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New Delhi: The number of people who took benefits under the Laadli Yojana in Delhi has decreased by about 60 per cent in the last 15 years, information shared by the government under the Right to Information Act has revealed. Laadli Yojana was started in the national capital on January 1, 2008, with the aim to empower young women and reduce gender inequality. The Women and Child Development Department of the Delhi government, in response to an RTI application, said that since the launch of the scheme, till 2025, 13,52,564 girls have been registered. According to the information it shared with PTI-Bhasha, while the number of beneficiaries was 1,26,965 in 2008-2009, in 2024-25, their number had fallen to 53,001 -- a decrease of 58 per cent and the second lowest in the last five years. In 2019-2020, only 30,192 girls benefited from the scheme. Delhi Women and Child Development Department Director Mitali Namchoom could not be contacted despite several attempts for a comment on the decline in the number of beneficiaries. According to information shared by the WCD department, the number of beneficiaries in 2009-2010 was 1,39,223, 1,05,737 in 2010-2011, 1,06,585 in 2011-2012, 96,800 in 2012-2013, 89,243 in 2013-2014, and 82,669 in 2014-2015. A total of 74,846 girls benefitted from the scheme in 2015-2016, 68,193 in 2016-2017, 67,070 in 2017-2018, 60,903 in 2018-2019, 30,192 in 2019-2020, 61,546 in 2020-2021, 62,749 in 2021-2022, 64,637 in 2022-2023, and 62,205 in 2023-2024. An official of the WCD department, on condition of anonymity, said that one of the reasons behind the decrease was girls dropping out of school. He said due to a lack of awareness, girls often do not renew their registration under the scheme, and in some cases, drop out of school, making the process more complicated. Under the scheme, the Delhi government grants Rs 35-36,000 to eligible girls in a phased manner. The sum remains deposited in a bank account till the girl attains the age of 18, when it can be withdrawn.
New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Parvesh Verma on Friday filed a complaint with ACB against Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging corruption concerning Delhi Sports University (DSU). Verma, who is contesting Delhi polls from the New Delhi seat against Kejriwal, in his complaint alleged "corrupt misappropriation of public funds" through "the abuse of official positions to gain wrongful benefits". The complaint has been filed with the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government. Verma's advocate, Vi ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 27 (ANI): A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday evening. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. Also Read | Student Gang-Raped at South Kolkata Law College: Police Arrest 3 Youths for Sexually Assaulting Young Woman Inside Law College. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J. ...Read More >
New Delhi: July 3 is International Plastic Bag Free Day. However, across Delhi, single-use plastic (SUP) bags, including those prohibited since 2018, are being used by shopkeepers and customers. Disposable cutlery and drinking straws made of plastic have also resurfaced in the marketplace.Despite restrictions imposed three years ago in July on single-use plastic, plastic items, particularly low-quality polythene bags below 50-micron thickness banned in 2018, continue to be extensively used without consequences. While several initiatives were undertaken to encourage the use of alternative mater ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The cancellation of the NEET PG 2024 exam has come under sharp scrutiny after it was revealed that the decision cost the government significantly. According to a response to an RTI query, the rescheduled exam held in August 2024 ended up costing more than the original exam scheduled for June. The sudden cancellation of the NEET PG exam in June last year led to a huge financial loss to the government as the rescheduled test cost more than the original amount. According to a response from the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences to an RTI query, the decision to scrap the ...Read More >
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season has barely begun, but it has already delivered its first major controversy. Following Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, a pointed remark from captain Ajinkya Rahane has triggered a wider debate - forcing Cricket Australia (CA) to step in with a clarification. At the centre of the storm is Cameron Green, KKR's high-profile signing worth INR 25.20 crore, who did not bowl a single over despite MI's dominant chase of 220. KKR seemed in control after posting a commanding 220/4, but the script ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The Central Information Commission has imposed a total penalty of Rs 20,000 on two MCD officials, flagging "mala fide" conduct and a "misleading and incorrect" RTI reply in a case where information was furnished for an entirely different property, linked to alleged unauthorised basement use in Shastri Nagar. Highlighting the discrepancy, the applicant said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) provided a reply about another property altogether, despite repeated representations pointing out that the information sought related to a specific address where alleged misuse ...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 >
Bengaluru: After steeply hiking Namma Metro fares by up to 71 per cent in Feb -- making it the most expensive Metro in the country -- Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) may now make fare hikes a yearly affair. In Feb, accepting a report submitted by the fare fixation committee (FFC), BMRCL raised fares with a base price of Rs 10 and a maximum fare of Rs 90. The committee also recommended implementing an annual automatic fare revision formula to maintain financial stability. The committee suggested until the next FFC is formed, BMRCL should increase Metro fares annually by 5 per cent. ...Read More >
The Maharashtra government has found that at least 12,431 men were granted benefits under its flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana -- the scheme for women that gives Rs 1,500 every month to those aged 21-65 from families earning less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually, according to data accessed by The Indian Express under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Responding to RTI queries from this newspaper, the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, which runs the scheme, stated that these ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unleashed a string of data, ranging from BSNL's consecutive profit after 18 years to connecting over 2 lakh gram panchayats with broadband, on social media platform X to counter claims of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the Digital India programme. Scindia suggested to Kharge to go check on the web for telecom scams in India which will show activities related to the UPA regime while the present regime is recognised with leadership in technology. Also Read | India Developing Its Own Bunker-Buster Missile? Reports Say ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has opened a window for candidates who appeared in the CTET February 2026 exam to obtain a copy of their OMR sheet along with the calculation sheet, upon request. In a public notice issued on April 1, the board said candidates can apply for the documents by May 1, 2026, by paying a prescribed fee of ₹500. The move is aimed at giving candidates access to their marked responses and the calculation process used in preparing their results. Pay a fee of ₹500 through a bank draft in favour of Secretary, CBSE, payable at Delhi Write a form ...Read More >
Baramulla, Jul 5: Hundreds of mourners from Delina and its neighbouring villages Saturday participated in the Muharram procession, the 9th day of the month of Muharram-Ul-Haram at Delina area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The procession was one of the series of processions being held in the month of Muharram, the first month of Islamic calendar. Dressed in black and carrying flags bearing religious inscriptions, participants from the villages of Hygam, Bulgam, Bohripora, Syedpora, Uri, Boniyar and other villages marched from new Imambargah through the National Highway NH-1 to the ma ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) A three-storey chawl collapsed in the western suburb of Bandra here in the early hours of Friday, with at least 10 people feared trapped in the debris, civic officials said. As many as seven people have been rescued from the debris so far and admitted to the civic-run Bhabha Hospital, they said. According to preliminary information, chawl number 37 in the Bharat Nagar area of Bandra East collapsed around 5.56 am. Eight fire engines are at the spot along with teams from the Mumbai police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's local ward machinery, an official from ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has imposed a total penalty of Rs 20,000 on two Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, flagging 'mala fide' conduct and a "misleading and incorrect" RTI reply in a case where information was furnished for an entirely different property that was linked to unauthorised basement use in Shastri Nagar. The applicant said that the MCD provided a reply about a completely different property, despite repeated representations. The CIC noted that the RTI plea "remained unattended within the stipulated time frame, in clear violation of the provisions ...Read More >
A 2023 incident of alleged police brutality against a Youth Congress leader has kicked up a storm in Kerala after the leader managed to procure video "evidence" under the Right to Information act. According to V S Sujith, a Youth Congress leader from Thrissur, the alleged incident occurred on April 5, 2023, at the Kunnamkulam Police Station under the Thrissur city police limits. CCTV footage of the purported incident was made public following a favourable order from the station information comm ...Read More >
Jammu, Jun 29 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration has not utilised nearly half of the central funds allocated for building underground bunkers for border residents over the last five years, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application. The revelation comes amid heightened calls for civilian safety, following last month's Operation Sindoor and the intense cross-border shelling. Responding to the Right To Information application filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Kumar, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department said, an amount of Rs 242.77 crore was gi ...Read More >
The BCCI is currently not recognised as a National Sports Federation (NSF), stated Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the Lok Sabha on Monday. This status is anticipated to change with the implementation of the new National Sports Governance Act next year. Mandaviya was responding to a question from Mala Roy, the representative of Trinamool Congress' Kolkata Dakshin constituency. Roy inquired whether the government plans to take control of major sports bodies like the BCCI and the financially ...Read More >
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], August 2 (ANI): Counter-Intelligence (CI), Amritsar, has busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module with alleged links to Pakistan and arrested five operatives, recovering six sophisticated pistols from their possession, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Punjab, those arrested have been identified as Jagroop Singh of Dhun (Tarn Taran), Navdeep Singh of Patti Lahian Di (Tarn Taran), Arshdeep Singh of Shaliwal (Amritsar), Gurlal Singh of R ...Read More >
Highlighting the discrepancy, the applicant said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi provided a reply about another property altogether, despite repeated representations pointing out that the information sought related to a specific address where alleged misuse of a basement, including possible commercial use, was under question. Coming down heavily on the officials, the CIC observed that the RTI plea "remained unattended within the stipulated time frame, in clear violation of the provisions of t ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the 2009 decision of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to increase the licence fees for outdoor advertisements such as hoardings and sky-signs by 10% every year. The division bench of chief justice Shree Chandrashekhar and justice Gautam Akhand dismissed a petition filed by an advertising firm, Rushabh Outdoors, which had challenged the 2009 decision, claiming it violated their fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality) and 19 (right to a profession) of the Constitution of India. The BMC had, in December 2009, ...Read More >
Guwahati: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has announced a statewide protest on July 4, alleging massive irregularities in the procurement and distribution of Gir cows under the Garukhuti Multipurpose Agricultural Project in Assam. CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar addressed the media at the party's state office on Wednesday and accused the Assam government of financial misconduct. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! He demanded a time-bound judicial inquiry by a sitting or retired judge to investigate the alleged scam. CPI(M) centr ...Read More >
Nagpur: The Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) has almost completed the Rs 132.49 crore phase 1 of the Tajbagh renovation and beautification project and is now awaiting Rs 95.87 crore to start phase 2 of the project. Under the first phase, NMRDA strengthened and beautified the main dargah, constructed a shopping complex, a choti dargah, shops, and other structures, including marble flooring. According to NMRDA sources, Phase 1 of the project received Rs 132.49 crore administrative approval, out of which the agency received Rs 128.95 crore, while Rs 3.54 crore is pending. ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Adani Group has emerged as the only bidder without conditions in the race to acquire Jaiprakash Associates, submitting a ₹12,600 crore offer under the ongoing insolvency process. The other bidders - Dalmia Bharat, Vedanta, Jindal Power and PNC Infratech-have tied their bids to the resolution of a critical land dispute involving the Gautam Buddh Nagar Sports City project, currently pending before the Supreme Court. Jaiprakash Associates has attracted five bids, with Dalmia Bharat leading with a ₹14,600 crore offer, inclusive of the disputed land parcel. However, if the land issue r ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday sharply criticised the Delhi Police for a controversial reference to Bengali as the "Bangladeshi language," calling it an insult to the language and its speakers. TMC shared a letter from a Delhi Police inspector requesting a translator for what was labeled "Bangladeshi language" in a statement on X. The police official also mentioned the arrest of eight individuals under suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India. "Is there no limit to the BJP's hatred towards Bengalis? After repeatedly harassing and detaining Benga ...Read More >
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pledged to reinstate the Darbar Move, emphasizing its symbolic significance for regional unity and equitable governance. He addressed concerns about regional bias, highlighting his inclusive approach and plans to boost Jammu's economy, particularly its tourism sector, by leveraging the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said his government would restore the Darbar Move as the biannual adm ...Read More >
Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir administration has failed to utilise nearly half of the central funds allocated for constructing underground bunkers in border areas over the last five years, an RTI reply has revealed, raising fresh concerns about civilian safety in light of last month's intense cross-border shelling. According to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Kumar, the Union Territory received ₹242.77 crore from the Centre between 2020-21 and 2024-25 for bunker construction -- but only ₹129.67 crore (53.42%) was spen ...Read More >
Mumbai: In December, eight people were killed and 40 others were injured after being hit by a speeding BEST bus in Kurla area of Mumbai. As per data shared recently by the BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking), there have been 834 road accidents by BEST buses in the past five years. These accidents claimed 88 lives. However, the BEST administration has only dismissed 14 employees and suspended 24 employees in this regard. The BEST administration shared this information after an Right to Information (RTI) query was filed by activist Anil Galgali. He sought data from the B ...Read More >
JAMMU, June 29: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has not utilised nearly half of the Central funds allocated for building underground bunkers for border residents over the last five years, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application. The revelation comes amid heightened calls for civilian safety, following last month's Operation Sindoor and the intense cross-border shelling. Responding to an RTI application, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department said, an amount of Rs 242.77 crore was given to the Union Territory administration headed by the Lt Gover ...Read More >
This independent body, composed of retired officials and experts, will periodically review and recommend fare revisions for KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC. Till now, bus fares have been increased once in a few years. Going forward, you can expect more frequent fare revisions. Amid the controversy surrounding the steep hike in the charges of Namma Metro, the state govt has proposed the formation of a public transport fare regulatory committee. The new body will be responsible for reviewing and re ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 19, (PTI) Under the 'NIOS Project,' an average of 70 per cent of students who took the 10th grade examination have failed in the last four years -- this was revealed by the Delhi's Directorate of Education (DoE) in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by PTI. The project was launched by the Delhi government to reduce the rate of students failing in the 9th and 10th grades and the number of students dropping out of school. Under this project, students who fai ...Read More >