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NEW DELHI, July 5: The Government has reduced the toll rates up to 50 per cent for the sections of National Highways that have structures like tunnels, bridges, flyovers or elevated stretches, a move which will lower travelling cost for motorists. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp User charges at fee plazas on National Highways are collected as per NH Fee Rules, 2008. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made amendment to 2008 rules and notified a new method or formula for calculating toll charges. "The rate of fee for use of a section of National Highway comprising of structure or structures shall be calculated by adding ten times the length of structure or structures to the length of the section of National Highway excluding the length of structure or structures, or five times the total length of section of National Highway, whichever is lesser," said the notification dated July 2, 2025. (PTI)
Chennai: Hours before Union home minister Amit Shah was to arrive in Madurai, Thuglak editor and an associate of Shah, S Gurumurthy on Saturday met PMK founder S Ramadoss. The PMK leader, however, ruled out the possibility of meeting Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.Gurumurthy met Ramadoss for the second time amid reported tension within PMK regarding alliance strategies and insistence by Anbumani Ramadoss to remain party president. The hour-long meeting took place at the T Nagar residence of A K Vijay Mahesh, son of former Union minister and PMK leader A K Moorthy, sources sai ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 5 (ANI): Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Saturday accused the Congress of misleading the country with its claim that the BJP-led government at the Centre wants to change the Constitution. He added that AICC has now become the 'All India Cheating Congress'. "The words 'secular' and 'socialist' were not there in the Constitution. It was added after the 42nd Amendment. The Amendment was brought during the Emergency. Emergency was a black day in the democratic history of our country. So, the original Constitution did not have the words 'secular' and ...Read More >
Kochi: Edison Babu's neighbours in Muvattupuzha knew him as the quiet engineer who had returned home during the pandemic. The 35-year-old former auto industry professional seemed to lead an unremarkable life in this sleepy Kerala suburb, occasionally visiting the local post office with packages: nothing unusual for someone running what appeared to be a small online business. What they didn't know was that their mild-mannered neighbour had built India's most sophisticated darknet drug empire, one that relied heavily on the very government postal service that was meant to serve the community. ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 6 (ANI): As a significant example of rapid infrastructural progress, the newly constructed flyover connecting Rukminigaon Road and Bormotoria Link Road at Downtown Point in Guwahati was inaugurated on Sunday by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Completed in just nine months - half the originally sanctioned period of eighteen months - this Rs. 112 crore, 660-metre-long, four-lane structure was officially designated as Bhagadatta Flyover-2 in honour of King Bhagadatta of Kamarupa. Additionally, the flyover located in the Super Market area of the city woul ...Read More >
New Delhi: Vehicle owners may soon get a new and easier way to pay tolls in India. The government is planning to introduce a FASTag Annual Pass that will allow unlimited travel on national highways and expressways. This was reported by the Times of India on May 24. The new system is being considered by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). If introduced, the FASTag Annual Pass will cost Rs 3,000 per year. With this one-time payment, users can travel freely across highways without paying toll charges each time. This move is expected to make road travel smoother and more afforda ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai, Jun 6 (PTI) Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko's father died in a road accident near Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning when the family was travelling to Bengaluru, police said. According to a senior police officer in Dharmapuri, the actor suffered a fracture to his left arm, while his brother and mother, who were also in the vehicle, and the driver of the car suffered minor injuries. The incident occurred early in the morning on the national highway from Salem to Bengaluru when the vehicle Chacko's family was travelling in tried to overtake a lorry in front ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Jun 28 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state government would make efforts to generate lakhs of jobs by establishing IT companies on the 400-acre land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad here. He also said the government will fight in the courts to reclaim the land. A row had erupted over tree felling on the 400-acre land in April this year. The Supreme Court had then rapped the Telangana government over its rushed action to fell trees on the land parcel and directed it to submit a specific plan to restore the 100 acres of deforested land ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday extended the term of the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Ravi Agrawal by one year, an official notification said.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the re-appointment of Agrawal, an IRS officer of the 1988 batch, as CBDT chairman for one year from July 1 this year to June 30, 2026, on contract basis.Agrawal took over as the CBDT chairman from Nitin Gupta in June 2024 after Gupta's extended tenure ended. Agrawal has been a member of CBDT. He was member administration and had served as DG investigation in Delhi. The gover ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) A 20-year-old man has been stabbed to death following a scuffle over his scooter brushing past one of the accused in the Geeta Colony area here leading to the arrest of three persons, an official said on Saturday. Yash, a resident of Rani Garden, was declared dead at a hospital in Laxmi Nagar around 9.41 pm on Friday, police said, adding those arrested have been identified as Rihan, Md Amaan and Lucky. The victim was on his way home on a scooter when the two-wheeler allegedly brushed past Rihan which sparked off a heated argument. Rihan's two associates -- Amaan and L ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Jun 28 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state government would make efforts to generate lakhs of jobs by establishing IT companies on the 400-acre land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad here. He also said the government will fight in the courts to reclaim the land. Also Read | Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Describes Life on ISS During Video Interaction With PM Narendra Modi, Says 'From Here, We See Sunrise and Sunset 16 Times a Day' (Watch Video). A row had erupted over tree felling on the 400-acre land in April this year. The Supr ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 28: Parag Jain, one of the brains behind the meticulous planning of 'Operation Sindoor', has been appointed as the new Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), officials said here on Saturday. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The two-year tenure of Jain, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 1989 batch of the Punjab cadre, officially begins on July 1. He takes over from Ravi Sinha, who retires on June 30. The decision to appoint Jain as chief of the external intelligence agency was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet earlier this w ...Read More >
Jammu, Jun 29 (PTI) Police set up a number of checkpoints on Sunday to bolster security arrangements in Jammu district and carry out daily anti-sabotage checks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3. The 38-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start on July 3 from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- leading to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Aizawl, Jul 2 (PTI) Trucks started plying on a portion of a key national highway in Mizoram on Wednesday, six days after a transport association blocked the dilapidated road to repair it, officials said. Kolasib unit of Mizoram Tipper Association (MTA) has carried out repairing work of NH-6/306 on the Sairang-Kawnpui sector, which was badly damaged during rains between June 26 and June 30, preventing tankers and trucks carrying essential commodities from plying. National Highway-306 is the primary lifeline of Mizoram, connecting Aizawl with Assam's Silchar town. A portion of the highway is a ...Read More >
Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): The BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday came down heavily on the Himachal Pradesh government, calling the current state of administration 'an all-time low,' while terming the recent incident involving Shimla (Rural) MLA Anirudh Singh and NHAI officials as 'unfortunate'. 'When the protector himself becomes the predator, how will the administration function. I am worried and hurt the way things are happening in Himachal Pradesh,' said the BJP national chief while addressing the Media in Bilaspur on Saturday. Addressi ...Read More >
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'red alert' for Delhi on Thursday. Skies will remain generally cloudy, with moderate to heavy rainfall expected throughout the day. Residents should also brace for possible lightning and gusty winds ranging between 30-40 kmph, potentially reaching up to 50 kmph during heavier spells. A red alert is the highest level of weather warning, signalling extremely heavy rainfall. It indicates serious threats to life and property, with a high risk of widespread flooding, disruption of essential services, and possible evacuation orders. Showers ar ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, Jul 10 (PTI) Three years before the bridge over the Mahisagar river in Gujarat's Vadodara district collapsed, killing 15 persons, an activist had alerted about its "dangerous condition" to a government official, who also admitted at that time that the structure "may not survive long". Social activist Lakhan Darbar, who runs an outfit named 'Yuva Sena', said he had flagged the concerns regarding the bridge during his conversation with a government official in August 2022. He added that despite the precarious condition of the bridge, the agencies responsible did not take timely actio ...Read More >
ITANAGAR, 12 Jul: The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has approved a proposal to divert 310 hectares of core forest land from the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh for the construction of the strategic Arunachal Frontier Highway (NH-913), despite concerns about its potential environmental and wildlife impacts. The land, located in Changlang district, is part of a proposed stretch that will connect NH-215 near Kharsang to the Miao-Gandhigram-Vijaynagar road, close to the India-Myanmar border. The Arunachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) had request ...Read More >
Jammu, Jun 30 (PTI) Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, the token distribution centre for offline registration of the pilgrims was operationalised here on Monday, even as the authorities successfully conducted a dry run of the arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath will commence from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- on July 3. The first batch of pilgrims will leave f ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 5 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that the state government is prioritising quality education for students, and quality teachers are being recruited through the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Saha also informed that more recruitments will be made in the future. Also Read | Centre Notifies Waqf Management Rules 2025; Portal, Database, Audit of Waqf Properties. "Textbook education can never be the standard of life. One can become morally strong through education. Along with education, children should also be engaged in social work," he said. CM ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
New Delhi: On this day in 2024, India defeated South Africa by 7 runs and lifted the T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. India posted a 177-run target for the Proteas in 20 overs after opting to bat first. Virat Kohli smashed 76 runs off 59 balls with the help of six boundaries and two maximums. Axar Patel also batted brilliantly and scored 47 runs off 31 balls, hitting four maximums and one boundary in his sensational knock. Chasing the target of 177 runs, Bumrah provided India their first breakthrough when he removed Reeza Hendricks in the second over of the run-chase, ...Read More >
Shimla, July 2 (PTI) A day after he was booked for allegedly assaulting two NHAI officials, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on Wednesday denied the allegations and said that "the FIR does not mean that I am guilty." Singh also claimed widespread irregularities in road construction works by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and called its officials the "most corrupt in the country". The alleged incident occurred on Monday when the minister was inspecting a building collapse site in Shimla and called NHAI officers there. The owner of the building had claimed negligence by NHA ...Read More >
Ramban/Jammu, Jul 5 (PTI) At least 36 Amarnath pilgrims, hailing from different states, suffered minor injuries when five buses slammed into each other in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Saturday, officials said. The buses were part of a convoy headed for the Pahalgam base camp of the pilgrimage in south Kashmir from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar. All the injured persons rejoined the yatra after receiving treatment at the Ramban district hospital. The accident took place near Chanderkote, along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, at around 8 am due to the failure of the brakes of one of the ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 5 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh forest department on Saturday filed a police complaint against the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), blaming it for the massive landslide on Kaithlighat-Dhalli road stretch in the suburbs of Shimla city on June 30. This is the fourth complaint filed against the road authority in Shimla in the last one week. Also Read | Manipur: Kuki-Zo MLAs Will Not Participate in Formation of New State Government, Say Tribal Bodies. A five-storey building had collapsed in the landslide on Monday. Nearly 8,550 square metres of protected land was damaged and ...Read More >
Vadodara, Jul 10 (PTI) The death toll in the Mahisagar river bridge collapse in Gujarat's Vadodara district reached 17 even as a search-and-rescue operation was underway for three persons missing in the incident, officials said on Thursday. Several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a segment of the four-decade-old bridge, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed near Gambhira village close to Padra town on Wednesday morning. The incident had taken place at 7am. "Three persons are still missing and a search-and-rescue operation is underway by at least 10 teams of the N ...Read More >
Jammu: For railway engineer Tarun Kumar, Friday's inauguration of the Udhampur-Baramulla-Srinagar Rail Link (USBRL) -- Kashmir's historic rail connection to rest of India -- was an emotional culmination of a decade spent overcoming fear and personal sacrifice, including the loss of a colleague to terrorism. Kumar, an engineer with Indian Railway Construction International Limited (IRCON), shared the journey of his association with the project at the Banihal railway station, located 100 km from Srinagar along the national highway. "As a manager in IRCON, I was initially posted in Srinagar and ...Read More >
Shimla, Jun 29 (PTI) The meteorological centre in Shimla issued a "red" alert on Sunday for very heavy downpour in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, while services on the Shimla-Kalka rail line were suspended for hours till the debris and trees fallen on the tracks following overnight rains were removed. A landslide near Koti on the Shimla-Kalka national highway (NH-5), connecting Shimla and Chandigarh, damaged some stretches of the road, resulting in a two-to-three-km-long traffic jam for hours. Solan Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said two-way traffic has been restored near Chakki M ...Read More >