India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: Delhi govt is set to initiate an inquiry into the impounding of end-of-life vehicles -- 15 years for petrol and 10 years for diesel -- carried out during the tenure of AAP govt.In 2024, 39,273 vehicles were scrapped after impounding while the figure was 22,397 in 2023.Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday that he will soon order a probe amid suspicions that the due process of scrapping and providing value to people for their cars, as per govt directives, was not followed in many cases.Sources revealed that several complaints have surfaced from citizens claiming they did not receive the scrap value for their seized vehicles. The investigators will also probe if some of these vehicles were sent to other states.The inquiry aims to investigate possible lapses, mismanagement or irregularities in the disposal process, Sirsa said. He also said complaints were received related to overcharging of payments like towing charges, handling charges and logistics charges for vehicles, despite the release order issued by the department clearly stating that charges should be levied as per Delhi Parking Rules, 2019.The probe will also examine if there were cases of not providing a certificate of deposit (COD) to the vehicle owners in a time-bound manner and not allowing the owners in the scrapyard to take valuables from their vehicles.An extensive drive was launched in 2023 by the transport department to lift overaged vehicles -- 15 years in the case of petrol vehicles and 10 years for diesel vehicles -- in March. The transport department, while starting the drive, made no provisions under which people could get impounded vehicles released.Then transport minister Kailash Gahlot objected to it and wrote to the department to halt the drive, stating that the exercise was "invasive" and "did not have govt approval". He directed the department to stop towing away parked vehicles, after which the drive was paused.Later, however, the department resumed the drive after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) wrote to it to initiate action against all vehicles plying or parked in public areas.The matter went to court, after which Delhi High Court ordered the release of "end-of-life" vehicles seized by authorities for scrapping, but under some conditions. The owners would need to promise to permanently keep the vehicles in a private space or shift them out of Delhi-NCR and not run them within city limits.While launching the drive, the department stated that it was meant to contain pollution in the city and nudge people to scrap their overaged vehicles instead of abandoning them on the road. The owners were paid compensation according to rates decided by the Union steel ministry.
Bhubaneswar, Dec 18 (PTI) Ahead of BJD's 28th foundation day on December 26, its chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged members to remain dedicated to serving the people of Odisha, while the party announced a mass demonstration in Bhubaneswar on January 6 to highlight the price rise of essential commodities and other issues. Patnaik asked party supporters to "raise voice against the BJP government's 'anti-people' policies" and also highlight the impact of high inflation, which hits the poor and middle class. "The party leaders and workers need to create awareness among people on the state B ...Read More >
Ludhiana, Jun 7 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday said the Election Commission (ECI) should immediately ban AAP leaders facing criminal charges from campaigning for the upcoming bypoll to the Ludhiana West Assembly seat. Taking strong exception to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia - both accused in the Delhi excise policy case - campaigning for the by-election, Chugh demanded that they be prohibited from entering the constituency. The bypoll to the Ludhiana West Assembly seat will take place on June 19 and the results will be out on June 23. The seat f ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday urged vehicle manufacturers and logistics companies to opt for trucks that run on alternative fuels rather than diesel-fuelled ones to cut down pollution, reduce logistics costs, and decrease India's dependence on imported fossil fuel."My appeal to you all is - don't go for diesel trucks, think about alternative fuel and biofuel. It's economically viable," Gadkari said, while addressing industry leaders. He added that govt is encouraging the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, and others.On the ...Read More >
Delhi's air pollution continues to worsen, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a hazardous 490, despite the government's 21-point plan to tackle the issue. The city’s residents are struggling to breathe, even indoors, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients facing respiratory problems. The pollution crisis is exacerbated by the lack of cooperation among Delhi and neighboring states, and the central government, with each blaming the other. This pollution not only threatens public health but also jeopardizes Delhi's economic future, as it could drive away professionals and harm business ...Read More >
New Delhi: The CAG report, which Aam Aadmi Party leaders are denying as false, was indeed accepted as true by the Delhi government lawyer in the High Court when he blamed the LG office for leaking it to the public. Justice Sachin Datta of the Delhi High Court, who was hearing a petition by the BJP MLAs, said the government should have promptly placed the CAG reports before the house for discussion. "The way you dragged your feet raises doubts about your bonafides. You should have promptly forwarded the reports to the speaker," Justice Datta said, "and had a discussion in the house. The timel ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to hear a plea against the nomination of AAP candidate and Delhi minister Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat in the February 5 assembly elections. Justice Subramonium Prasad observed the petition was not maintainable. "How is this petition even maintainable in law? Either you challenge (his previous) election on whatever grounds ... this is not maintainable," said the court. The plea was then withdrawn by the petitioner. The petitioner, who lives in Sultan Puri, said Ahlawat contested previous elections by concealing and withholding certain f ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): In view of rising pollution levels, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The action came after Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 209, which falls under the 'Poor' category. The decision was a comprehensive review by the CAQM Sub-Committee, which convened on Saturday and reviewed the air quality scenario in the region, as well as the IMD/IITM forecasts and air quality index of Delhi comprehensively. 'The AQI of Delhi has shown an increa ...Read More >
India readies a sea change for domestic shipping as well as global shipping through key bills The centre will move the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024 and Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 for consideration and passing during the winter session of parliament. These key legislations are aimed at holistic growth of Coastal Shipping and reducing the compliance burden for ships under the Indian flag. "The Merchant Shipping Bill deals with implementation of India's obligations under various International Conventions and technical aspects maritime and shipping sector's regulations. Coastal Shipping Bill wi ...Read More >
Listening to the sounds of nature such as birdsong reduces stress levels - but the sound of traffic increases them, new research shows. The research lends support for anyone who is a firm believer in the curative powers of a walk in the countryside or through a forest. In a study, 68 volunteers listened to three three-minute soundscapes: a nature soundscape recorded at sunrise in West Sussex, the same soundscape combined with 20 mile per hour road traffic sounds, and the same soundscape with 40 mile per hour traffic sounds. General mood and anxiety were assessed before and after the soundsc ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has given his approval to the reconstitution of Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, paving the way for govt to prepare a scheme to provide compensation to the construction workers who lost work due to the implementation of GRAP IV provisions. The board was not in place for the last couple of years. While giving his nod to its reconstitution, LG directed that immediate steps should be taken to implement Supreme Court directions to provide subsistence allowance to workers affected due to restrictions on construction activities be ...Read More >
Delhi residents breathed easier Thursday as air quality improved to 'moderate' after a month of severe pollution. The AQI dropped to 161, though some areas still experienced 'poor' air quality. Cooler temperatures and mist accompanied the improved air, with the minimum temperature reaching 9 degrees Celsius. The Supreme Court maintained GRAP-IV restrictions, demanding compensation for construction workers from NCR states.Residents in Delhi took a sigh of relief on Thursday as the air quality inde ...Read More >
New Delhi: The BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicle ban has been lifted in Delhi after the Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to the moderate category. The Supreme Court allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to ease restrictions due to the improvement in the national capital's air pollution situation. Delhi had been facing high pollution levels, which led CAQM to enforce Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The court has now asked the commission to apply GRAP Stage 2. ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj over their visit to the Madrasi Camp encroachment site in Jangpura, terming it a 'drama' by an 'autocratic party' aimed at misleading the people of Delhi. 'No one is touching the slums. This (AAP) is a drama party, and they are unemployed people. Their job is to mislead and deceive the people of Delhi. Whereas we are taking care of the people of Delhi in a positive way, doing overall development, following the court's orders. It is our job t ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said authorities cannot go against demolition orders issued by courts and stressed that displaced residents have been provided accommodation.Her words came in the wake of the recent Madrasi Camp demolition for which the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised her. AAP has targeted Gupta, and alleged that the displaced Madrasi Camp residents were provided homes in faraway Narela, and those lack basic amenities.Attending an event to mark the construction of a Jan Sewa camp at a slum cluster in the Haiderpur area, Gupta told reporters: "In t ...Read More >
Delhi is facing worsening pollution and erratic weather patterns, with the air quality regularly reaching dangerous levels. This is partly due to climate change, with temperature rises and unpredictable rainfall patterns caused by global warming. The industrial revolution has played a significant role, contributing to the rise in global temperatures. The effects are already being felt, with 2024 witnessing record-breaking heat in India. Despite this, there is little action from society or leadership, with courts repeatedly stepping in to address issues like pollution and farm fires. The need f ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The government on Thursday came out with the definition of green steel and asked the industry to take measures to bring down carbon emissions below the level of 2.2 tonnes on per tonne of finished products. Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy also released a 'taxonomy on green steel' with parameters for giving star ratings on products based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during the production process. The steel industry has been the backbone of India's industrial growth and it is imperative that this vital sector undergoes a transformative shift towards ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 26 (VOICE) India in 2024 saw a boom in employment rates, with women and youth leading the charge in workforce participation, according to a report.The report by Apna.co, a job and professional networking platform, showed women contributed an impressive 2.8 crore job applications -- 20 per cent higher than in 2023. Similarly, the youth posted a 27 per cent year-on-year increase in job applications. Women contributed an impressive 2.8 crore job applications out of a total of 7 crore, a 25 per cent year-on-year surge, in 2024. Flexible work opportunities, gender-focused initiativ ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Monday said that AAP National Convenor and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has completely lost his political ground in Delhi. Out of desperation and on seeing his imminent defeat, anarchist Kejriwal has now started maligning the Election Commission and the election process, he said, referring to an attempt by the AAP to create a controversy over its Patparganj candidate Avadh Ojha's vote from Greater Noida to Delhi. Sachdeva posed a question to Kejriwal: Avadh Ojha joined the AAP on December 2, and it was decid ...Read More >
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal with women from purvanchal stages a protest against AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.Source : PTI Delhi Police on Monday detained Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal as she protested outside Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the government's failure to clean the Yamuna River. Maliwal, accompanied by a group of women from Purvanchal, carried water collected from the Yamuna to Kejriwal's residence, accusing him of neglecting the river's worsening condition. Speaking to news agency ANI, she re ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
New Delhi: Just as the Bharatiya Janata Party completes 100 days in power in Delhi, reports have surfaced that chief minister Rekha Gupta will soon shift from her private residence in Shalimar Bagh to government-allotted bungalow at the Raj Niwas Marg in Civil Lines, where her other Cabinet colleagues have been allotted residences. The renovation work of her official residence is underway in full swing. It is pertinent to mention here that this residence allotted to CM Gupta is not the same controversial 'Sheesh Mahal' where former CM Arvind Kejriwal lived when Aam Aadmi Party was in power. M ...Read More >
New Delhi: Rare earth magnets, essential for EV motors, have become the latest flashpoint in India's growing electric mobility ambitions. These magnets power the core of Brushless DC (BLDC) and Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM), which drive most electric vehicles today, particularly two-wheelers. With China tightening export controls, Indian automakers now face serious supply-side disruptions. If the situation continues, industry experts warn that EV prices could rise, production could slow and expansion plans may take a hit. In April this year, China imposed an export curb on rare- ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: In a major move aimed at reducing pollution and improving urban transport in Hyderabad, the Telangana government has approved the introduction of 65,000 new eco-friendly auto rickshaws within the city limits and the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The decision, driven by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and aligned with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's vision, is expected to contribute to environmental sustainability and employment generation. The state issued GO No. 263 relaxing the long-standing cap on new auto rickshaw permits within Greater Hyderabad. For over two decades, restriction ...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, Jan 31 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party, accusing it of stalling Delhi's development while treating the city as its "political ATM" to fund its ambitions in other states and using the "looted" money for its own publicity. Addressing a public rally in Dwarka here, he urged people to vote for the BJP in the Assembly polls and allow him to serve them. Modi stressed that Delhi does not need a confrontational government but one that works in coordination with the Centre. The prime minister urged voters to elect a "double-engine go ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) The BJP on Monday assailed the AAP government over water "crisis" in south west Delhi's Bijwasan, highlighting the water pipes being supplied to the homes of the locals through electric poles and influence of water mafia in the area. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra during his visit to Bijwasan said there was severe water crisis in the area and the tangled web of pipes of water on the electricity poles expose the 10 year "misrule" of the AAP. "I have travelled across India and many cities around the world but this sight of water flowing through pipes hanging from ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The government announced on Saturday that it would grant permits for 65,000 green autorickshaws to ply within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits. Permission has been granted for operating 20,000 electric autorickshaws, 10,000 fuelled by CNG, 10,000 by LPG and 25,000 retro-fitted electric three-wheelers. No permissions shall be given to petrol or diesel autorickshaws. Earlier, no new autorickshaws were delivered or sold to people unless they submitted a certificate issued by the transport department that they had scrapped their old vehicles. Government's special chief secretary Vikas ...Read More >
MUMBAI: Corporate India showed signs of renewed vigour in 2024-25, with listed private non-financial companies reporting a sales growth of 7.2%, an improvement from the anaemic 4.7% recorded the previous year. Data from Reserve Bank of India, based on financial statements of 3,902 listed non-government non-financial firms, point to a broad-based if uneven recovery-tempered by rising input costs and tightening margins.Manufacturing companies saw sales climb by 6.0%, up from 3.5% the year before. The uptick owed much to strong performances in automobiles, electrical machinery, food and beverages ...Read More >
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. Over time, govts' failure to improve Delhi's air quality is bound to impact its economic primacy About three weeks ago, Delhi govt told NGT it was implementing its 21-point winter action plan involving about 30 govt depts to mitigate air pollution. It would be laughable were the situation not so serious. Yesterday, Delhi's AQI shot to over 490 on a scale of 500 at 26 of Delhi's 37 monitoring stations - even though personal diesel vehicles were off t ...Read More >