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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's directive that all eateries along the Kanwar route display QR codes revealing the names and identities of their owners. A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh will consider the public interest litigation filed by academician Apoorvanand Jha and others. Last year, the apex court stayed similar directives issued by the BJP-ruled governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, which had required roadside eateries along Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners, staff and other details. The petition cites a June 25 press release from the UP administration, noting: "The new measures mandate the display of QR codes on all eateries along the Kanwar route, which reveal the names and identities of the owners, thereby achieving the same discriminatory profiling that was previously stayed by this Court." It argues that the UP-government's requirement for stall owners to disclose their religious and caste identities under "lawful licence requirements" violates their right to privacy. Each year, large numbers of devotees travel with kanwars carrying Ganga water to perform jalabhishek of Shivlings during the Hindu month of Shravan. Many believers abstain from meat, and even from onions and garlic, throughout the month.
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan has called for the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with ballot papers, citing concerns over the legitimacy of election results. Ranjan raised doubts about the EVM's accuracy, suggesting that the results may be influenced and advocating for a ballot paper system like many other countries. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also echoed similar sentiments, accusing EVMs of wasting votes from marginalized communities. This comes after the Congress' defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly election. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a petition seeking th ...Read More >
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 5 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Satish Mahana visited the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Wednesday and expressed his admiration for the arrangements, calling them "unique, amazing, and unimaginable." Speaking to ANI, Mahana shared his experience of visiting the Kumbh twice, remarking on the inclusivity of the event, where people from all walks of life--regardless of wealth, caste, or background--gather to bathe in the Triveni Sangam, embodying unity. "I am fortunate to have the opportunity of coming twice to Maha Kumbh. The arrangements her ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
New Delhi: Observing that "criminalisation of politics is a very major issue", the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond to a PIL challenging election of convicted persons as MPs/MLAs. The development took place during the resumed hearing of a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, seeking lifelong disqualification of MPs and MLAs convicted of criminal offences. The PIL has challenged provisions of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) that bar convicted politicians from contesting polls for six years after serving jail terms. A be ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar inaugurated Andhra Pradesh's first Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Terming it a landmark in sustainable infrastructure, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy efficiency and green design in public facilities. The facility will serve as a national-level training hub for power sector staff. He urged power utilities to expedite 20 lakh rooftop solar connections, targeting 10,000 in each Assembly segment. He reaffirmed nine-hour uninterrupted power for agri ...Read More >
Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar on July 10. The bench, however, refused to stay the ongoing exercise. Hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's exercise, a vacation bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said the matter would be heard on Thursday. A battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal argued on behalf of a bunch of petitioners and said notices should be issued to the poll body. Challenging the poll body's exercise, ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 26: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce ballot paper in place of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale rejected the prayer to return to the ballot system due to the alleged manipulability of EVMs. "When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine," remarked the apex court, when the petitioner referred to the statements made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor Jagan Mohan ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country. "What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale. Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters d ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], November 26 (ANI): The Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition on Tuesday seeking the reintroduction of the physical paper ballot voting system in elections in India. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale dismissed the plea filed by evangelist KA Paul seeking physical ballot voting in India. During the hearing, the petitioner said that even leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had questioned Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering. To this the bench said what happens is, if you win the elections, EVMs are not tamper ...Read More >
Rajgir/Gayaji (Bihar), Jun 6 (PTI) Rejecting outright the 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday vowed that "the barrier will be broken" in whichever part of the country his party came to power. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the promise in Bihar, the state which was a hotbed of the Mandal agitation in the 1990s, and where polls to the assembly are likely in a few months. "I wonder where did this idea of a 50 per cent cap come from? The population of the deprived sections is close to 90 per cent," said the former Congress president ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's Jangpura MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah on Friday wrote a letter to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, requesting the temporary closure of meat and fish shops along Kanwar Yatra routes during the upcoming holy month of Sawan. In his letter, Marwah highlighted that the Kanwar Yatra is a matter of deep religious faith, during which devotees of Lord Shiva collect sacred water from Haridwar and other holy sites to perform Jalabhishek of Shivlings in their hometowns. He urged the government to maint ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent directive mandating large sections of voters in Bihar to furnish proof of citizenship in order to remain on the electoral rolls. Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition seeks to quash the ECI's June 24 order initiating a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The plea argues that the directive violates constitutional provisions inclu ...Read More >
New Delhi, January 27: The Supreme Court has upheld an order passed by the apex court registry in August 2024 refusing to admit a lawyer's application seeking direction to SEBI to submit its conclusive probe report into the Adani-Hindenburg controversy. Advocate Vishal Tiwari had moved an appeal against the order passed by the Registrar on August 5 last year. Earlier on July 15, 2024, the top court had dismissed a review petition filed against its earlier verdict refusing to form any SIT or group of experts to conduct an investigation. After perusing the review petition, a bench, headed by th ...Read More >
Hyderabad: After a carefully calibrated Cabinet expansion, providing representation to marginalised sections, the senior Congress leadership reached out to aspirants who did not make it to manage internal party dynamics. While legislators like Sudarshan Reddy, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Premsagar Rao -- all from upper castes -- aspired for Cabinet posts, the party prioritised social justice by inducting Dr Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy, Adluri Lakshman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari. The induction of three ministers -- two from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and one fro ...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 >
Haridwar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday demanded that hotel, dhaba and eatery owners on the Kanwar Yatra routes should display their names and identities on boards outside their business establishments. The owners, who hide their identities under fake names, on the Kanwar Yatra routes should not be spared, he told reporters here. "Tampering with faith of the Hindu devotees during the Kanwar Yatra will not be tolerated," said the Unnao MP. The food shops on the Kanwar Yatra routes should have a board outside with the names of their owners clearly written on them, h ...Read More >
The Supreme Court has requested responses from the Centre, Tamil Nadu Governor's office, and others regarding the TN government's plea. This plea challenges a Madras High Court order that suspended the state's authority to appoint vice-chancellors at state universities. The University Grants Commission has also been issued a notice concerning the high court's interim order.The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre, Tamil Nadu Governor's office, and others on a plea by the TN governm ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh administration has strengthened security arrangements across several districts including Lucknow, Sambhal, and Moradabad to ensure peace and avoid any disruption, as Muharram processions and the Kanwar Yatra are being held at the same time.Large crowds gathered for Muharram processions across different regions, while preparations for the Kanwar Yatra are also underway. Police personnel have been deployed in all sensitive areas, and surveillance is being carried out using drones and CCTV cameras.In SambhalDistrict Magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya while speaking to ANI ...Read More >
Rishikesh, Jul 7 (PTI) Tight security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of 'Shravan Kanwar Mela', or Kanwar Yatra, which is starting this week, an official said on Monday. The Yatra, which will last for a fortnight, is starting from July 11. During this time, Shiva devotees will take Ganga water from Haridwar in Uttarakhand to anoint the Shivalinga at Shiva temples in their villages and cities on 'Sawan Shivratri'. Garhwal Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rajiv Swaroop told PTI here that this time, there will be heavy deployment of security personnel in Haridw ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Ahead of the Kanwar Yatra 2025, the Delhi police have intensified security arrangements. According to DCP Rohini, Rajeev Ranjan, the police have made extensive arrangements in the Shahdara district, which is one of the routes for the Kanwar yatris to 'jal' from Haridwar or Garh Ganga. 'We have made extensive arrangements in the Shahdara district. It is one of the significant districts for Kanwar Yatris, as it is the route for those who bring 'jal' from Haridwar or Garh Ganga', the police official said. Rajeev Ranjan said that the administration has divided th ...Read More >
Gandhinagar: In households in Gujarat's cities, cereals may take up less space in the grocery bill, but they still dominate the dinner plate. A new Union govt report shows that cereals, while accounting for just 3.8% of household spending, supply 35% of total calorie intake in cities. In villages, their role is even more dominant, making up 43% of calorie consumption while accounting for 4.5% of total spending.Cereals also account for a major portion of protein intake for people in Gujarat.These insights come from the Centre's latest "Nutritional Intake in India" report, which tracks food patt ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 3 (ANI): The UP government's move to make it mandatory for all shops along the Kanwar Yatra route to have proper licenses and clearly display the owner's original name has come in for criticism from the opposition. However, the state government has defended the move, with senior minister Sanjay Nishad saying that the accusation holds no weight. Also Read | Karnataka Slapgate: Additional SP Narayana Baramani Refuses To Withdraw Resignation, Says 'CM Siddaramaiah Raised His Hand at Me in a Threatening Manner; Harm to My Dignity Can't Be Restored'. Nishad ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Samajwadi Party MP S.T. Hasan has suggested the creation of a dedicated 'Kanwar Path' - a separate road exclusively for Kanwariyas - to mitigate disruptions caused during the annual Kanwar Yatra. Hasan said such a road should stretch from Haridwar to Moradabad and further to Bareilly, ensuring smooth passage for devotees while sparing local residents the accompanying inconveniences. "The Kanwar Yatra is a religious pilgrimage, that is a fact. But when DJs blare music during the Yatra, the windows of nearby houses rattle. Heart patients cover their ea ...Read More >