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: To reduce emissions from BS III and IV vehicles, Delhi govt is evaluating the viability of a pilot project to deploy advanced catalytic converter-based retrofitting devices in 30 govt vehicles, said Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday. These vehicles will be tested in collaboration with IIT Delhi or International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT). If found effective, the govt will consider the large-scale installation of the device in BS-IV or below vehicles.Sirsa said, for the first time, the catalytic converter retrofitting devices will be installed after the exhaust pipe of govt vehicles and devices have demonstrated the capability to reduce particulate matter and other emissions by more than 70% in BS-III and BS-IV vehicles.The decision to conduct a pilot study follows CAQM's directions on restricting the entry of all non-essential transport or commercial goods vehicles (light goods vehicles, medium goods vehicles, heavy goods vehicles) other than BS-VI, CNG, LNG, and EVs into Delhi from Nov 1, except those registered in Delhi. The move aims to explore technically innovative solutions to reduce emissions from BS III and BS IV vehicles.In a meeting held on Aug 11, which was headed by Sirsa, it was decided that Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will lead the initiative and coordinate with departments, including PWD, MCD, DJB, and Health, and provide a list of govt vehicles and vehicles of autonomous bodies which are of BS-IV or below norms for retrofitting of devices."DPCC, which will be the single point of contact, will write to IIT Delhi or ICAT for testing these 30 vehicles. The third-party testing of these 30 vehicles will confirm how much emissions were reduced," said an official. The official added that if the device is proven effective, DPCC, in coordination with the environment department, will forward the solution to the Delhi govt, transport department, and other stakeholders for consideration of large-scale adoption.Sirsa said, "This pilot is a trial and a statement of our vision -- to deploy permanent, innovative solutions that clean Delhi's air while keeping essential transport running."An official said the decision on carrying out a pilot project came after deliberations on how such technology could play a vital role in addressing one of Delhi's biggest environmental challenges -- pollution from heavy vehicles. "If successful, the pilot will pave the way for large-scale adoption across Delhi and possibly in other parts of the country," said the official.
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) The Delhi government on Thursday urged the Centre's air quality panel to immediately suspend the fuel ban on overage vehicles and said it will also make "all out efforts" to resolve issues related to restrictions on the movement of end-of-life vehicles on the city's roads. In his letter to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chairman Rajesh Verma, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the fuel ban is not feasible and that it cannot be implemented due to technological challenges. The move three days after the ban came into effect in the national capit ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to defer the enforcement of a recent directive banning fuel supply to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles, citing serious technological challenges and growing public discontent. The request came through a letter sent by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who reiterated the government's support for air pollution mitigation but called the fuel ban "premature and potentially counterproductive." The ban, mandated under CAQM's Direction No. 89 dated April 23, came into effect on July 1 and prohibits petrol ...Read More >
New Delhi: The debate among scientists and environment policy experts over what really drives vehicle pollution has heated up in Delhi after the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directive of denying fuel and impounding end-of-life vehicles from July 1 onwards.Petrol vehicles that are over 15 years old and diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old are in the direct line of fire of CAQM's Direction 89.The policy's aim is to reducing emissions, but environmentalists and automotive exp ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday again took the 'Sheesh Mahal' jibe at AAP over the residence of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying it can only be turned into a five-star hotel. In an interview with ANI, Sirsa also slammed opposition parties for the 'Maya Mahal' jibe at the proposed cost of renovation of the house allocated to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, saying she is living in a normal house and the expense of all the arrangements is around Rs 50 lakh. 'The Sheesh Mahal can only be turned into a 5-star hotel. ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification. The three institutes are IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. The Hyundai Centre of Excellence (CoE), which will be set up on IIT Delhi campus, will operate through sponsorships from Hyundai Motor Group. The primary objective of the Hyundai CoE is to take the lead in driving advancements in batteries and electrification, specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the Indian market. Hyundai Mo ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Starting Tuesday, the Delhi government is planning to stop the sale of petrol and diesel to end-of-life (EoL) or over-age vehicles - a move aimed at fighting vehicular emission-linked air pollution in the Capital, an official said. Petrol pump owners on Monday confirmed that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and other devices linked to the transport ministry's data bank have been installed at their outlets to identify EoL vehicles. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued a direction that all EoL vehicles identified throu ...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 Delhi government has set a November deadline to clear all encroachments from the Yamuna floodplains under its 45-point action plan for river cleaning and rejuvenation. Officials said the plan, approved by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, was discussed in a recent meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary and involve agencies like DDA, DJB, DPCC, MCD, I&FC, and NDMC. The DDA has been directed to remove illegal structures, waste dumping, and unauthorised farming along the floodplains. Officials cited frequent resistance and lack of clear demarcation as major challenges. So far, the DDA ...Read More >
In an interaction with PTI here, Stellantis India CEO and MD Shailesh Hazela said that any investor who comes to India would like to see a little longer horizon in terms of policies. "So our wishlist for the government is that whatever they decide to put across, it should be for a longer period," Hazela stated when asked about government actions which could propel growth of Indian auto industry. It would be great if there could be uniformity in policies across the country in terms of EVs (elect ...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 >
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 29 (ANI): The Delhi government has requested Rs 1,000 crore in funding from the Central government to deploy new technology and implement measures aimed at reducing the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Sunday during an inspection of Nehru Park. Minister Singh visited Nehru Park along with Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, as part of the government's initiative to install air purifiers in the area. Also Read | US: 24-Year-Old Indian Woman Simran Simran Goes Missing Days After Arriving for Arranged Mar ...Read More >
Delhi's Artificial Rain Through Cloud Seeding: To combat air pollution, Delhi is set to witness the first trial of artificial rain, with cloud seeding operations between July 4 and 11. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the flight plan has been submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune. He said the current weather conditions are not suitable for cloud seeding until July 3, but a tentative flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11. He added that a proposal has also been sent to the Directorat ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major move to combat air pollution, the Delhi government has enforced a strict fuel ban on 'end-of-life' (EoL) vehicles -- petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years -- from being refuelled at petrol pumps across the national capital. Authorities confirmed that two motorcycles have already been identified and seized under the new enforcement, and the vehicles will be scrapped in accordance with the official policy. The crackdown follows the alarming findings by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), whose Novembe ...Read More >
New Delhi: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given the final nod to Delhi govt for cloud seeding in the city. However, the govt said that, based on suggestions from meteorologists, trials would now take place between Aug 30 and Sept 10, instead of the previously declared July 4 to 11.Delhi govt has also finalised a tentative flight plan with a map of the area over which the cloud seeding experiment will be conducted. The sorties have been planned over Alipur, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Pavi Sadakpur and parts of Eastern Peripheral Expressway. A fully equipped aircraft, VT-IIT (Cess ...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, June 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government is taking concrete steps to make the national capital pollution-free and green. "Public transportation is being rapidly converted to electric vehicles, which will not only reduce pollution but also provide Delhi residents with clean and affordable transportation," said CM Gupta in a post on X. Elaborating on steps being taken to clean the city's air, she said, "Dust pollution is being effectively controlled at construction sites and major roads through technologies like smoke guns and sprinkler ...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 >
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is set to deploy joint enforcement teams from the transport department, traffic police, and MCD at fuel stations to implement the ban on refuelling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) from July 1. These teams will monitor compliance on the ground and impound any vehicles found violating the directive. "We will deploy a team comprising transport and traffic police officials at each of these fuel stations. They will ensure that there is no law-and-order problem while implementing the system," said Ajay Chaudhary, Special Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police. End-of-lif ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi govt has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to enforce the ban on refuelling end-of-life (EoL) vehicles, with CNG pumps being exempted. According to a directive from Commission for Air Quality Management, beginning July 1, all EoL vehicles-diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years-will be prohibited from being refuelled in Delhi. The revised SOP states, "It is hereby clarified that CNG vehicles shall not be denied fuel. Accordingly, any reference to CNG in the SOP should be disregarded." The denial of fuel shall strictly apply only t ...Read More >
Bhopal: After decades of lingering uncertainty, the disposal of 307 tonnes of toxic waste (earlier 347 tonnes) from the infamous Union Carbide factory responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy, has now been disposed. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had issued directives in this regard earlier to dispose it in maximum 72 days. "The process, which began from the evening of May 5 was completed on June 29 evening," a senior officer in the MP Pollution Control Board told IANS. It was burnt at a private facility in Pithampur in Dhar district near Indore, amid protests by locals. "The incineration proc ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Fuel retailers' body DPDA on Tuesday hailed the central government panel's decision to defer the fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) or overage vehicles until November 1, saying the move gives them ample time to prepare for the implementation. According to sources, Centre's panel on air quality in Delhi-NCR CAQM on Tuesday decided to put on hold the implementation of the fuel ban on end-of-life or overage vehicles in the national capital until November 1. Also Read | PM Modi in Brasilia: PM Narendra Modi Receives Grand Welcome From Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ...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 >
New Delhi: Delhi govt has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to enforce the ban on refuelling end-of-life (EoL) vehicles, with CNG pumps being exempted. According to a directive from Commission for Air Quality Management, beginning July 1, all EoL vehicles -- diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years -- will be prohibited from being refuelled in Delhi.The revised SOP states, "It is hereby clarified that CNG vehicles shall not be denied fuel. Accordingly, any reference to CNG in the SOP should be disregarded." The denial of fuel shall strictly apply on ...Read More >
Delhi's air quality continues to deteriorate with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 304, falling under the "very poor" category. Several areas, including Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, and Mundka, reported severe pollution levels, significantly impacting visibility and health. The National Capital Region (NCR) also saw poor air quality, with areas like Noida and Ghaziabad in the "poor" range. The Supreme Court upheld restrictions under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution. Authorities urge residents to limit outdoor activities and take health precautions as smo ...Read More >
Entrepreneur and managing director of Homestays and villas and Mangalya destination weddings, Siddharth Bakaria, was the latest victim of the horror show that the city has turned into. Delhi's air and its declining quality have unfortunately become the hallmark of the general discourse of the country towards the end of the year and almost all throughout Winter. Lungs are Burning To no one's surprise, the Winter of 2024 is no different, with the landlocked capital city breaking the most undesirable records, very early on in the season. According to reports, Delhi and its neighbouring region ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a dramatic turn of events, Canadian PM Mark Carney called PM Modi and invited him for the G7 summit that begins eight days from now at Kananaskis in Alberta. Modi accepted the invitation and said he was looking forward to meeting him at the summit.The announcement by Modi on X followed almost a week of suspense over his participation because of a lack of invitation, drawing barbs from the opposition about his possible exclusion from the summit. India is not a member of G7 but Modi has been invited for all summits since 2019. Modi congratulated Carney on his poll win and thanked h ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi govt has geared up to enforce the ban on refuelling end-of-life vehicles, with plans to station enforcement teams from transport, traffic, and MCD to impound such vehicles.A senior official said that teams would be deployed at fuel stations to monitor the implementation and take action against such vehicles. The teams would be from MCD, the transport department enforcement wing, and traffic.The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued to the pump owners says that there will be "immediate legal action by enforcement teams" when end-of-life vehicles are "identified". This woul ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said that her government has made women's safety a priority of governance, and work is in progress to eliminate unsafe and dark spots in the city. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said, "We have made women's safety in the capital not just a promise but a priority of governance. Continuous efforts are being made in coordination with the police and administration to make Delhi safer for women." She said, "Dark spots are being identified and security measures are being strengthened there, PCR patrolling has been increased, panic buttons an ...Read More >
Chennai: Chennai's first batch of electric buses hit the roads on Monday, with 120 non-AC low-floor buses flagged off by chief minister M K Stalin from the newly upgraded Vyasarpadi depot.While these buses feature modern amenities like a kneeling mechanism for easier boarding by senior citizens, women, children, and persons with disabilities, they lack air-conditioning -- a feature now standard in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The kneeling function lowers the floor by another 250 mm, making the bus accessible for all. The buses, built by OHM Global Mobility (a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland) at 2 ...Read More >