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.
Shillong: The East Khasi Hills Taxi Welfare Association (EKHTWA) on Thursday said it will announce its position on the Meghalaya government's newly proposed safety regulations for commercial vehicles only after holding discussions with the concerned authorities. "We are awaiting a meeting with the government, as indicated. Only after thorough deliberation will we declare our stance," said EKHTWA president Wandonbok Jyrwa. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The Meghalaya government recently introduced a new safety directive mandating all commercial vehicles to visibly display the driver's name, licence number, contact information, and address. The move aims to bolster passenger safety -- especially for women and solo commuters. While acknowledging the importance of safety, Jyrwa emphasized the need for the government to first ensure round-the-clock deployment of traffic personnel. "There should be no excuse of staff shortage. Many youths, including taxi drivers, are ready to join the police force if given an opportunity," he stated. Jyrwa also advised commuters to remain vigilant while travelling. "Passengers should always note the taxi's registration number and share it with friends or family. Those with smartphones can take photos of the cab from outside and inside," he suggested. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! Commenting on driver behavior, he said that although most taxi drivers are law-abiding, a few with criminal intent can jeopardize the safety of passengers. "Passengers should avoid boarding taxis driven by individuals who appear inebriated. Legal action must be taken against such drivers," he said. Jyrwa further added that EKHTWA has taken strict disciplinary actions against drivers found involved in drug-related offences in areas like Polo and Them Bijoy. "We do not want the entire taxi community to be maligned because of a few wrongdoers," he asserted. As per the new government rule, once implemented, vehicle owners will be given a one-month window to comply with the guidelines. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who also oversees the Transport Department. The regulation will apply to all commercial vehicles operating under permits issued by the Transport Department through respective district transport offices. The rule will initially cover only four-wheeled commercial vehicles. Two-wheelers may be brought under its purview later, subject to feasibility. Private, government-owned, and government enterprise vehicles will remain exempt from the rule.
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 >
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: You can soon lend your bike to bike taxi operators and other app-based service providers and get paid for it. This follows the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' (MoRTH) decision to revise the Motor Vehicles Aggregator Guidelines to allow the use of private (non-transport) motorcycles for passenger transport and hyperlocal deliveries through app-based aggregators. The move, announced on Tuesday, empowers state governments to permit private bike owners to operate as shared mobility service providers, essentially legalising the use of private bikes as bike taxis; a service tha ...Read More >
Agartala, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Wednesday that statistics show the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents in the state is much lower than the national average and emphasized that this number must be reduced further. After flagging-off 16 basic life support ambulances and virtually launching VLT (Vehicle Location Tracking) and MT (Monitoring System), the Chief Minister said that efforts should be made to ensure that accidents do not occur due to carelessness. Both the Central and state governments are working together to prevent road accide ...Read More >
Noida: Liquor revenue in the city jumped by 35% in the first quarter of 2025-26 compared to the same period last year. The city recorded Rs 625 crore in liquor revenue from April to June 2025, compared to Rs 462 crore during the same period in 2024-25.According to excise department data, the revenue in the first quarter of 2023-24 was Rs 430 crore, showing a 7% growth between 2023-24 and 2024-25 and a much larger jump this year.The sharp rise is attributed to the new liquor policy in the state, which made significant structural changes to the retail and licensing system.The month-wise revenue ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Passenger Vehicles and Two-Wheelers sales are expected to experience an uplift, helped by the upcoming festive season typically serves as a demand driver, according to the recent report by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Additionally, the report reveals that an above-normal monsoon is likely to aid rural income recovery, which is expected to be a positive signal for two-wheelers and entry-level vehicles that rely heavily on rural demand. The auto sector is expected to witness improved affordability and boosted consumer sentiment in the ...Read More >
Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) [India] July 15 (ANI): The tribal-dominated Dantewada district is all set to make its footprint visible in the high-octane sport of Thai Kick Boxing, as young athletes here have clinched medals in international as well as national events. With the support of the Chhattisgarh Government, the youth of Dantewada are sharpening their skills and preparing for Thai Kick Boxing events to be held in the country and overseas. As Dantewada moves on the path to becoming a hub for producing Thai Kick Boxers, the district is also ready to shed its infamous identity that emerged du ...Read More >
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charged five individuals, including goldy Brar, in relation to the 2024 Gurugram club bombing plot, as revealed in a recently filed chargesheet. This case involves a conspiracy to bomb two clubs, aiming to disrupt communal harmony in Haryana, with the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) implicated. The NIA's investigation highlights the severity of the plot. Those charged include satinderjit Singh (Goldy Brar), Sachin Talian, Ankit, Bhavish, and Randeep Singh. News Directory 3 provides crucial updates on sensitive cases such ...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 >
Bengaluru: Uber India Friday argued before the high court that if motorcycles are permitted to operate as taxis, there should be no legal barrier to their aggregation through platforms like Uber. The submission was made during a hearing on a batch of appeals concerning the legality of bike taxis in the state.Senior advocate Srinivasa Raghavan, representing Uber, contended that aggregators play a key role in improving last-mile connectivity and alleviating traffic congestion. He said both the operation and aggregation of two-wheelers for commercial use are supported by existing legal provisions ...Read More >
Bhopal, Jun 7 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into the disappearance of an Indore-based woman in Meghalaya a fortnight back. The woman - Sonam Raghuvanshi (25) - went missing along with her husband Raja Raghuvanshi (29) on May 23, hours after they checked out of a homestay at Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district during their honeymoon. On June 2, Raja's body was found in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra area, some 20 kilometres away from the homestay. However, the Meghalaya po ...Read More >
Indore, June 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday said that he has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into the mysterious death of an Indore resident in Meghalaya, whose wife is still missing. The Chief Minister said the Madhya Pradesh government has been in constant touch with the Meghalaya government and assured of all cooperation. All possible efforts were being made to ensure the safe return of Sonam Raghuvanshi whose husband (Raja Raghuvanshi) was found dead a few days ago, the Chief Minister said. "I have discussed the matt ...Read More >
Shimla: Heavy rains lashed Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, triggering landslides and flash floods and blocking more than 100 roads, even as the weather department issued a red alert.A landslide at Chakki Mod near Parwanoo blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla highway for hours, resulting in a massive traffic jam Sunday morning. The local administration had to divert traffic through the Jangeshu link road until the landslide debris was cleared at Chakki Mod.The traffic was first restored one-way and later two-way, but the traffic jam continued on both sides of the highway throughout the day due to slow veh ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
SHILLONG, July 9: Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday confirmed that normalcy has been restored in Lapangap village, a sensitive area along the Assam-Meghalaya border. The situation is now normal, Dhar said a day after visiting the area with the West Jaintia Hills DC, SP, and district officials to create confidence and assure the people of their safety. When asked about the origin of the issue in Lapangap, Dhar explained, "That area falls under the Khanduli-Psiar (area of difference). It falls under the area of difference because we are yet to discuss and take a final call on ...Read More >
GUWAHATI: The brother of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the Indore woman who has been missing from Meghalaya's Sohra (Cherrapunjee) area since May 23, suspects she was abducted by local miscreants. The decomposed body of Sonam's husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, was recovered from a gorge on June 2. The police said he was murdered. Govind Raghuvanshi, the missing woman's brother, said there was every reason to believe she was abducted by locals. He expressed disappointment with the search operation, which he said gave the impression that the police were looking for her body. "Sonam's belongings, including two ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): Bajaj Auto Limited reported nearly flat total sales for June 2025 on a year-on-year basis, as gains in the commercial vehicle segment balanced the dip in two-wheeler sales. The two-wheeler segment recorded a 2 per cent YoY decline, falling to 2,98,484 units in June 2025 from 3,03,646 units in June 2024. Domestic sales dipped 16 per cent, but exports rose by 18 per cent, reflecting a shift in market dynamics. Additionally, from the period of April to June 2025, the total vehicle sales were at 11,11,237. Among the total sales, 6,34,808 and 4,76,429 were domestic ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday inaugurated the 11th edition of the India Maize Summit, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with (IIMR) Indian Institute of Maize Research. Speaking at event, Chouhan emphasized that 'Farmers' sewa is our mool mantra,' reaffirming the government's commitment to farmer-centric policies. He outlined a multi-pronged strategy to boost maize production, and increase farmer incomes, while ensuring environme ...Read More >
Hyderabad: BRS senior leader T Harish Rao on Wednesday strongly condemned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's "baseless and misleading" statements regarding irrigation and water rights in Telangana. Harish Rao accused Revanth Reddy and his Congress government of "mortgaging Telangana's rightful share of water resources and attempting to mislead people with fabricated data and staged presentations." Expressing outrage over the Chief Minister's closed-door meeting with Congress legislators at Praja Bhavan, Harish Rao asserted, "Revanth Reddy, your government deserves to be lashed for betraying Telan ...Read More >
On Wednesday, a special investigation team (SIT) was formed after the Meghalaya Police recovered the weapon in the suspected murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday assured that justice would be served in the case of the Indore tourist who was murdered in Sohra, while rescue operations continue to locate his missing wife. He did not comment on calls for a CBI investigation, saying the inquiry is ongoing and thorough. Speaking to media persons, Sangma said, ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
Mumbai: Senior BJP leader Ravindra Chavan is all set to become the next Maharashtra BJP chief as he filed his nomination for the post of party's state president on Monday. Mr. Chavan presented the nomination forms to Union Minister Kiran Rijiju, who has been appointed as a central observer for the elections by the BJP. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and outgoing party chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule were present on this occasion. With no other nomination being filed for the post, Mr. Chavan is certain to become the next state president of Maharashtra BJP, said party leaders. The ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jul 3 (PTI) The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Thursday with the first batches of pilgrims setting off from the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan towards the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, which houses a naturally formed ice-lingam, officials said. The yatra started early morning from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route. The batches of pilgrims, including men, women and sadhus, left from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam, in south Kashmir's Anantnag, and Baltal base camp in Sonamarg area of central ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: With the kharif season underway and farmers facing an acute shortage of urea, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has written to the Centre, urging immediate intervention to ensure timely and sufficient supply of the critical fertiliser. In letters addressed to Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers JP Nadda, Tummala highlighted the alarming gap between the state's demand and actual supply. The minister said the Centre had allocated five lakh metric tonnes of urea to Telangana for the months of April, May, and June. However, only 3.06 lakh metric tonnes have been suppli ...Read More >
Guwahati: The East Khasi Hills district administration will enforce a new set of parking regulations from August 1 to improve urban mobility across Shillong in Meghalaya. The initiative, which spans seven key traffic zones including Sadar, Madanrting, Laban, Mawlai, Rynjah, Lumdiengjri, and Laitumkhrah, aims to organize parking in critical stretches of the city. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The Urban Affairs Department has introduced standard hourly parking fees, setting the rate at Rs 20 for two-wheelers and Rs 40 for four-wheelers, with z ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Punjab chief ministerBhagwant Mann on Thursday said the government will table a bill in the assembly on Friday to introduce harsher punishment for religious sacrilege. However, the law will not be enacted immediately, as the government plans to hold consultations with stakeholders before finalising the legislation.Mann said the decision was taken in a meeting of the cabinet earlier in the day. After the legislation is tabled, Punjab govt will gather suggestions on the law from stakeholders, including religious organisations and people, he added.Sources said said the new legislation ...Read More >
Chennai: Preliminary investigations attribute the fire on the goods train near Tiruvallur to a possible spark from overhead electrical equipment (OHE) igniting fuel leaking from a derailed wagon.The incident paralysed services on the busy Chennai-Arakkonam route and left nearby residents engulfed in thick black smoke. The disruption left thousands of rail passengers stranded, many of whom were unable to get updates as railway helplines went unanswered for hours. The train carrying diesel from Chennai Harbour to Walajah Road Siding was exiting Tiruvallur station around 5.30am on Sunday, when a ...Read More >
Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed confidence during the inauguration of Tesla's Experience Centre that Maharashtra will become the state with the highest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capacity in India. World-renowned EV manufacturer Tesla has officially entered the Indian market, and its first Experience Centre in the country -- located in Mumbai -- was inaugurated by CM Fadnavis. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Principal Secretary/CEO Kaustubh Dhavse, and Tesla representatives were also present. CM Fadnavis said this was a momentous occasion for Maharas ...Read More >
Mumbai: Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik, under an alias, booked a Rapido bike on Wednesday to test whether the service was still being offered despite it being illegal due to the lack of proper regulations for bike taxis. The biker, unaware of the identity of his customer, rode right into the midst of transport department officials who caught him red handed. However, Sarnaik directed officials not to register a case against the bike driver as he was merely an employee, and instead take action against the company. On April 1, the state cabinet had issued a draft electric-bike tax ...Read More >