was also made during Maha Kumbh, where over 300 sanitation workers carried out a coordinated river-cleaning drive at various ghats of Prayagraj.

Additionally, two more world record attempts related to cleanliness are being planned.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/up-aiming-to-create-guinness-world-record-with-swachh-maha-kumbh-today-7780804

At least eight workers are still trapped in Telangana’s Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel which collapsed on Saturday, February 22. Rescue operations to evacuate the trapped workers are still underway.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is making progress and advancing more into the tunnel, reported ANI. On Saturday morning, a three-meter section of the roof of an under-construction stretch of the SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14 km mark near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district in Telangana.

– The rescue operation has entered the third day. Minister Jupally Krishna Rao is at the spot and monitoring the developments.

– The NDRF is currently working to remove the accumulated water inside the tunnel.

– Due to debris blocking the area, the team has not yet been able to confirm their exact ‘location’, as confirmed by NDRF officials told ANI.

– As per the NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta, the force had covered around 13.5 kilometres inside the tunnel, primarily using locomotives and conveyor belts. “Yesterday around 10 PM, we went inside to check what the situation was like. The locomotives were used to enter the tunnel. From the gate of the tunnel, we covered a total of around 13.5 km. We covered 11 km by train and then the rest of 2 km by conveyor belt and by walking,” Datta told ANI.

– The last 200 meters of the collapsed section are completely blocked by debris, making it difficult to confirm the condition or exact location of the trapped workers, as per the official.

– The tunnel area was filled with water, due to which the rescue operation is becoming difficult. “The patch between the 11 to 13 km is filled with water, so right now, we are in the process of removing the water. When that is done, we will start the rescue operations,” the official told the news agency.

– Earlier today, both the NDRF and SDRF teams encountered severe challenges in reaching the collapsed section. “There’s no chance to go to the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed and mud is reaching up to the knees. We will have to take another step,” an SDRF official said.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/telangana-slbc-tunnel-collapse-8-workers-still-trapped-rescue-operation-enters-day-3-latest-updates

It is “immoral” on Air India’s part and a “betrayal” of passengers’ trust to sell them broken seats, Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, hitting out at the airline after allegedly being assigned an “unserviceable” seat on a Bhopal-Delhi flight on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

“I am not concerned about my personal discomfort, but charging passengers full fare while providing them with broken and uncomfortable seats is unethical. Is this not a betrayal of passengers’ trust? I had assumed that Air India’s service had improved under Tata’s management, but I was mistaken,” the Minister said in a post on social media platform X.

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/unethical-deception-of-passengers-shivraj-singh-chouhan-slams-air-india-over-broken-seat-on-flight/article69250595.ece

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised concerns over information from the US that millions of dollars were sent to India, allegedly to influence elections in India.

US President Donald Trump first raised the issue of alleged funding of $21 million for “voter turnout” in India, after he took over from former President Joe Biden.

“Your security can be threatened without you leaving your house because the thought processes, the influences, the narratives, your morale, your sense of what is right and wrong, are all influenced by your phone, what you read every day, the pictures you see,” Mr Jaishankar said at the Delhi University Literature Festival.

“… I think some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people and obviously that is concerning,” the External Affairs Minister said.

“It would suggest that there are activities which have a certain objective out there, to push a narrative or a viewpoint. As a government we are looking into it because such organisations have an obligation to report. And my sense is, the facts will come out,” Mr Jaishankar said, alluding to the announcement by President Trump that the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) posted a list of cancelled US taxpayer-funded initiatives with a mention of $21 million earmarked for “voter turnout in India.”

“Now, I read saying so-and-so dealt with USAID or so-and-so. Look, it’s not a question of do you deal with USAID or not. USAID was allowed – has been here historically. But USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities. Suggestions are being made out of America that there are activities which are in bad faith. So, it surely warrants a look,” he said.

“And if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” Mr Jaishankar said.

The External Affairs Minister’s comments come on a day the BJP sought an investigation into the alleged US funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India and “kickbacks”. The BJP alleged the money was used to sustain “deep state assets” in India.

President Trump on Thursday also repeated his questioning of the US government’s allocation of the $21 million, calling it a “kickback scheme”.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/usaid-was-allowed-here-in-good-faith-s-jaishankar-on-21-million-voter-turnout-fund-7770891

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said Nepalese students studying in Odisha are children of the state and assured that they will continue to pursue their education with full dignity.

In a telephonic discussion with Nepal’s Foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Majhi promised strong action against all those involved in the alleged suicide of the 20-year-old girl student and attack on her fellow students at KIIT university.

A statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said, “The state government is keeping a close watch on the developments (at KIIT) and all steps will be taken to restore hope and confidence of the students. The Nepal foreign minister thanked the chief minister and expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the state government.”

The chief minister also met Nepal embassy officials Sanjeev Das Sharma and Naveen Raj Adhikari at his chamber in Lok Seva Bhawan and informed them that 10 people have been arrested in connection with the misbehaviour and attack on the Nepalese students. All arrangements have been made by the government to restore the academic atmosphere on KIIT campus, he said.

A CMO release said that the Nepali officials acknowledged the steps taken by the Odisha government and said these have reassured the students and guardians from their country.

Source : https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2025/Feb/23/nepalese-students-are-children-of-odisha-cm-majhi-assures-nepals-foreign-minister-deuba