Category: India

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

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) recently issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government, Prayagraj Mela Authority and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UP PCB) over allegations that inadequate sanitation facilities at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 have led to open defecation along the banks of Ganga river.

A bench of of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. A Senthil Vel sought responses from the authorities, directing them to file their replies one week before the next hearing. The case will be heard on February 24.

“The application alleges that lakhs of ordinary people and families are forced to defecate in open on the bank of the river Ganga for want of adequate facilities. In support of the plea taken in the OA, the Applicant has enclosed a pen drive containing the videos,” the NGT noted.

The application was filed by one Nipun Bhushan seeking ₹10 crore in environmental compensation from the Uttar Pradesh government on the ground that the State failed to prevent large-scale pollution owing to poor deployment of sanitary facilities at the Kumbh Mela site.

To support its demand for such compensation, Bhushan invoked the polluter pays principle, a widely recognized principle in environment law that mandates the polluter to bear the cost of damages caused to the environment.

The application also alleged dereliction of duty under Article 48A of the Constitution, which obligates the state to protect and improve the environment. Allowing mass open defecation and failing to prevent pollution violates this constitutional mandate, it was submitted.

Despite official assurances of bio-toilets being installed, thousands of pilgrims are forced to defecate in the open due to lack of clean or functional facilities.

Even if the 1.5 lakh bio-toilets deployed are operational, they appear insufficient to handle the massive influx of people, it was contended.

Videos recorded by visitors allegedly show human waste accumulating along the riverbanks, raising serious concerns about public health and environmental safety, the plea pointed out.

The application also cited a November 2024 water quality test, which recorded Fecal Coliform levels at downstream Sangam at 3,300 MPN (Most Probable Number) per 100 milliliters, exceeding the permissible limit of 2,500 MPN/100 ml set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The presence of such contaminants could lead to diseases like cholera, hepatitis A and polio, endangering millions of devotees taking a holy dip in the Ganga, it was contended.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/latest-legal-news/ngt-seeks-response-up-open-defecation-maha-kumbh-mela

Urvashi Rautela, India’s youngest & highest-paid superstar global icon to be featured on the Instagram Forbes Rich List with a staggering social media following of 100 million across all platforms has purchased a swanky, spacious and ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge worth a massive and whopping 12.25 crores to her incredible collection of cars. With this massive purchase, Urvashi Rautela has also become the first-ever outsider actress to own this limited-edition masterpiece car which is owned typically by the richie-rich of this country. Prior to Urvashi Rautela, some of the other proud owners of this car include names like Mukesh Ambani & Shah Rukh Khan.

Urvashi Rautela has had a great and successful run in the movies in 2024 and even 2025 started on a high for her with the success of ‘Daaku Maharaaj’ and fans believe this is indeed a sweet way for rewarding herself for the good work that she has done. The actress took to her social media handle to give her fans a sneak-peek into her sensational purchase. Looking alluring and a class apart in her mesmerizing red shimmery gown with diamond earrings, Urvashi Rautela can be seen casually posing in front of her new beast. Urvashi’s new Rolls-Royce Cullinan is equipped with a powerful 6.75 litre, twin-turbocharged V12 engine that’s the best in class and segment. Immediately after her purchase and the post on social media, the photos are going viral everywhere. Check out below –

Source : https://www.spotboye.com/trending/trending-news/breaking-urvashi-rautela-becomes-the-first-ever-outsider-indian-actress-to-buy-rolls-royce-cullinan-black-badge-worth-12-25-crores/67b84cc6e4cc4f51c1985e3c 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, reportedly being “sidelined” by the Congress over his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala government’s policies, put up a cryptic post on X Saturday, stating, that being wise is sometimes a mistake.
Sharing a quote from English poet Thomas Gray’s poem ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’, Tharoor wrote, “Though of the Day: “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.”
The post comes amid buzz of a rift between him and the Congress.

According to a report, Tharoor is “unhappy” after his recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi failed to address his concerns over his role in the party.

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Saturday ordered the suspension of the state transport buses to Karnataka after an MSRTC bus was attacked in the neighbouring state.

Mr Sarnaik said the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus, which was travelling from Bengaluru to Mumbai, was attacked in Chitradurga around 9.10 pm on Friday by pro-Kannada activists.

They also blackened the face of driver Bhaskar Jadhav and assaulted him, the minister said.

A police case has been registered in Karnataka in connection with the alleged attack.

“Bus services to Karnataka won’t be resumed unless the Karnataka government makes its stand clear on the issue,” he said.

On the same day, a conductor of the state-owned transport corporation bus of Karnataka was allegedly assaulted on the outskirts of the district headquarters town of Belagavi bordering Maharashtra, for not replying to a girl in Marathi.

It is unclear whether the attack on the MSRTC bus in Chitradurga was in retaliation to the alleged assault on the conductor.

Mr Sarnaik said the MSRTC bus (MH-14 KQ 7714) had barely crossed Chitradurga when pro-Kannada activists attacked the vehicle.

Four people have been arrested in another case for allegedly assaulting the conductor in Belagavi, the police said. The conductor has also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, they said.

With tears in his eyes, the 51-year-old conductor, Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, on Friday told reporters that a girl who boarded the bus with her male friend at Sulebhavi village spoke in Marathi. Hukkeri said he told her that he did not know Marathi and asked her to speak in Kannada.

“When I said I don’t know Marathi, the girl abused me saying that I must learn Marathi. Suddenly a large number of people gathered and assaulted me on my head and all over the body,” the conductor said.

The injured bus conductor was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, police said, adding he got minor injuries and was out of danger.

“A case was registered and we have arrested four people in connection with the assault on the conductor and based on a counter complaint lodged by the girl, who is 14 years old, a case was registered against the conductor under POCSO for allegedly using derogatory remarks against her,” a senior police officer said.

“No arrest has been made yet in connection with the POCSO case. We need to investigate and look into the allegations and accordingly, further action will be taken,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang said, four accused have been arrested in connection with assault on the conductor. Three teams led by as many inspectors have been formed to arrest the other accused who are on the run.

“All those involved in the incident will be arrested soon,” he said.

A counter case has come from the opposite side, accusing the conductor of misbehaving with the girl. A case was registered on Friday night in this regard, he said.

“We are doing the investigation and we will see what is the truth. Accordingly, we will take action as per law….during the investigation we will get statements from other passengers on the bus. We will be very neutral,” he said.

Pointing out that the region has been witnessing tension because of the border issue for long and this incident may trigger a problem, the Commissioner said in response to a question. He also said that he had spoken to the neighbouring district’s SP to ensure law and order.

“The issue can be handled through an investigation. There is nothing to be concerned about it. Peace must be maintained by everyone,” he added.

Following the incident, pro-Kannada activists staged a protest on Saturday by blocking the Belagavi-Bagalkote road and burning effigies. They were whisked away in a police van.

Similarly, activists staged a protest in front of Marihal police station condemning the alleged attack on the conductor and terming the case registered against him as false. They were also taken away from the spot by the police.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-suspends-bus-services-to-karnataka-after-attack-on-driver-7771374

Anand Mahindra on Kash Patel: Business tycoon Anand Mahindra, known for his highly engaging social media presence and witty remarks, has once again captured everyone’s attention with his response to an X user who suggested he gift a Thar SUV to Kash Patel.

Patel, an Indian-American citizen, is set to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), one of the most powerful intelligence and security services in the US. He was officially sworn in as the new Director of the FBI on Friday.

Anand Mahindra on Kash Patel: Business tycoon Anand Mahindra, known for his highly engaging social media presence and witty remarks, has once again captured everyone’s attention with his response to an X user who suggested he gift a Thar SUV to Kash Patel.

Patel, an Indian-American citizen, is set to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), one of the most powerful intelligence and security services in the US. He was officially sworn in as the new Director of the FBI on Friday.

In response, an X user named Harshit commented, “Inko bhi Thar gift kar do sir (Gift him a Thar too, sir).” Continuing with his humorous style, Mahindra’s reply sparked interest online.

“Hmmm. Thar ke layak toh lagta hai ye shaks (Hmm. This man does seem worthy of a Thar),” Mahindra replied to the X user. The interaction quickly went viral, with social media users praising Mahindra’s wit.

Harshit’s reply was not without context, as Anand Mahindra has previously gifted cars from his auto company to several prominent personalities in recognition of their achievements.

Previously, Anand Mahindra had gifted a brand-new Mahindra Scorpio-N to Sheetal Devi, India’s first armless archer. Further, Naushad Khan, father of India batter Sarfaraz Khan, was also gifted a Thar by the Mahindra Group chairman.

Meanwhile, Kash Patel recently grabbed headlines as he emerged as one of the most influential appointees of the Trump administration following his appointment as FBI director.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/new-fbi-director-kash-patel-deserves-a-thar-see-anand-mahindras-viral-response-to-x-user-9237473.html

A prisoner from Dausa’s Salawas jail on Friday night allegedly threatened to kill Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, police said.

Police said that 29-year-old Rinku, serving life sentence in a rape case, called the Jaipur police control room and threatened to kill the chief minister.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/rajasthan/prisoner-threatens-to-kill-rajasthan-cm-bhajanlal-sharma-3417108

The Railway Ministry issued a clarification after some social media posts claimed that it had asked X to remove all stampede videos from the platform. The railways spokesperson, in a post on X, said it only requested for removal of sensitive content and disturbing images “to uphold the dignity of victims, especially women”.

“Please refrain from spreading fake news,” read the post.

According to the sources, the decision was taken after some stampede-affected family members requested the ministry to initiate the process as the pictures and videos are disrespectful to the the dead, and very disturbing and traumatising to the survivors and their relatives.

Eighteen passengers died and many others were injured in the stampede near platform number 14 of New Delhi Railway Station allegedly due to confusion on the announcement of two Prayagraj-bound trains.

Earlier today, postmortem reports revealed that 15 of the 18 victims died due to traumatic asphyxia (suffocation), which happened due to heavy pressure on the chest. Two people died due to hemorrhagic shock, which happened due to severe injury to the chest. While one person died due to heavy pressure on the head.

Meanwhile, days after the tragedy the railways established holding areas in various stations as part of its preparation in anticipation of a surge in Maha Kumbh pilgrims during the final week of the religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

“This initiative aims to improve crowd management and enhance passenger safety, especially during peak hours and festive seasons,” the ministry said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/new-delhi-railway-station-stampede-fact-check-did-railways-ask-x-to-remove-all-stampede-videos-7765014

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab after one of the ministers in the state cabinet was found to have been running a non-existent department for nearly 20 months.

Dhaliwal has been in the spotlight as Punjab’s NRI Affairs minister ever since the US deported the first lot of illegal migrants to Amritsar on February 5, followed by two other such flights.

In a gazette notification, the Punjab government said the Department of Administrative Reforms, which was allocated to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, was no longer in existence. Dhaliwal will now only hold the portfolio of NRI Affairs in the state Cabinet.

“In partial modification of Punjab Government Notification No. 2/1/2022-2Cabinet/2230 dated 23.09.2024, regarding allocation of portfolios amongst the Ministers, the Department of Administrative Reforms earlier allotted to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Cabinet Minister is not in existence as on date,” read the notification.

Dhaliwal was earlier allotted the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, but was relieved of the position during a Cabinet reshuffle in May 2023, as per reports. He was assigned the NRI Affairs portfolio as well as Administrative Reforms after that reshuffle, which he retained after a September 2024 cabinet reshuffle.

The BJP reacted sharply to this development, accusing Dhaliwal of running a department for 20 months that never existed. “Imagine for 20 months the CM did not even know that a minister was running a NON EXISTENT DEPARTMENT,” said BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.

“You can imagine the crisis in Punjab government if it took nearly 20 months to realise that a department assigned to one of its prominent ministers never actually existed. Arvind Kejriwal is a charlatan who must be banished from public life,” said BJP IT Department In-charge Amit Malviya.

Even Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal lashed out at AAP for ministers being ignorant of the portfolios they hold. “All this is happening because ministers have no role in governance as the govt is being run in remote control from Delhi,” she said.

A source told The Indian Express that after Dhaliwal was given the Administrative Reforms department, he asked the government for clarity as his department did not have a secretary.

“He was told that the administrative reforms was a part of the governance reforms department only. The department was about ushering the department in the era of information technology. Now with the notification, the confusion has been sorted,” the source said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/aap-minister-in-punjab-found-running-non-existent-department-for-20-months-bjp-reacts-9236527.html

The Cyber Cell of Maharashtra Police on Friday lodged a case against at least 4 editors of Wikipedia for not taking down “objectionable” content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open-source encyclopedia.
The agency had earlier sent a notice to the California-based Wikimedia Foundation. The action followed claims by various organisations about the existence of defamatory information related to Sambhaji Maharaj, on Wikipedia, the open source encyclopedia.
The objections came against the backdrop of the recently released Hindi film “Chhava”, based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, PTI reported.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Maharashtra Cyber to approach Wikipedia and ask for the removal of the objectionable content about Sambhaji Maharaj.

According to a report by PTI, the notice was sent under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act and section 168 (Prevention of cognisable offences) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The notice maintained that the Wikipedia content was inaccurate and lacked proper references or sources, inciting communal hatred as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is highly revered in India.
The Maharashtra Cyber stated that “this misinformation is causing unrest among his followers and could potentially lead to the law-and-order situation.
Considering the gravity of the situation and its potential impact, Maharashtra Cyber also directed the Wikimedia Foundation to remove the objectionable content in a timely manner and prevent its re-uploading in the future, the official added.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/4-wikipedia-editors-booked-for-not-removing-objectionable-content-on-sambhaji-maharaj-article-118449864

A clash broke out between two groups in Bihar’s Sasaram over cheating in the matriculation examination on Friday. One student was shot dead and two were injured in the incident, according to PTI.
“A gunfight between students took place… one of the students received bullet injury in the leg and another in the back. One of the students succumbed to injury during treatment,” a police official told the news agency.

“Villagers along with family members of the deceased student tried to block the highway, however, we ensured them of action in the case. They were convinced and took the body for final rites,” he added.

Visuals from the spot showed locals and police camping on the road as tyres burn, blocking the traffic.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/clash-over-cheating-in-exam-hall-in-bihars-sasaram-one-student-dead-two-others-injured-video-article-118446409

A man allegedly locked his ailing mother at home and went to Prayagraj for a holy dip at Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws, reported PTI. The woman was rescued after neighbours heard a crying sound from the house.
Akhilesh Kumar had locked his 65-year-old mother, Sanju Devi, inside his Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) quarter in Subhash Nagar colony in Ranchi’s Ramgarh, the police said. He went to Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws.
The woman was locked in the home since Monday and survived on Chura (flattened rice). The neighbours came to know about her when she cried in hunger for help, police said.

The woman’s daughter Chandni Devi, who resides around five kilometres away from the CCL quarter in Kahubera, said that she got the information about her mother over the phone from neighbours. Later, the woman was rescued by the police.

“The elderly woman, identified as Sanju Devi, was locked by her son, Akhilesh Kumar, in his CCL quarter since Monday. Kumar along with his family went to Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. She was rescued on Wednesday after her daughter informed police,” said Ramgarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Parmeshwar Prasad.
The police said that Akhilesh Kumar said that his mother was unwell and they came to Prayagraj after making all arrangements for her food and drink. “Police rescued her after breaking the lock. The neighbours immediately gave her food. She was also given medicines and admitted to CCL hospital,” the woman’s daughter told reporters.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/locked-at-home-ailing-mother-survived-on-chura-as-son-visited-maha-kumbh-with-wife-in-laws-article-118444635

A men’s right organisation posted on X last week that the Hindi film ‘Mrs’ (see box), now running, was spreading ‘toxic feminism’.

The Hindi film, a remake of a Malayalam hit, tells the story of a woman confined to the kitchen and assigned household chores. She eventually rebels and walks out of her marriage.

Lawyers have observed a steadily increasing number of women approaching them for divorce when they feel their freedom is being curbed.

Advocate B N Nagaraja says about 40 per cent of the divorce cases he has handled involve conflicts over restriction of identity and “being ordered to do menial chores”.

“Women between 25 and 35 mostly approach us. These problems are often termed as silly by parents and society. However, women are now highly qualified and want to build careers,” he says.

Advocate Mrudula Vanangamudi, who works with Alternative Law Forum, says that cruelty and domestic violence can include verbal, emotional, economic, sexual and other forms of abuse.

About 30 per cent of cases she has handled involve women who file for divorce as they feel they are denied the freedom to shape their own identity.

Although this may not always convince the courts to dissolve the marriage, many couples end up negotiating at length and dissolving the marriage, she says.

Advocate Bojamma P K says that such cases are tried under mental cruelty in Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, Special Marriage Act of 1954, Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act of 1939, and the Indian Divorce Act of 1869.

Women’s rights groups and mental health counsellors also shared with Metrolife about similar cases they have come across.

Rights groups say…

Priya Varadarajan, founder of Durga India, an NGO working on gender equality, says denial of opportunities, emotional abuse, and disproportionate household work are common concerns.

Many women, typically in their late 20s to 30s, approach Durga India for mediation and help, citing problems like possessiveness and restrictions on dressing. Notably, 35 per cent of the 600 women Durga India worked with in the last year complained about denial of opportunities.

Smitha Kumar, programme coordinator at Vimochana, highlights that young women often seek help due to conflicts arising from expectations around cooking, praying, and work timings.

“Women are expected to follow certain rules for safety and to keep up family ideals,” she notes. Marital disputes account for 70 per cent of Vimochana’s cases, with 35 per cent leading to divorce. Last year, 250 of the 1,030 complaints they received were related to financial and emotional abuse, disrespect, and restrictions at home.

Toll on mental health

According to psychotherapist and counsellor Tasneem Nakhoda, even open-minded men say household responsibilities are neglected when their partners focus on their careers.

About 80 per cent of cases she has handled in the past three years have involved marital difficulties. “Within these cases, around 15 per cent involve women restricted to household duties, while around 30 per cent concern women not being allowed to work,” she says.

Psychiatrist Safiya M S says 40 to 50 per cent of her patients are working professionals struggling with identity crises as “good wives and daughters-in-law”. They are typically between 23 and 36, she notes.

In some households, women are expected to wash clothes by hand and adhere to traditional habits, leading to conflicts.

“In other homes, the wife is expected to make the first cup of tea for her husband. Regardless of fatigue, wives are required to wake up early and prepare meals for the family. In some families, all decisions must be made after consulting elders,” she says.

Safiya adds: “Often, businessmen and men from upper-middle-class and upper-class families restrict their partners from working outside.” Women then experience a lack of validation, time, and personal space, she observes.

Psychologist Nithya J Rao says women in toxic marriages are often not allowed to seek counselling until their distress becomes somatic.

“Women from upper classes are often given dummy roles in family businesses, with no financial gain, or they are restricted to teaching and secretarial positions,” she says.

Nithya has observed that “a person in a toxic relationship tries to leave for 13 years” before actually doing it.

What happened?

Bollywood film ‘Mrs’, released on OTT on February 7, is a remake of the Malayalam film ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’. It addresses topics like suppression of a woman’s identity, trivialising of her desires, and dismissal of her needs.

On February 12, Save Indian Family Foundation, a Bengaluru- and Delhi-based men’s rights group, posted on X that men work for eight to nine hours at construction sites, railway stations, airports, and factories, while women do household chores and attend to the family. The post questioned how the latter was considered oppression.

Case studies

Many women, including Bengalureans Seema and Joceline T (names changed), are seeking divorce as they feel they are in similar circumstances.

Seema, a marketing professional, was asked to quit her high-paying job to attend to household duties. With spats with her husband rising, she filed for a divorce.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/is-ott-film-mrs-pitting-women-against-men-3415007

Actor Abhishek Banerjee is shooting for a brand-new film in Prayagraj. The project, which remains tightly under wraps, is already generating anticipation as it is expected to be one of the most significant films in Abhishek’s career.

Abhishek Spotted shooting in Prayagraj with his co- actor Shahana Goswami and crew of the film, they all looked immersed in the spiritual energy surrounding the Maha Kumbh. With the city which is witnessing grand event, the atmosphere is charged with devotion, and the actor is keen to bring his performance to life in this unique setting.

The details of the film, including the storyline and cast, are yet to be disclosed, When we contacted Abhishek for confirmation, he responded, “Yes, I am currently shooting for a film, but I can’t share many details about it. However, I am completely immersed in my performance and deeply experience the spiritual energy of being in Prayagraj.” According to the industry insiders, it could be one of Abhishek’s most ambitious projects to date. Given his track record of choosing compelling and unconventional roles, expectations are high for what this new venture will bring.

Source : https://www.spotboye.com/bollywood/news/abhishek-banerjee-shoots-for-a-new-film-in-prayagraj-amidst-maha-kumbh-festivities/67b6c4ade4cc4f51c1985d7e

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on Thursday due to stomach-related issues The 78-year-old Congress veteran is doing fine and is likely to be discharged on Friday, PTI reported quoting sources.
Gandhi had turned 78 in December.
While the exact time of admission could not be immediately known, a source said, she was admitted on Thursday morning. She is under the observation of a team of doctors, PTI said quoting sources.

She is under the care of Dr Samiran Nundy, gastroenterology specialist.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, in a statement, said, “Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi this morning at 8:30 am due to stomach related issues. She underwent a routine check-up and is now stable and is under observation.”
Sonia Gandhi’s most recent public appearance was during the Rajya Sabha session on February 13, 2025, as part of the Parliament’s Budget session.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/sonia-gandhi-admitted-to-hospital-in-delhi-to-be-discharged-tomorrow-report-article-118426376

India is expected to have “limited impact” by the proposed US reciprocal tariff as the country’s economy is mainly driven by domestic demand, and has substantial services exports, according to a recent report. US President Donald Trump has labelled India as a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king” as he vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs on US’s trading partners.
So, will the US’s reciprocal tariffs slowdown India’s GDP growth?
A recent State Bank of India (SBI) report estimated decline of only 3 to 3.5 per cent, even with tariffs ranging from 15 to 20 per cent. “Tariff reciprocity may turn out to be more of white noise…Our estimates show overall incremental tariff levels even at 15%-20% imposed by USA would still limit the impact on exports to US only in the range of 3-3.5%,” said SBI in its report.

The report also said that this impact would be negated through higher export goals, as India has diversified its exports kitty, pitched value addition, exploring alternate areas and works on new routes that transcend from Europe to USA via the Middle-East, redrawing new supply chain algorithms that foster strategic inclusivity.

“While there is a lot of white noise and froth in the broader markets regarding the extent of impact of tariff on India under proposed ‘Fair & Reciprocal Plan’ that seeks to correct (from US perspectives) longstanding imbalances in international trade and ensure fairness across the board, we understand the overall bilateral negotiations provide a collateral benefit to India,” read the report by SBI’s Economic Research Department.
S&P Global Ratings, Economist Asia-Pacific, Vishrut Rana said the reciprocal tariff will hurt countries like Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan more as they have high trade surplus with the US.
The Indian economy has two mitigating factors — greater reliance on domestic economy and larger services trade with the US, which is not likely to be tariffed.
“India’s dependence on exports for growth is not that great. So, therefore, I think the impact (of US tariffs) will be more or less limited,” S&P Global Ratings, Director, Sovereigns (Asia-Pacific) YeeFarn Phua said.

The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of 50 Indian nationals being deported to Panama from the United States as part of the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants there.

“We would have thought that Indian citizens deported by the Trump Administration would be sent back to India with dignity. Such deportations have taken place in a most inhuman and demeaning manner. Now come reports that more Indian citizens have been deported but to Panama. What is going on?” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

The Congress response comes a day after the government said that it is working closely with the authorities in Panama ensure the well-being of Indians who arrived from the US to the Latin American country.

“Panamanian authorities have informed us that a group of Indians have reached Panama from US. They are safe and secure at a Hotel with all essential facilities. Embassy team has obtained consular access. We are working closely with the host Government to ensure their wellbeing,” the Indian embassy in Panama posted on X.

299 illegal immigrants sent to Panama by US

According to a PTI report, the group of Indians is part of a larger group of 299 migrants sent to Panama by the US government.

These people arrived in the country on three flights last week after President Jose Raul Mulino agreed that Panama would become a “bridge” country for deportees.

Out of the 299 undocumented migrants who landed in Panama, only 171 have agreed to return to their countries of origin, the report added.

Ninety-eight deportees who refused to voluntarily be repatriated to their countries have been sent to a camp in Panama’s Darien province.

The migrants include people from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, according to Mulino.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-is-going-on-congress-on-indian-deportees-moved-to-panama-from-us-101740107737698.html

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided the house of and questioned Simran Preet Panesar, a 32-year-old former Air Canada manager, who is facing a Canada-wide warrant for his alleged role in the April 2023 gold robbery at the North American nation’s Toronto Pearson International Airport.

An ED team arrived at Simran Preet Panesar’s residence at Sector 79 in Punjab’s Mohali on Friday morning.

“Our teams are in the process of questioning him,” a senior ED officer said.

The Indian Express earlier reported about Panesar living on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

The ED, the central agency which probes financial crimes, has, in a rare instance of investigating a crime beyond India’s territorial boundaries, has launched a money-laundering probe into the case as the accused is now in India.

The idea, officers aware of the matter said, is to investigate if the gold or its proceeds made their way to the country.

Toronto Pearson gold heist

On April 17, 2023, fake paperwork was used to steal an air cargo container carrying gold bars, from a secure storage facility at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The stolen cargo contained 6,600 bars of .9999 pure gold weighing 400 kg, valued at over 20 million Canadian Dollars (CAD), and foreign currency worth 2.5 million CAD. The gold and currency had arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland, in Toronto, and were destined for a bank in Canada’s largest city.

Shortly after the flight landed, the cargo was offloaded and transported to a separate location on airport property. However, a day later, it was reported ‘missing’ to the police.

The Peel Regional Police (PRP), which described the theft as the ‘biggest gold heist in Canada ever,’ charged nine, including Simran Preet Panesar, in April 2024, and issued an arrest warrant against him. Panesar and another accused, Parampal Sidhu, lived in Brampton, and worked at Toronto Pearson’s warehouse facility.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/atishis-breaking-promises-allegation-after-delhi-cm-rekha-guptas-first-cabinet-meeting-101740100065034.html

A truck driver suffered a heart attack while driving, causing a series of accidents which resulted in the death of one person in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi Wednesday night.

The truck, which was travelling from Shahapur in Yadgir district towards Kalaburagi, went out of control when the driver experienced a medical emergency. The vehicle collided with multiple autos, bikes, and an electric pole before it finally came to a stop.

Mohammad Ali, a 32-year-old vegetable trader, was killed on the spot.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/1-dead-after-truck-driver-suffers-heart-attack-hits-multiple-vehicles-in-karnataka-7759205

For years, she stayed untouchable. But the law finally caught up with the ‘Lady Don’ of Delhi. Zoya Khan, the wife of notorious gangster Hashim Baba, was arrested for possessing 270 grams of heroin, worth approximately Rs 1 crore in the international market.

Zoya, 33, had long been on the radar of law enforcement but always managed to stay a few steps ahead. She managed her jailed husband’s criminal empire by running his gang while ensuring that no direct evidence could link her to illegal activities. Despite suspicions about her role, the police had never been able to build a solid case — until now.

Hashim Baba has dozens of cases against him, ranging from murder and extortion to arms smuggling. Zoya Khan is his third wife. Before marrying Hashim Baba in 2017, Zoya was married to another man. After her divorce, she came into contact with Baba. The two were neighbours in North East Delhi where they fell in love.

Empire Of Crime

After Baba was jailed, Zoya took over the gang’s operations. According to sources, Zoya’s role in her husband’s gang was that of Haseena Parkar, the sister of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who once controlled his illegal businesses. Sources in the Delhi Police Special Cell say that Zoya was deeply involved in managing extortion and drug supply.

Unlike a typical crime boss, Zoya maintained a certain image. She attended high-profile parties, flaunted expensive clothes, and indulged in luxury brands – details evident from her presence on social media where she enjoys a large following.

Zoya frequently visited her husband in Tihar Jail. Police sources say Baba trained her in coded language, giving her tips and advice on how to manage the gang’s finances and operations. She also maintained direct contact with his associates outside prison, as well as with other criminals.

For years, the Special Cell and Crime Branch of the Delhi Police struggled to catch her. This time, however, the Special Cell succeeded. Acting on intelligence, the police arrested Zoya in the Welcome area of North East Delhi. She was caught red-handed with a large quantity of heroin, allegedly sourced from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar for further distribution.

The police suspect that Zoya also provided shelter to shooters involved in the Nadir Shah murder case. Mr Shah, a gym owner in South Delhi’s posh Greater Kailash-1 area, was shot dead in September 2024. Last month, she was interrogated at the Lodhi Colony office of the Special Cell in connection with the shooting.

Family Background 

For Zoya, crime is a family enterprise. Her mother was jailed in 2024 for her alleged involvement in a sex trafficking ring. She is currently out on bail. Her father was linked to drug supply networks. Zoya herself operated from different locations in North East Delhi, particularly Usmanpur, always surrounded by 4-5 armed henchmen –loyalists of her gangster husband.

The North East Delhi region has long been associated with criminal gangs, including the Chhenu gang, the Hashim Baba gang, and the Nasir Pehelwan gang, among others. While these groups initially focused on drug trafficking, their conflicts have resulted in a series of violent murders after 2007.

Baba’s gang amassed massive extortion revenue, much of which was funnelled to Zoya.

Links To Lawrence Bishnoi

Baba’s name surfaced in the Nadir Shah murder case last year. While in Tihar Jail, he allegedly confessed to his role in the killing and implicated Lawrence Bishnoi – another jailed gangster who runs a massive network of shooters, involved in the murder of musician Sidhu Moose Wala and the firing incident outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence.

Former Delhi CM and AAP leader Atishi targeted the BJP government and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for not approving the proposal to provide financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to the women of Delhi in its first cabinet meeting as promised.

She accused BJP of breaking its promises and said BJP made up their mind to cheat the people of Delhi.

In a self-made video, Atishi said, “BJP had promised the women of Delhi that in the first cabinet meeting itself, they would pass the scheme in which women of Delhi would be getting Rs 2,500. The new CM Rekha Gupta and her cabinet ministers took oath. In the evening, at 7 pm, the first cabinet meeting took place. All the women of Delhi were expecting that scheme to be passed…The first day itself BJP started breaking their promises…they did not pass the scheme…BJP has made up their mind to cheat people of Delhi.”

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who chaired the first cabinet meeting after taking the oath, announced that her government will implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme with Rs 5 lakh top-up and present the 14 pending CAG reports in the first sitting of Assembly.

Addressing a press conference, she said that the Delhi government will implement the Centre’s flagship scheme in the national capital. This was a pre-poll promise of the BJP, which had targeted the AAP government for not implementing the scheme.

She also announced the tabling of CAG reports, which had not been tabled by the AAP government.

“In the first Cabinet meeting, we discussed and passed two agendas – to implement in Delhi the Ayushman Bharat scheme with Rs 5 lakhs top up and tabling of 14 CAG reports in the first seating of the Assembly. We will fulfil all the commitments that we have made to the people.” Rekha Gupta said.

She said the Delhi government will pay for the top-up and will sign a MoU with the Centre.

Asked about AAP leader and former Chief Minister Atishi pointing out that BJP had promised to pass the scheme to provide Rs 2,500 to women every month in the first cabinet meeting, Rekha Gupta said the BJP government will set its agenda.

“It’s our government; the agenda will be ours. Let us work. She doesn’t need to tell us everything; she has done what she has to while in power,” she said.

Rekha Gupta also announced portfolios of her council of ministers.

Rekha Gupta will have portfolios of General Administration, Services, Finance, Revenue, Women and Child Development, Land and Building, Information and Public Relations, Vigilance, Administrative Reforms, Planning and other departments not allocated to any other ministry.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/bjp-started-breaking-its-promises-aap-leader-atishi-criticises-delhi-cm-rekha-gupta-for-not-passing-2500-per-month-scheme

The holy water from the Sangam will be brought to all the jails and mixed with regular water and stored in a small tank within the jail premises. All the prisoners will bathe in the water after prayers, the officials said.

The Uttar Pradesh jail administration is making arrangements to bring holy water from Prayagraj’s Sangam to 75 jails across the state, allowing inmates to participate in the Maha Kumbh. According to the Office of UP Jail Minister Dara Singh Chauhan, the programme will take place in all the jails on February 21, from 9.30 am to 10 am. Over 90,000 inmates are currently lodged in 75 jails, including seven central prisons, across the state, the Prison Department officials said.
Director General (DG) of Prisons PV Ramasastry said that arrangements are being made under the supervision of the jail minister.
The holy water from the Sangam will be brought to all the jails and mixed with regular water and stored in a small tank within the jail premises. All the prisoners will bathe in the water after prayers, the officials said.

Minister Chauhan, along with senior jail officials, is expected to attend a programme at Lucknow jail on February 21.

Gorakhpur District Jail Jailor AK Kushwaha said that the prison administration has sent prison guard Arun Maurya to collect the holy water from Prayagraj’s Sangam
The ‘gangajal’ will be mixed with regular water to ensure inmates can also take part in the Maha Kumbh, he said.
Senior Superintendent at Prayagraj’s Naini Central Jail Rang Bahadur said similar arrangements will be made for inmates on February 21.
Prayagraj District Jail Senior Superintendent Amita Dubey confirmed that around 1,350 prisoners are excited about the ‘snan’ as they will get a chance to take part in the grand event despite their confinement.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/maha-kumbh-how-90000-up-jail-inmates-will-take-holy-dip-with-sangam-water-article-118389285

The BJP has named Rekha Gupta as Delhi’s new Chief Minister. A seasoned BJP leader, Gupta has held key roles in student politics, municipal governance, and party leadership. She will take the oath on February 20.

Rekha Gupta on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) named her for the top post in the national capital following the party’s resounding victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. The decision was announced after a party meeting on Wednesday.
Gupta, a senior BJP leader, has played a crucial role in the party’s state and national leadership and is set to take the oath of office on February 20 at 11:00 am along six other ministers.
Gupta contested the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections from the Shalimar Bagh constituency and secured 68,200 votes, defeating AAP’s Bandana Kumari by a margin of 29,595 votes, according to the Election Commission of India.

Powerlifter Yashtika Acharya Dies: Yashtika Acharya was training with her coach when the heavy rod slipped and fell on her.

Yashtika Acharya- a 17-year-old gold-medallist powerlifter, died during training in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district in a tragic accident when a 270-kg weightlifting rod fell on her neck.

The incident happened while she was practicing in the gym, police said, as videos of Yashtika Acharya lifting the rod were widely shared on social media.

As per officials, Yashtika Acharya was training with her coach when the heavy rod slipped and fell on her. The impact was severe and resulted in her neck breaking. Her trainer, who was assisting her during the practice, also suffered minor injuries.

Source: https://www.news18.com/viral/gold-medallist-powerlifter-yashtika-acharya-dies-after-270-kg-rod-slips-and-falls-on-her-neck-video-9233453.html

The names of several locations, including Allahabad and Faizabad, have been changed under Adityanath’s tenure, a move that has often sparked debate.

Amid ongoing criticism over the Maha Kumbh’s organisation, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, targeting the BJP government’s renaming of places in the state.

The names of several locations, including Allahabad and Faizabad, have been changed under Adityanath’s tenure, a move that has often sparked debate.

However, defending the event’s planning, Adityanath said, “Cricketer Mohammed Shami also took bath in the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. There was no discrimination.”

“Now, will you change the name of a cricketer too?” Akhilesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Cricketer Mohammad Kaif took a dip in the Yamuna River in Prayagraj nearly two weeks before the Maha Kumbh began on January 13.

A resident of Prayagraj, Kaif shared a video on X on December 29, 2024, where he was seen jumping into the cold waters from a boat. In his post, he recalled learning to swim in the same river.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister has been countering criticism from the Opposition over claims that the Maha Kumbh organisers failed to ensure smooth arrangements.

Opposition leaders have pointed to incidents such as stampedes, massive traffic congestion stretching hundreds of kilometres, and concerns over high faecal coliform levels in the water to question the event’s management.

Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hit back at criticism of the Maha Kumbh, saying that over 56.25 crore devotees had already taken a holy dip in Prayagraj.

Calling allegations and “fake videos” against the event an attack on the faith of millions, he said the Maha Kumbh was not linked to any political party or organisation but belonged to society.

Adityanath added that the event had gained global recognition, overcoming attempts to spread misinformation.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cricketers-name-too-akhilesh-yadav-targets-cm-yogi-adityanath-over-renaming-of-places-101739964802622.html

India is planning to step up oversight of airfares after a sharp spike in prices during the Maha Kumbh Mela (a Hindu religious gathering) was widely criticised, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Civil Aviation Ministry’s Tariff Monitoring Unit (TMU), which tracks average fares, will now also be tasked with keeping tabs on price surges during key events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela, said the people who asked not to be identified citing private discussions.

The TMU will flag fare spikes during key events to the civil aviation regulator, which will consult the airlines and find a solution either through reduction of fares or by adding more flights, the people said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will not tolerate price surges of more than 200-250 per cent, one of the people said.

The Aviation Ministry and the DGCA didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The review was triggered by an avalanche of complaints from fliers about inflated pricing by airlines during the more than a month-long Maha Kumbh festival, billed as the largest human gathering ever.

Although there are a dozen domestic carriers operating in the Indian skies, the market is dominated by IndiGo with a 64.4 per cent share and Air India group with 26.5 per cent — a position that gives them a greater say in setting prices.

Airfares to Prayagraj, the site of the religious gathering, saw an immediate reduction of 30 per cent to 50 per cent after the DGCA intervened last month. Airlines added more flights to balance the demand-supply mismatch.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-plans-more-airfare-oversight-as-kumbh-mela-costs-stoke-ire-3413653

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha has announced a scholarship in memory of Prakriti Lamsal, the 20-year-old Nepalese student of the private engineering institute who died allegedly by suicide at her hostel room on February 16, leading to unrest on the campus.

The announcement was made by KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta on Wednesday, who met the deceased student’s father and uncle, offering his deepest condolences, according to a statement issued by the institute.

“A scholarship would be instituted in Lamsal’s name as a tribute to her memory,” Samanta said.

Senior officials from Nepal’s New Delhi Embassy also met students from their country on the campus on Wednesday, assuring them that similar incidents would not be repeated.

“KIIT has taken proactive measures to facilitate the return of those who are yet to return,” the statement said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/odisha/kiit-announces-scholarship-in-memory-of-nepalese-student-prakriti-lamsal-3413649

Outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease surged to the highest on record in 2024, in the latest example of unusual surges of even the most common bacterial and viral ailments across the world.

India recorded over 1,000 outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease across the country as of Dec 22, according to the latest data from the federal health ministry’s surveillance program. This is the highest level since the data was made publicly available in 2009.

The health agency also reported over 300 outbreaks of food poisoning across the country, the highest since 2019. An outbreak is defined as an illness “clearly in excess of expected numbers”, according to the ministry.

While stomach-related disorders are among the most common infectious illnesses in India, the reasons behind this exceptional surge in the outbreaks are a bit of a mystery. It also shows the lurking public health risks linked to contaminated water or food sources in the world’s most-populous country.

There has been a global resurgence of diseases in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, as historical illnesses and newer complications of existing ailments become more common across the world. Factors like climate change, rising social inequality and health-care services contribute in ways hard to measure, adding to the mounting public-health challenge.

An analysis last year by Bloomberg News and disease forecasting firm Airfinity found that 44 governments have reported the resurgence of at least one infectious disease over ten times worse than the pre-pandemic baseline.

“These infections have creeped up” over the past year, according to Amey Sonavane, a gastroenterology consultant at Apollo Hospitals in Navi Mumbai. While diarrhea isn’t deadly for most patients, “there is definitely a rise in severe cases,” he said.

Antibiotic overuse is also leading to higher severity of cases, as it compels pathogens to develop resistance to existing therapies and leads to patients staying sick for longer, Sonavane said.

Diarrhea is an infection caused by a range of bacterial and viral pathogens, according to the World Health Organization. Among the most common viral causes of diarrhea are rotavirus and norovirus, while the most common bacterial pathogens include Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter.

One of the potential complications of these infections is Guillain Barre Syndrome — a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly starts attacking the peripheral nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes, paralysis.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/record-stomach-flu-outbreaks-in-india-show-lurking-health-risks-3411941

Police intercepted a drone camera flying over the Ram temple route here during a trial of an anti-drone system on Tuesday and shot it down, officials said.
Police lodged an FIR stating that it was a deep conspiracy to create chaos at the Ram temple that might kill devotees in large number.
However, police refused to give further details saying a probe is on in the case.

According to sources, the conspirator has been identified and he is from Gurugram, Haryana.

Earlier, officials said a bomb disposal squad conducted a thorough examination of the drone camera and confirmed that there was no security threat. The case has been registered at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station.
The authorities in Ayodhya have activated the anti-drone security mechanism. Flying drones over the Ram temple is strictly prohibited.
“This system can detect any drone within a 2.5-kilometre radius. During the drill, security forces intercepted a drone camera hovering over the Ram Janmabhoomi temple route,” a police official said.
Police have launched an investigation to trace the drone operator, with intelligence agencies maintaining strict vigilance.
Earlier this year, a senior officer in Lucknow told PTI that the Uttar Pradesh Police had used the high-tech and sophistication anti-drone system for the first time during the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ram temple here on January 22, 2024.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/deep-conspiracy-at-ayodhyas-ram-mandir-police-shoot-down-drone-near-temple-article-118365786

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji on his birth anniversary on Wednesday.

PM Modi said on X, “His valour and visionary leadership laid the foundation for Swarajya, inspiring generations to uphold the values of courage and justice. He inspires us in building a strong, self-reliant and prosperous India.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-jayanti-pm-narendra-modi-pays-homage-to-chhatrapati-shivaji-on-his-birth-anniversary-7743278

Days after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, scrapped a $21 million grant intended to boost “voter turnout” in India, President Donald Trump defended the move and questioned why US taxpayers’ money was used for this initiative.

“Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout? In India? What about voter turnout here?” President Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

On February 16, DOGE published a list of taxpayer-funded programs that have been cut, including the $21 million allocated for India’s voter turnout. The announcement was made via a post on X, where DOGE laid out a series of foreign assistance programs deemed excessive or unjustifiable.

“US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled,” DOGE declared.

Alongside the India voter turnout funds, the list of scrapped funding included a $29 million grant for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” and $39 million for “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal, among other international fundings.

The ruling BJP termed the now-cancelled funding “external interference” in India’s electoral process.

“$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!” said BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya in a statement

He went further, linking the initiative to what he called “systematic infiltration” of Indian institutions by foreign entities. Mr Malviya singled out billionaire investor George Soros, who has been accused by right-wing political figures worldwide of influencing domestic politics through his Open Society Foundations.

“Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,” Mr Malviya claimed.

The BJP has long been wary of foreign-funded NGOs and civil society organisations operating in India. Mr Malviya also flagged a controversial 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an organisation linked to Mr Soros’s Open Society Foundation.

According to Mr Malviya, the MoU — signed under the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government — enabled undue foreign influence over India’s electoral system.

“Ironically, those questioning the transparent and inclusive process of appointing India’s Election Commissioner — a first in our democracy, where previously the Prime Minister alone made the decision — had no hesitation in handing over the entire Election Commission of India to foreign operators,” Mr Malviya claimed.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-india-voter-turnout-elon-musk-why-are-we-giving-21-million-to-india-donald-trump-on-doge-cuts-7742802#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

An Indian immigrant who was recently deported from the United States, detailed how articles of Sikh faith such as the turban were reportedly disrespected and thrown into dustbins in detention centres for the deportees, reported PTI.

Davinder Singh, 21, was among the second batch of 116 illegal Indian immigrants brought back in a US military aircraft on the night of February 15.

Singh was sent to a detention centre after being apprehended for illegally crossing the border into the US. He detailed his traumatic experience at the centre, stating that he saw US officials throwing the turbans of Sikh undocumented immigrants into dustbins.

“It was very painful watching turbans being thrown into a dustbin,” Davinder told PTI.

Singh said that around 60-70 immigrants from different countries were kept in a hall under the constant surveillance of US officials. He, along with some other Sikh immigrants, used to recite ‘Chaupai Sahib’ and ‘Japji Sahib’, holy texts in their religion, to survive their stay.

He said that the immigrants were not provided proper food, and were given only “wafer-thin” blankets to deal with the cold as air conditioners were being run at low temperatures.

“When we would tell them we were feeling cold, they wouldn’t bother at all,” he said. Singh described his 18-day stay at the detention centre as the worst days of his life and termed it as “mentally traumatic”.

Davinder Singh added that they were only given a small packet of chips and a packet of juice five times a day. Besides that, they were given a roll of half-baked bread, half-baked rice, sweet corn, and cucumber. As a vegetarian, Davinder could not eat beef as well.

He also stated that he was only able to take a bath twice during his entire stay.

“I didn’t comb my hair for 18 days. We were wearing the same clothes, which got dirty during the travel, for 18 days,” he added.

Hailing from the village of Nangal Jalalpur in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, Singh migrated to the US for a better life, undertaking a long journey on June 28 across Amsterdam, Suriname, Guatemala and even through the Panama forest.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/turbans-thrown-into-dustbin-indian-deportee-on-stay-at-us-detention-camps-101739929054308.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special gesture on Monday by arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to receive the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad AL Thani, at the Palam Technical Airport in the national capital on Monday. The Prime Minister described the Qatar Amir as his ‘brother’ and wished him a fruitful stay in India.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. PM Modi and H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani shared a warm hug as they met each other.
Taking to X, PM Modi said, “Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.”

The Qatar Amir is on a two-day state visit to India. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials and a business delegation. He had earlier come to India on a State Visit in March 2015.

IAS officer Gyanesh Kumar was appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner on Monday. Kumar, who was serving as an Election Commissioner before this announcement, previously worked with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Kumar, a 1988-batch officer from the Kerala cadre, had also served as secretary in various ministries, including Cooperation, Parliamentary Affairs and Defence.

He is the first CEC to be appointed under the new law on the appointment of the members of the Election Commission (EC). His term will run till 26 January 2029, days before the EC is expected to announce the schedule for the next Lok Sabha election.

During his tenure as the 26th CEC, Kumar will oversee the Bihar Assembly polls later this year, and the Kerala and Puducherry Assembly polls in 2026. Similarly, he will oversee the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are also due in 2026.

The announcement by the Union Law Ministry came hours after a meeting to select the new CEC was held in the South Block office of the prime minister where PM Narendra Modi, Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi were present.

However, the vote was not unanimous as Gandhi had voted against Kumar’s appointment. According to sources, when the LoP was shown a list of names as probable candidates for the CEC, he refused to look at it and gave his dissent note, saying the meeting was “meaningless”.

Kumar was one of five candidates suggested by the search panel out of more than 485 people. He was posted as Joint Secretary, Kashmir Division, in the Amit Shah-led Home Ministry when Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/gyanesh-kumar-picked-as-new-chief-election-commissioner-9231013.html

An illustration by a four-year-old girl, whose mother was found dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Monday, has raised suspicion that the woman was assaulted and murdered by her husband, after years of alleged harassment, the police said.

The incident, which took place at Panchavati Shiv Parivar Colony under Kotwali area of ​​Jhansi, came to light when the 27-year-old woman’s in-laws told her family that she died by suicide. A drawing and a statement of the woman’s daughter, however, suggested that she was killed by her husband, and her body was hanged to make it appear as a suicide.

The woman was identified as Sonali Budholia and her husband, a medical representative, as Sandeep Budholia. Their daughter’s name is Darshita.

“Papa assaulted and killed mummy. He then said ‘die if you want to’. He hanged her body and hit her head with a stone. Later, he brought down the body and dumped it inside a sack,” Darshita, who later lit the pyre, told reporters, as she showed a drawing of the purported assault.

The child also alleged that her father had threatened to kill her mother earlier. “I had told him once that if you touch my mother, I will break your hand. He used to beat her, saying she should die and that I should meet the same fate as her,” she said.

Sonali’s father Sanjeev Tripathi, a resident of Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, said she and Sandeep got married in 2019 but have since shared a troubled relationship.

“On the wedding day, I gave them Rs 20 lakh in cash as dowry but days later, Sandeep and his family began making new demands. They wanted a car. I told them it is beyond my means to buy them a car. He and his family then started assaulting my daughter. I even approached the police over this once and we had arrived at a compromise,” he said.

The situation, however, worsened after Sonali gave birth to a girl, Sanjeev said. “Sandeep wanted a boy. After the delivery, he and his family left my daughter alone in the hospital. I had to go to the nursing home to complete the payment. I took her home. Sandeep came a month later to receive Sonali and Darshita,” he said.

Sanjeev said recently, Sonali was attending her cousin’s wedding in Jhansi’s Samthar when Sandeep called and asked her to return home.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/papa-killed-mummy-hung-body-uttar-pradesh-jhansi-daughter-drawing-raises-doubt-over-suicide-claim-7733167

Two students have been arrested for performing stunts in luxury SUVs in the middle of the outer ring road in Hyderabad. In CCTV footage from February 9, a Fortuner can be seen doing donuts (going around in circles using the handbrake) in the middle lane of the five-lane road while a BMW drives to the side after doing the same thing.

Police said the drivers of the vehicles had removed the number plates to avoid being identified but their faces could be seen on CCTV cameras. The RGI Airport police tracked down Mohammed Obaidullah (25), a resident of Rajendranagar, and Zohair Siddiqui (25), a resident of Malakpet, and arrested them on Monday. The luxury cars were also seized.

“The students were doing stunts in two different cars on the ORR (Outer Ring Road) Shamshabad. The act was captured on the closed-circuit cameras installed on the ORR stretch. A video of the students performing the stunts has gone viral,” said an official.

Last week, the Managing Director of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, VC Sajjanar, who is a former additional director of police, shared a video of a boy performing a wheelie on a bike with a girl behind him.

In a post on X, Mr Sajjanar wrote in Telugu, “These are some crazy things done in the name of ‘Valentine’s Day’!! Some couples are releasing such videos on social media, saying that they are doing amazing stunts on the occasion of Valentine’s Day.. as if they have achieved some kind of feat. You may find these strange stunts performed at high speed and in a dangerous manner funny… but imagine what will happen if an accident happens.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shamshabad-orr-donuts-2-students-in-fortuner-bmw-perform-stunts-on-busy-hyderabad-road-arrested-7735442

A third-year B-Tech Nepali student at a private engineering institute here allegedly died by suicide in her hostel, leading to campus tension following which a group of students from the Himalayan kingdom were evicted on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Prakriti Lamsal, was studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), the varsity’s registrar said.

As the situation escalated on campus, KIIT authorities allegedly evicted several Nepali students from the hostel and dropped them at Cuttack railway station without making any arrangements for their travel, sources said.

Some students claimed, “We had no food, water, or money to purchase train tickets.” Many students boarded the Puri-Patna Express train in a general compartment, unable to secure reservations.

However, the intervention of Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli offered some relief to the distressed students.

Oli posted on Facebook in Nepali, “It has come to our attention through media and social media that a Nepali student has died in a hostel of KIIT University in Odisha and that Nepali students have been forcibly evicted. The government is working on this matter through diplomatic channels and is in contact with the relevant authorities.”

Following his intervention, KIIT authorities appealed to Nepali students to return to campus.

“An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who plan to leave the campus to return and resume classes,” the university stated.

In a post on X, Oli said, “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.”

The incident gained further attention when the deceased’s cousin filed a complaint at Infocity police station in Bhubaneswar, alleging that his sister hanged herself in her hostel room on Sunday.

He claimed that a boy student at the university had been blackmailing his sister, which he believed led to her suicide.

KIIT authorities confirmed that the third-year B-Tech student had died by suicide in her hostel room on Sunday.

“It is suspected that the girl was having an affair with another student at KIIT, and she may have committed suicide for some reason,” the university said, adding that the matter was immediately reported to police.

Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said, “We have registered a case at Infocity police station based on the allegation that a male student abetted her suicide. The accused student is in police custody and is being interrogated. Police have seized the mobile phone, laptop, and other gadgets of the deceased woman. We are undertaking a scientific investigation into the matter.”

Police sources mentioned that the accused, a KIIT student, was apprehended at Biju Patnaik International Airport on Sunday while attempting to flee the city.

The news of the Nepali student’s death spread quickly, causing hundreds of students, including those from the neighbouring country, to gather on the campus on Sunday night. They staged a demonstration demanding justice.

As tension mounted at KIIT, the university authorities held discussions with the agitating students. “In view of the situation, Nepali students have been sent to their respective homes. The situation remains calm at present,” the KIIT said in a statement.

Regarding the eviction of Nepali students from the hostel, KIIT clarified, “The administration made extensive efforts, engaging in counseling and discussions for over 10 hours to manage the situation peacefully. However, despite their best attempts, some protestors were unwilling to listen to the university authorities and continued to create disruptions, posing a challenge to law and order. They also blocked the main public road for hours, causing inconvenience and escalating tensions.”

The university further added, “To ensure a smooth and unbiased investigation, Nepali students have been advised to return to their respective places voluntarily with the help of local guardians until the local inquiry is completed. The students are encouraged to return to the campus and will participate in normal academics, which will be restored very soon. Their academic aspects will not be disturbed during this period and will be taken care of by the university.”

As a result, the temporary suspension of academic classes and hostel accommodations was immediately lifted. “This step has been taken purely to maintain peace and ensure that justice is served appropriately,” KIIT authorities said.

To maintain order on the campus, two platoons (each platoon consisting of 30 personnel) of police were deployed. The police also sealed the deceased student’s room and kept her body in the mortuary until her parents arrived.

Students from different states also alleged that they were not allowed to leave the hostel by private security guards.

A video showing a scuffle between male students and security guards went viral on social media, but PTI could not independently verify the video’s authenticity.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/odisha/nepali-b-tech-student-found-dead-in-odisha-hostel-tension-in-institute-pm-oli-intervenes-3408916

The Maharashtra animal husbandry department and police visited a flat in a housing society in Pune following complaints that the owner had kept 300 cats, an official said on Monday.

The flat owner was issued a notice to relocate the cats to an appropriate facility, the Hadapsar police station official said.

“Residents of Marvel Bounty Housing Society in Hadapsar complained that a flat owner was keeping more than 300 cats inside her flat, leading to hygiene issues. There were reports of persistent foul smell and excessive noise caused by the cats,” he said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/woman-gets-notice-for-keeping-300-cats-in-pune-flat-action-on-residents-complaints-3409764

A court in India has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of an Irish backpacker in the western resort state of Goa nearly eight years ago.

The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found by a farmer in March 2017 near Goa’s popular Palolem beach.

An autopsy concluded that her death was caused by brain damage and strangulation.

Police subsequently charged local resident Vikat Bhagat with the crime and he was found guilty on Friday.

Family ‘thankful’ for justice

McLaughlin, who was from Buncrana in Ireland, had been celebrating the Indian festival of Holi in the area the night before she was found dead.

Rape victims usually cannot be named under Indian law however, McLaughlin’s family spoke to the media about her case in an effort to raise awareness.

In a statement cited by local media, they said they were “thankful to everyone involved in our fight for justice.”

“They have treated her like their daughter and have tirelessly fought for her.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/india-man-gets-life-for-rape-murder-of-irish-tourist/a-71637350

Eyewitnesses to the stampede at New Delhi railway station described the horrifying scene that unfolded on Sunday, saying people were “pushing and scrambling” for space amid cries for help.

The incident occurred late on Saturday night at the crowded station, as a large crowd rushed to board trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. 18 people died in the stampede.

Speaking to news agency PTI aboard the Magadh Express, which arrived from New Delhi to Patna, eyewitness Prabhash Kumar Raman recalled the chaos.

“Massive crowd at the platform led to chaos, ultimately resulting in the tragic stampede. There was no cooperation from the administration. There was not even a single policeman when the incident took place. People were pushing and scrambling for space amid cries for help,” he told PTI.

One victim shared the tragic news that his mother had died in the stampede. “We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother died in the chaos. People were pushing each other,” he said.

He added, “The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died.” Another family member of a deceased woman collapsed in grief.

The stampede occurred around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities. According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg, authorities dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders to the scene.

Staircases on platforms 14, 15 were blocked

Hashibur Rehman, another passenger, claimed that the situation at New Delhi railway station worsened due to staircases on platforms 14 and 15 being blocked.

“Initially, some staircases of platforms were closed to manage the crowd. However, due to delays, more passengers were attempting to take the staircases. At the last moment, the closed staircases were opened, which caused congestion and the crowd swelled,” he said.

“People were pushing one another to get on the train or to take the staircase. I saw at least 10-12 bodies lying on the platform… it was horrific,” he added.

He described the crowd as something never seen before.

“I must say that there was nobody from the side of the local administration who was present at the spot… officials arrived almost an hour after the incident,” Rehman claimed.

Delhi Police to scan CCTV footage

Delhi police have launched an investigation into the stampede incident at New Delhi Railway Station, planning to review CCTV footage to understand what caused the chaos. The stampede followed a surge of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh, particularly on platforms 14 and 15.

Among the deceased, 14 were women, and five were minors, two of whom were under 10. Nearly 15 people were injured and are currently receiving treatment. Sources, according to PTI, suggest that a mistaken announcement about a platform change may have led to confusion, triggering the stampede.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the deaths in a post on X. “Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede,” he said.

The deputy commissioner of police (railway) said that platform number 14 was already overcrowded when the Prayagraj Express was waiting for departure. The officer explained that delays in the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express meant passengers from these trains were also on platforms 12, 13, and 14.

“As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways, causing the station to become overcrowded and uncontrollable. The stampede occurred at platform no. 14 and near the escalator by platform no. 16,” the DCP said.

Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay initially said that passengers pushing each other caused injuries, and those affected were taken to hospitals for first aid.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/people-were-pushing-scrambling-eyewitnesses-recall-new-delhi-stampede-horror-101739749896649.html

Bharatiya Janata Party’s legislative party meeting has been postponed from February 17 to most likely on Wednesday (February 19), a party source said. The party will decide on the CM during the meeting. The Central leadership has appointed observers for the meeting. All the 48 elected MLAs of the BJP will be present during the meeting. Oath taking will follow in a day or two after the meeting.

Also read: Three AAP councillors join BJP; triple-engine govt. on way in Delhi, says Sachdeva
Several names are in the race for the position of Delhi CM, with the most prominent being Parvesh Verma. The BJP fielded Mr. Verma against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi and became a key figure after defeating Mr. Kejriwal. Satish Upadhyay is another strong contender for the CM position. He has served as the Delhi BJP president and was also the president of the Delhi Youth Wing.

Also read: Power struggle within BJP suggests it will change CMs in Delhi like last time: Yadav
The BJP has secured power in the Delhi Assembly, winning 48 seats out of 70. This election was a direct contest between BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, AAP could only secure 22 seats this time. Prominent AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Satyendra Jain could not taste victory this time.

The cleaning of river Yamuna began on a four-pronged strategy on Sunday, days ahead of the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the national capital.

According to a PTI report, the Raj Niwas officials said that the work on cleaning the river has begun using trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and a dredger.

During his address at the BJP’s victory celebrations on February 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to make every effort for pollution-free Yamuna.

“Maa Yamuna is the source of our spirituality. We bow down to the Yamuna devi who always wishes us well. But these people (AAP) did not pay any attention to Maa Yamuna, and insulted our beliefs. The beliefs of the people of Delhi were crushed under the feet of these people (AAP) and then blatantly accused Haryana,” the prime minister had said.

On Saturday, Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena met the chief secretary and additional chief secretary (irrigation and flood control) and directed them for taking up Yamuna cleaning work.

Four-pronged strategy to clean Yamuna

According to the PTI report, the four-pronged strategy to clean Yamuna involves removing trash and silt from the river stream and simultaneous cleaning operations in Najafgarh drain, supplementary drain and other major drains, they said.

First, we will send a radar in partnership with NASA to space that will detect any changes on Earth as small as 10 metres across. Then, we will launch a series of uncrewed
Gaganyaan
missions to space, followed by two missions with astronauts. After that, we will send two Chandrayaan missions to the moon to get lunar samples and even land a 350-kg rover there. In addition to all this, we plan to send an orbiter mission to study Venus. By 2035, we will have our own Bharatiya Antariksh Station in space. And finally, by 2040, India will land astronauts on the moon.
Sounds like a lot? Let’s decode India’s big plans for space and how the country and ISRO could create history, with a step-by-step approach starting this year. Let us simplify these ambitious missions for our readers.

NASA is planning to put a man on the moon again, and also on Mars in the coming years. But India is also not far behind. The success of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, when India became the first country to touch down near the lunar south pole, has acted as a stepping stone for the nation to dream big. But we will get to the moon in just a bit.

First, mark these big dates.

On top of the list is the big mission with NASA, termed NISAR. To be launched very soon, ISRO will send a synthetic aperture radar to space to track all geographical changes on Earth in unprecedented detail like never before. This will be a giant step for mankind, much beyond the capability of existing Earth observation satellites. This is because NISAR will capture subtle changes on Earth with unprecedented resolution and precision, see through dense cloud cover day and night. In fact, it would detect changes as small as 10 metres across, far away from space. Just imagine the impact!

Then, in the first half of this year, India will send an uncrewed mission to a low Earth orbit as part of mission Gaganyaan. Now, it has also been India’s dream to send its astronauts to space. Astronauts are also being trained for this. The process will kick off in the next few months when India sends an uncrewed mission to low Earth orbit. In fact, the expanse of the Gaganyaan mission has increased as India has now decided to send six such uncrewed missions to space before it sends two missions with our astronauts to space by 2028 and lands them safely back on Earth. Gaganyaan has a budget of Rs 20,193 crore.

Now this budget is so big because the Gaganyaan programme is intrinsically linked to another big ambition of India, which is having our version of the International Space Station—the Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The launch and development of the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station is targeted to be completed by 2028—when our astronauts will visit space. The Bharatiya Antariksh Station, once ready and operationalised by 2035, will lay the foundation for launching longer-duration Indian human space missions.

But, in between chasing the stars, let us not forget the moon. India’s ultimate aim is to land our astronauts on the moon by 2040 and create history. The success of Chandrayaan-3 has propelled that dream, and now India will be sending two more Chandrayaan lunar missions to prepare us before the eventual human trip to the moon.

Chandrayaan-4 will be a path-breaking mission in 2028 for lunar sample collection as it will ascend from the moon’s surface, dock and undock in lunar orbit, and transfer the samples from one module to the other. The module will return and perform a re-entry to Earth for sample delivery. This will help ISRO study the lunar samples in greater detail, far more than the limited studies that the lander & rover mission could do in Chandrayaan-3.

Chandrayaan-5 will go a step further by sending a rover of 350 kg in a highly advanced lander module that will go to the south pole of the moon. It is going to be a heavy mission with the rover being designed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and will be deployed onto the lunar surface via a lander designed by ISRO. The advanced scientific instruments on the rover will give new insights into the south pole and take India much closer to landing humans on the moon. Ultimately, all these milestones are expected to translate into India’s first crewed mission to the moon by the year 2040.

In between all this, India also has a dream of sending an orbiter mission to Venus, like the one we sent to Mars—the Mangalyaan in 2014. The Venus mission planned for 2028 will be a big challenge too as the planet is located nearly 64 million kilometres away. But it will help us improve our understanding of the origin and evolutionary processes of Venus, its atmosphere, and its ionosphere.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/nisar-project-with-nasa-lunar-and-venus-missions-indians-on-moon-indias-space-plans-set-to-take-giant-leap-9229032.html

Cyclonic Circulation: Amidst the constantly changing weather across the country, the India Meteorological Department has issued a rain warning for Northeast India. According to the warning, a cyclonic circulation is forming over the Bay of Bengal, due to which there is a possibility of rain in Assam and neighbouring states.

A rain forecast has been issued for the next seven days in the north-eastern states. The Meteorological Department said that a cyclonic wind area is forming in Nagaland and surrounding areas at an altitude of 1.5 km above sea level. Due to this, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall as well as snowfall in Northeast India during February 15-21.

As the month of February progresses, the temperature is continuously rising across the country. However, there is also a possibility of thunderstorms in many states of the Northeast on February 19. Heavy rain is also expected in Assam and Meghalaya on February 19. Light to moderate rain is expected in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim for the next seven days. On Saturday, Arunachal Pradesh received snowfall and rain, while heavy rain was recorded in other parts.

Possibility Of Rain In Parts Of North India

The Meteorological Department said that a new western disturbance is developing in the mountains. Due to its effect, there is a possibility of sporadic to light rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh. The same situation will prevail in Uttarakhand on February 19-20.

Heavy rain is expected in Rajasthan from February 17 to 19 and in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh from February 19-20. It rained in some parts of Punjab on Saturday, which brought smiles to the faces of the farmers of the Rabi crop.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/cyclonic-circulation-over-bay-of-bengal-imd-warns-of-heavy-rain-in-13-states-ws-ab-9229868.html

The Indian Army opened a retaliatory firing at the Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday. The incident took place around 11 AM in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
The incident took place around 11 AM in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
“At about 11 AM today, Pakistan troops opened small arms fire on own (Indian) post across LoC in Poonch Sector, J&K. The fire was retaliated appropriately by the Indian Army. No casualties to own side,” the Army officials told ANI.

Terrorists on February 8 fired at a petrol from a forested area across LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri, prompting a retaliatory response from Indian soldiers.

During the intervening night of February 4 and 5, a landmine explosion in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district resulted in casualties among terrorists attempting to cross the LoC. However, there was no official confirmation on the number of fatalities. Between May and December last year, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, leading to intensified counteroffensives by security forces.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/indian-army-strikes-back-after-cross-border-firing-by-pakistani-troops-along-loc-in-jks-poonch-article-118306573

Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company, faced a significant market downturn, in line with broader market weakness. Over the past five trading days (Monday to Friday last week), RIL’s valuation shrank by Rs 67,526.54 crore, reflecting investor concerns amid ongoing economic uncertainties.

Stock Performance: A Tough Week for Reliance

• Stock price closed at Rs 1,214.75 on Friday.
• Market cap dropped to Rs 16,46,822.12 crore.
• Despite the losses, Reliance remains the most valued Indian company, ahead of TCS, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank.

What’s Driving Reliance’s Decline?

The senior conservation assistant from the Archaeological Survey of India at the Taj Mahal confirmed that Rishi Sunak and his family enjoyed their visit.

Agra: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak visited the Taj Mahal on Saturday along with his daughters, wife and mother-in-law Sudha Murty. The family spent around one and a half hours at the iconic monument. Sunak is on a two-day visit to Agra.

The senior conservation assistant from the Archaeological Survey of India at the Taj Mahal confirmed that Rishi Sunak and his family enjoyed their visit.

Both Sunak and his wife left a personal note of appreciation in the visitor’s book.

ACP, Taj Security, Areeb Ahmed said, “Rishi Sunak and his family were provided top-tier security throughout their visit. The Taj Mahal was shown to them under strict security measures, in collaboration with the CISF.”

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/former-british-pm-rishi-sunak-visits-taj-mahal-with-family-3407716

The plane – a C-17 military aircraft – landed at the Amritsar International Airport close to 11:40 pm on Saturday.

A plane carrying 119 Indians arrived from the United States at Punjab’s Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such arrival in a span of 10 days, as part of the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown and decision to deport illegal immigrants.

The first round of deportation had taken place on February 5, when a US military plane transported 104 Indians to Amritsar. A third plane with 157 deportees is expected to land in India on Sunday.

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force landed at the Amritsar International Airport close to 11:40 pm on Saturday.

Of the total deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The families of some of them reached the airport to receive them.

Earlier, those deported were from Haryana (33), Gujarat (33), Punjab (30), Maharashtra (3) Uttar Pradesh (3), and Chandigarh (2). They were sent back on the same military aircraft that took off from San Antonio, Texas.

The deportees were shackled and restrained throughout the flight, only to be freed upon arrival in India – a move that triggered a political storm in India, and led to an uproar in both Houses of Parliament during the then ongoing Budget session.

Amid criticism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Centre is engaging with the US to ensure the deportees are not mistreated. He also said the US’ deportation of illegal migrants is not a new development and has been going on for years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the US earlier this week, said India will take back any of its citizens living illegally in the US. He, however, emphasised that efforts need to be made to end human trafficking.

“Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem,” he said.

In its defense, the US Embassy in India said “enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States”. “It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens,” an embassy spokesperson said.

India is the third source of undocumented immigrants in the US after Mexico and El Salvador.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-military-plane-carrying-2nd-batch-of-indian-immigrants-lands-in-amritsar-7719655

Kashi, T.N. share emotional and creative bond, says U.P. CM; notes that this Sangamam coincides with Maha Kumbh, is the first after the Ram Temple was built; theme of 4S: saints, scientists, students, social reformers

Inaugurating the third edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi on Saturday (February 15, 2025), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the unique event signifies India’s cultural foundations, noting that Kashi and Tamil Nadu share an emotional and creative bond since time immemorial.

The Sangamam is inspired and guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat (One India, Excellent India)’, the U.P. Chief Minister said.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kashi-tamil-sangamam-embodies-the-heritage-of-ek-bharat-shrestha-bharat-yogi-adityanath/article69223883.ece

The council observed that the accused — 3 of them from third-year and 2 second-year students — are unfit to enrol as nursing students in the state in the future

The Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council (KNMC) on Saturday decided to bar the five senior students, who have been arrested for brutal torture and ragging of first-year students at the Government Nursing College in Kottayam, from continuing their studies and enrolling in the nursing programme in the southern state in future. Meanwhile, police said more students have come forward with allegations of ragging on them at the college hostel.

The council observed that the accused — three of them from third-year and two second-year students — are unfit to enrol as nursing students in the southern state in the future, saying it has conveyed its decision to the health department.

“What happened in Kottayam nursing college was extremely heinous. It cannot be justified at any cost. Such accused students must never enter the nursing field in future. It will be a tragedy for the field if such people come in. It’s a service field where humanity and empathy accounts for a lot,” a KNMC official said, requesting anonymity.

The council said names of the accused will be removed from its registry and directed the college authorities to file a report on the incident as well as furnish details of a similar ragging incident two years ago.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kerala-nurse-body-bars-5-students-over-ragging-principal-hostel-in-charge-suspended-101739646202604.html

The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

A compensation of Rs 10 lakh by the Indian Railways was announced to the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, as per a release.

Additionally, a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh has been announced to the seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries, as per the release.

Geeta, a worker at the LNJP hospital, where the victims were admitted said that 15 bodies and 10 to 12 injured people were brought to the hospital at 10 p.m.

She further said that there were three children who also died in the incident.

“There were around 15 dead bodies and 10 to 12 injured people who were brought to the LNJP hospital between 10 to 10:30 p.m. yesterday. There were three children among the dead…” said Geeta while speaking to ANI.

This comes after a tragic stampede took place at the New Delhi Railway Station, resulting in the loss of 18 lives on Saturday.

The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/new-delhi-railway-station-stampede-indian-railways-announces-compensation-of-10-lakh-to-families-of-deceased

“When I was growing up, everyone in my village would say: ‘She is blind, she is a waste’,” says Rakshitha Raju. Now, aged 24, she is one of India’s top middle distance para athletes. “It makes me so proud,” she says.

Rakshitha was born blind in a remote village in southern India and had lost both her parents by the age of 10. She was raised by her grandmother who is hearing and speech impaired.

“Both of us are disabled, so my grandma understood me,” she says.

When Rakshitha was about 13, the sports teacher at her school took her aside and told her she had the potential to be a great athlete.

“I wondered: ‘How? I am blind, so how do I run on a track I can’t see?'” she recalls.

Her teacher explained that visually impaired runners can have a guide, who runs alongside them. The athletes are joined by a tether – a short strap with a loop on both ends for each of them to hold on to.

For a while, other pupils acted as guide runners for Rakshitha. Then in 2016, when she was 15, she competed in the National Games, where a man called Rahul Balakrishna spotted her.

A middle-distance runner, Rahul had previously competed in the 1500m himself. He had been introduced to para athletics by a coach at the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) a few years earlier, while recovering from an injury.

There was a shortage of guides and coaches and Rahul decided to take on both roles. The government pays him a salary for the coaching side of his work, but it does not pay guide runners.

However, if a visually impaired runner wins an international competition, their guide also gets a medal – something Rahul had not achieved in his own running career. “I felt proud that I could do this for myself and my country,” he says.

He invested his own time and money to support Rakshitha, helping her move to Bangalore in 2018 so she could have access to better training facilities.

When they are running “it’s the small things that matter”, says Rahul. “When they are approaching a curve, the guide has to alert the athlete or when a competitor is overtaking, he has to tell the athlete so they can put in a little more effort.”

Competition rules mean they can’t hold hands – they can only be connected by the tether, and the guide-runner is not allowed to push, pull or otherwise propel the visually impaired athlete.

Over time, the pair have built up a strong bond and now “I believe in my guide runner more than myself”, says Rakshitha.

They won gold medals at the 2018 and 2023 Asian Games, returning to a resounding welcome in Rakshitha’s village. She smiles as she describes how the people who used to taunt her organised a procession for her, cheering and waving flags.

Rakshitha became the first blind Indian woman to qualify for the 1500m in the Paralympics and she competed with Rahul in Paris in 2024.

They missed out on a medal in France, but India’s only other visually impaired female athlete to qualify for Paris, sprinter Simran Sharma, did make it to the podium, bringing home a bronze.

Simran is partially sighted and when she started running, she ran alone.

But in 2021, when Simran competed in the Tokyo Paralympics, she strayed out of her lane and realised that she would need a guide if she wanted to carry on running.

But the search proved challenging. “It can’t be any athlete. You need someone whose technique matches yours and who runs as fast as you do,” she explains.

“Neither of us knew the rules properly,” says Simran. Abhay “thought he had to stop to let me cross the line first, so he stopped completely”. They were disqualified as he should have kept going and crossed the line just behind her.

But by the time they got to the 200m race, they knew what they were doing and struck gold. Simran became the World Champion in the T12 category.

Riding on that high, they went to the Paralympics in Paris. They came fourth in the 100m, but won bronze in the 200m race and Simran became the first Indian woman with a visual impairment to win a Paralympic medal.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgezm9per7o

There is an estimated 2.3% chance that the 2024 YR4 asteroid is heading our way. Here’s everything you need to know about the space rock – including how much damage it could actually cause.

Could a huge asteroid hit Earth?This is not a drill. There is a chance – albeit a small one – that an asteroid could hit planet Earth within the next decade.

The 2024 YR4 asteroid set off automated asteroid warning systems after it was spotted through advanced telescopes in Rio Hurtado, Chile, last December.

Since then, the asteroid has jumped to the top of the risk list – a catalogue of all space objects which could possibly clash with our planet.

It’s far from panic stations – but experts say the probability of an impact with Earth has almost doubled from 1.2% in January to about 2.3% now.

But how much do we know about the asteroid, and when will we know for sure if we’re safe? Plus: what could happen if it really is heading our way?

When could it hit – and where?

If there is impact, it’s estimated to be at 2.02pm on 22 December 2032 – though the precise time is prone to change, as is the exact probability of its collision with Earth.

NASA says the asteroid would likely hit somewhere across the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Arabian Sea, or South Asia.

What we know about the asteroid

2024 YR4 is estimated to be between 40m to 90m wide – or 130ft to 300ft.

It’s made of a rocky substance rather than more robust materials like iron, which is significant because it means it could break into smaller pieces if it enters Earth’s atmosphere, says Doctor Luca Conversi, who is the manager of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), which is heavily involved in monitoring 2024 YR4.

The asteroid is currently at level three on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, which is a system used to determine how big a threat an asteroid or comet is to planet Earth.

Level 3 is defined as a “close encounter meriting attention by astronomers”, because it has a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of localised destruction.

The Torino Scale is the reason we know about the asteroid, because level 3 determines that the public and public officials should be notified when the encounter is less than a decade away.

For context: level 0 is when there is no chance or almost no chance of collision, and level 10 is reserved for when a collision capable of causing global catastrophe is certain.

Size matters – here’s why

There is a big difference between an asteroid that’s 40m wide or 90m wide – but experts aren’t yet sure how big this one is.

Determining its rough size was important, because it is the size which reveals how big a threat we might be facing.

Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles every day, according to NASA – but they are small enough that they typically burn up in the atmosphere before they can cause any damage.

This means an asteroid or comet can have a 100% chance of reaching Earth but still be a 0 on the Torino Scale because its size doesn’t pose a threat.

But 2024 YR4 is a level 3 threat because it is definitely larger than the 20m (65ft) threshold.

Its rough size has been estimated through the use of powerful telescopes, which are being used mainly to determine its orbit and whether it could be on course for Earth.

But those telescopes only allow astronomers to study the asteroid via the visible light it reflects from the sun.

The general rule is that the brighter an asteroid is, the larger it is, but it all depends on how reflective the asteroid is. 2024 YR4 could be 40m across and very reflective, or 90m across and not very reflective, the ESA says.

Without knowing its exact size, experts can’t determine how significant the impact could be.

That’s where NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope comes in.

The device, which has previously been used to capture unprecedented pictures of stars being born and dying, is now studying the asteroid using infrared light – or heat – which will lead to a better estimate of its size.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/city-killer-asteroid-could-hit-earth-where-it-could-it-land-and-the-damage-it-may-cause-13307919

A spurned lover in Andhra Pradesh attacked his girlfriend with acid and a knife on Valentine’s Day. The 22-year-old woman, Gautami has been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Hyderabad: A spurned lover in Andhra Pradesh attacked his girlfriend with acid and a knife on Valentine’s Day.

The 22-year-old woman, Gautami has been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

24-year-old man named Ganesh hailing from Madanapalle was in a relationship with Gautami from Perampalli village.

However, Gautami recently got engaged to another person with the wedding scheduled to take place in April.

According to Annamayya district police, she had informed Ganesh that it won’t be possible to continue their relationship and invited him to her home on Friday to clear the air.

Gautami’s parents were away at the farm field at the time of the incident.

When Ganesh arrived at her house, he came carrying a bottle of bathroom cleaning acid along with a knife.

While they were talking, Ganesh poured acid on her face and stabbed her with a knife.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/andhra-pradesh/andhra-pradesh-horror-man-throws-acid-at-his-girlfriend-stabs-her-with-knife-3406501

n a tragic incident, at least 10 pilgrims travelling to Maha Kumbh died after their the car collided with a bus in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Friday night, claimed media reports.

In a tragic incident, at least 10 pilgrims travelling to Maha Kumbh died after their the car collided with a bus in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Friday night, claimed media reports. The devotees were reportedly travelling from Chhattisgarh. Several people were also injured in the accident.

The accident took place on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway under PS Meja around midnight on Friday night, DCP Yamunanagar, Vivek Chandra Yadav told news agency ANI.

Graphic Visuals (Viewers Discretion Required):

After receiving the information, authorities rushed to the spot. A rescue operation was then launched. The injured were shifted to nearby hospital.

As per the DCP, the bodies have been taken to Swaroop Rani Medical Hospital for postmortem. The reason for the accident is not yet known.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/at-least-10-devotees-dead-several-injured-after-their-car-collides-with-bus-on-way-to-maha-kumbh-in-ups-prayagraj

He made the statements while speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Senator Elissa Slotkin and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowsk were also on the panel. Senator Slotkin, who on the panel said that democracy “doesn’t put food on your table”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, showed his index finger when asked if democracy is in trouble worldwide. Jaishankar said that he differs in the view that democracy is in trouble globally and highlighted India’s democracy.
Jaishankar took a dig at the West and said it treated democracy as a Western characteristic. “The message is that somehow democracy is in trouble globally, and I will have to disagree with it. We are voting well, we are optimistic about democracy and for us, democracy has actually delivered,” said Jaishankar.
Sharing images from the event on X, Dr Jaishankar said that he “Highlighted India as a democracy that delivers.” “Differed with the prevailing political pessimism. Spoke my mind on foreign interference.” he added.

“The mark on my index finger is a mark of a person who just voted. We just had an election in my state. Last year, we had a national election. In Indian elections, 2/3rd of national voters vote. We count the votes in a single day and nobody disputes the results after it is announced. Today, in the modern era, 20 per cent more voters vote than they did decades ago,” he added.

He made the statements while speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Senator Elissa Slotkin and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowsk were also on the panel. Senator Slotkin, who on the panel said that democracy “doesn’t put food on your table”.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/democracy-in-danger-worldwide-jaishankar-responds-shows-his-index-finger-watch-article-118266625

The second flight of Indian deportees from the US is reportedly expected to arrive in Amritsar between 10 pm and 11 pm on Saturday.

In the second round of deportations as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, 119 illegal Indian immigrants are set to land at Punjab’s Amritsar International Airport in an American military aircraft on Saturday.

The C-17 US military aircraft will carry 67 persons from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three Uttar Pradesh natives, two each from Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and one each native of Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.

Saturday’s flight is expected to arrive at the Amristar airport around 10 pm.

The deportations will continue every other week till all the illegal immigrants are not sent back to their respective homeland, a news agency PTI report said.

Last week, 104 illegal Indian migrants were deported from the US. They were sent in a US military C-17 transport aircraft to Amritsar.

PM Modi on illegal migration, human trafficking
The deportations also come in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, where he met Trump to discuss several key bilateral issues, including immigration.

Addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi affirmed that New Delhi is ready to take back its citizens living illegally in America. He said most of those staying in the US illegally come from ordinary families, often misguided by human traffickers.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/second-flight-of-119-indian-illegal-immigrants-from-us-arrive-in-amritsar-today-february-15-101739582916039.html

President Donald Trump greeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House with a bear hug on Thursday and called him “a great friend of mine,” but nonetheless warned that India won’t be spared from higher tariffs he’s begun imposing on U.S. trade partners around the world.

Trump, who had previously derided India as the “tariff king,” called the import levies imposed by Modi’s country “very unfair and strong.”

“Whatever India charges, we charge them,” Trump said at a joint news conference where he stood next to Modi. “So, frankly, it no longer matters to us that much what they charge.”

As he has while recently hosting other foreign leaders, Trump talked about ensuring that the U.S. erases its trade deficit with India. He suggested that could be done by increasing U.S. energy exports to India but also promised to restore “fairness and reciprocity” to the economic relationship and said he and Modi had begun working on a major trade deal that could be completed later this year.

The U.S. and India have a trade deficit of $50 billion in India’s favor. The Indo-U.S. goods and services trade totaled around $190.1 billion in 2023. According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, the U.S. exports to India were worth nearly $70 billion and imports $120 billion.

Modi, meanwhile, continued his personal trend of heaping praise on Trump. The prime minister said that he’s determined to “Make India Great Again,” or “MIGA” — a play on the president’s “MAGA” or “Make America Great Again” catchphrase and movement.

Trump also said he’d back extraditing one of the plotters of the 2008 Mumbai attacks — appearing to referencing Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was convicted in 2011 in the U.S. for plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper.

“He’s going to be going back to India to face justice,” Trump said. The president later added, “We’re giving him back to India immediately” and that more such extraditions could be coming.

Trump also said the U.S. would soon increase military sales to India by “many millions of dollars,” paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighter planes — something the country has long sought.

Before Modi’s White House arrival, Trump signed an order to increase tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports, which affects American trading partners around the world — including India.

Modi had been looking to avoid additional U.S. tariffs and to improve relations with Washington and the West overall, which have been frosty lately after Modi refused to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.

“The world had this thinking that India somehow is a neutral country in this whole process,” Modi said, praising Trump for having phone calls with Russia and Ukraine’s leaders on Wednesday. “But this is not true. India has a side, and that side is of peace.”

Trump previously imposed tariffs on China, and says more are coming against the European Union — while threatening similar against Canada and Mexico. He also expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum he initially imposed during his first term.

The White House insists that in signing Thursday’s round of what Trump called “reciprocal” tariffs, he is leveling the playing field between U.S. manufacturers and foreign competitors. These new taxes would likely be paid by American consumers and businesses either directly or in the form of higher prices, though.

Even before Modi arrived, New Delhi showed a willingness to buy more American oil and lower its tariffs on U.S. goods. That included levies on some Harley-Davidson motorcycles going from 50% to 40%. Also, India in 2023 dropped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils and walnuts.

Tariffs aside, Trump has used the opening weeks of his second term to say he’ll stamp out U.S. trade deficits around the world, including during his meetings at the White House last week with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Modi is the fourth foreign leader to visit Trump since his inauguration last month, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ishiba of Japan and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/trump-india-modi-visit-washington-tariffs-83d5f6af65f923dc4feb3f38338c888d

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declined to say if he discussed billionaire Gautam Adani’s legal challenges in the US during his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

“Firstly, India is a democratic country, and our culture and our thought philosophy is, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ which basically means that the entire world is a family,” Modi said in a translated response at a joint news conference with Trump on Thursday that highlighted ties between the two nations. “Every Indian is my own family member. And when it comes to such personal matters, two leaders of two countries will not get together on the topic and discuss anything on an individual matter.”

The American president made no mention of the case.

US prosecutors have charged Adani, Asia’s second-richest man, of allegedly helping arrange bribes of more than $250 million to officials in India and defraud US investors. In a five-count indictment unsealed on Nov. 20, prosecutors alleged that Adani was part of a scheme to “corruptly offer, authorize, promise to pay and to pay bribes” of hundreds of millions of dollars to government officials in India. The Adani Group has denied the allegations.

To get Adani — India’s most powerful businessman and a close ally of Modi — to appear in an American courtroom, the US would likely have to pursue extradition.

In the months since the US brought the criminal as well as civil charges against Adani, court dockets have gone quiet. Adani has been building a political influence operation in the US spanning white shoe law firms and lobbyists, looking to simultaneously deal with the legal cases and expand his business, according to people with knowledge of the effort.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/modi-says-personal-matters-like-adani-not-discussed-with-trump-3405629

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan posted in Manipur shot and killed two colleagues, injured eight others and later died by suicide on Thursday, police said.

The incident took place around 8 pm at the CRPF camp in Lamsang in Imphal West district.

The jawan belonged to the F-120 company of the central para-military force, officials informed.

“In an unfortunate incident, tonight at around 8 pm, a suspected case of fratricide happened inside a CRPF camp in Lamsang under Imphal West District wherein one CRPF jawan opened fire killing two of his own colleagues on the spot and injuring eight others,” Manipur Police said in a statement.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/manipur-crpf-jawan-kills-2-colleagues-injures-8-others-takes-own-life-101739465511241.html 

Three elderly persons died amidst a stampede caused as a result of two elephants getting agitated following the bursting of crackers during a festival at the Manakulangara Temple near Koyilandy here on Thursday evening, police said.

The elephants were brought for the temple festival and they became agitated and ran towards a small building near the shrine, police said.

When the elephants hit the building, a portion of its wall collapsed, leading to some people getting trapped underneath it, police said.

It further said that according to information it has received so far, the collapse of the wall resulted in the death of the two women and a man.

“People also panicked which resulted in a stampede leading to around 20 persons suffering minor injuries,” an officer of Koyilandy police station said.

The incident occurred around 6 pm, he said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the deaths and said it was a tragic incident.

Following the incident, state Forest Minister A K Saseendran sought an urgent report regarding the incident from the District Collector and the Chief Forest Conservator (Social Forestry) of the Northern Region.

The minister said that further action will be taken based on the report and that it will also be investigated whether there has been a violation of the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, according to a government statement.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-elderly-die-in-stampede-created-by-elephant-attack-at-kerala-temple-7704974

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from members of the Indian-American diaspora when he reached Blair House, the President’s Guest House.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in the US on Wednesday where he will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday for his bilateral meeting after last month’s inauguration ceremony.

As he reached Blair House, the President’s Guest House, where he will be staying he was accorded a rousing welcome by members of the Indian-American diaspora. Braving freezing temperatures and rain, the community members gathered at Blair House and welcomed him with ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Modi Modi’ as they waved the Indian and American flags.

“A warm reception in the winter chill! Despite the cold weather, the Indian diaspora in Washington DC has welcomed me with a very special welcome. My gratitude to them,” Modi said on X.

Prime Minister Modi is the fourth foreign leader hosted by Trump in the weeks after his inauguration last month.

Within less than a month of the start of Trump’s second term in the White House, he has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Source : https://www.ptinews.com/stories-detail/international/Prime-Minister-Modi-arrives-in-Washington-to-rousing-welcome-by-Indian-diaspora/2290350/1