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SRINAGAR, India, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Indian police arrested Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday, two days after New Delhi blamed him for violent protests demanding statehood, opens new tab for the Himalayan federal territory in which four people died, and suspended mobile internet services in its main city of Leh. Buildings and police vehicles were torched by angry crowds in Leh on Wednesday, as protesters moved away from a site where Wangchuk had been on hunger strike for 14 days. They clashed with police, who opened fire. Authorities said the police were acting in self-defence. A police officer who did not want to be named said Wangchuk had been arrested ahead of a press conference that he was to address. India's interior ministry had earlier accused Wangchuk, who called off his fast after the violence, of inciting people through his "provocative statements". It had also cancelled a licence granted to his non-governmental organisation, the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, alleging violations. A curfew has been in place in several parts of the territory since the clashes, in which dozens were injured, including police and security personnel. Another official who also did not wish to be identified said mobile internet services had been suspended in Leh on Friday as a precaution. Wangchuk had earlier denied the allegations against him, and said the violent protests were a reflection of frustration with the federal government. The Buddhist-Muslim enclave of Ladakh lost its regional autonomy in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government carved it out of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and brought it under the direct administration of New Delhi. Protesters are also demanding job quotas for local people and special status for the region, which would enable the creation of elected local bodies to protect its tribal areas. The federal government and Ladakh's leaders have been in talks over the demands since 2023, and are scheduled to meet again on October 6. Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari, writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Kevin Liffey Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
PRAYAGRAJ, India (AP) -- Millions of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy men and women from all across India flocked to the northern city of Prayagraj on Monday to kickstart the Maha Kumbh festival, which is being touted as the world's largest religious gathering. Over about the next six weeks, Hindu pilgrims will gather at the confluence of three sacred rivers -- the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati -- where they will take part in elaborate rituals, hoping to begin a journey to achieve Hindu philosophy's ultimate goal: the release from the cycle of rebirth. Here's what to know abo ...Read More >
New Delhi: Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's decision to visit China before India after assuming office in 2024 had reignited speculations about the trajectory of India-Nepal bilateral ties. While some analysts see this as a shift in Kathmandu's diplomatic priorities, New Delhi has downplayed concerns, maintaining that relations between the two South Asian neighbours remain strong. "I can tell you that the relations between the two countries remain good and strong and we want to further strengthen these," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his regular medi ...Read More >
Katra (JK), Jun 6 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday raked up the issue of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the flagging off of the maiden train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this pilgrim town. "There are four persons on this stage who were present at the inauguration of the Katra railway station (in 2014). You had just won the election, becoming the Prime Minister for the first time. MoS in PMO Jeetendra Singh was present then and our LG Manoj Sinha sahib was discharging duties as MoS Railways and I was here as chief minister. "If you see, by the bl ...Read More >
Pointing to the increase in the country's stature in the world forum, he asked how, under these circumstances, the promises made to farmers cannot be fulfilled. "Policy-making is not on right track," he added.. Jagdeep Dhankhar's comments come amid a spike in farmer protests. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar took up the farmers' issue and questioned the government on their behalf today, directing most of his queries at the Union agriculture minister. Pointing to the increase in the country's sta ...Read More >
Imphal, Jan 21 (PTI) Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday pleaded with people to take a pledge to work collectively to uphold the pride and dignity of Manipur on the occasion of statehood day. Manipur became a full-fledged state on January 21, 1972. "It was on this day in 1972 that Manipur became a full-fledged state of the Indian Union, marking a significant milestone in our history. On this momentous day, let us pledge to work collectively to uphold the pride and dignity of our beautiful state," the chief minister said on X. His comment comes at a time when the northeastern state is wi ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit, and India has accepted the invite. While speaking at a press briefing, Jaiswal said that India is also developing its own AI program. "French President has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Artificial Intelligence Action Summit and we have accepted their invite. We will update you about further details," he said. On February ...Read More >
AMRITSAR, India (AP) -- A U.S. military plane carrying 104 deported Indian migrants arrived in a northern Indian city on Wednesday, the first such flight to the country as part of a crackdown ordered by the Trump administration, airport officials said. The Indians who returned home had illegally entered the United States over the years and came from various Indian states. The move came ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington, which is expected next week. U.S. President Donald Trump and Modi discussed immigration in a phone call last week and Trump stressed the impo ...Read More >
Srinagar: Railway stations across the Kashmir Valley have been beautifully decked out as preparations peak for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to flag off the inaugural Delhi-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express -- the first-ever train connecting the valley directly to the rest of India. This landmark train will depart from Delhi and travel through Katra, the gateway to the revered Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, before reaching Srinagar. The event marks the successful culmination of one of India's most ambitious infrastructure projects, featuring two engineering marvels: the world's highest railway bridge o ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Trade talks between Indian and U.S. officials have been extended into next week as both sides seek consensus on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, aiming to finalise an interim deal before a July 9 deadline, Indian government sources said. A U.S. delegation led by senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) held two days of discussions in New Delhi with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the sources said. "The two countries are actively engaged in focused discussions to facilitate greater mark ...Read More >
Srinagar: Imagine gliding effortlessly above the clouds atop the world's highest railway bridge, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, lush green valleys, and rivers carving their way through rugged mountains. This is the experience Kashmir's first high-speed train journey offers -- promising to transform travel and tourism in the region forever. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two cutting-edge Vande Bharat trains running between Katra and Srinagar, slashing travel time by hours and providing year-round, reliable connectivity to the Kashmir valley. This train ride doe ...Read More >
MUMBAI (Reuters) - One Indian national apparently recruited by the Russian army has been killed while another was receiving treatment for injuries at a hospital in Moscow, the Indian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has "strongly taken up" the matter with Russian authorities in Moscow and with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi while reiterating its demand for the early discharge of remaining Indian nationals serving in the Russian army, the ministry said in a statement. "We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mort ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 2 (Reuters) - India's key iron ore producer NMDC (NMDC.NS), opens new tab is testing a new pricing formula for its output to shield its profits from the volatilities reflected in global benchmarks, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. State-run NMDC, which sells its output locally, currently releases monthly iron ore prices linked to inventories, international prices and domestic market dynamics. The company plans to launch the new formula after initial trials, the source said, declining to be identified as the plan is not public yet. "We are taking bab ...Read More >
NEW DELHI - India is committed to efforts to develop its restive territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on June 6, accusing neighbour Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April's deadly attack on tourists. He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since Islamist attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours that ended in ceasefire last month. "The atmosphere of development that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attac ...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 >
The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi of collaborating with "anti-India international forces," citing a Mediapart report on OCCRP's funding and Gandhi's meetings with alleged Modi government critics. The party highlighted the timing of reports critical of India coinciding with parliamentary sessions, including those on farmers, Pegasus, Hindenburg, and the BBC documentary.BJP on Thursday accused Lok Sabha's Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of colluding with 'anti-India international forces'. The ruli ...Read More >
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's hunger strike enters its 17th day. His health is critical. The Supreme Court urges dialogue between the government and Dallewal. Dallewal demands MSP guarantee and other farmer-centric issues. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Farmers' organizations continue their protests at the Punjab-Haryana border.The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who ...Read More >
Sample of Earth Minerals. (Representative) Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. India is negotiating with companies to create long-term rare earth magnet stockpiles. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on China, which controls 90% of magnet processing globally. The government is considering fiscal incentives to boost domestic production of rare earth magnets. New Delhi: India is holding talks with companies to establish long-term stockpiles of rare earth magnets by offering fiscal incentives for domestic production, people familiar with the matter said. Building ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 5 (ANI): The Uttarakhand Government has suspended three engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) over the damage to an under-construction bridge at Tharali in Chamoli district. Secretary of the Public Works Department, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, issued the suspension orders on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, said an official release. According to the release, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, concrete and decisive steps are being taken in the direction of transparent and accountable governance in the stat ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, inaugurating an alternative all-weather transportation system for Kashmir by connecting the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link with the national railway network. The train will commence commercial operations from Saturday, allowing passengers to travel in the two pairs between Srinagar and Katra except on Wednesdays. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project in the tough Himalayan terrain has been referred to as a marvel. It is expected to be a game changer in the development of the mount ...Read More >
KATRA: Mixing humour with political resolve, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday used the flagging-off ceremony of the first train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Katra to subtly but clearly articulate his government's demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Recalling the opening of the Katra railway station, the last programme of his first government in 2014, Abdullah pointed at a "coincidence" that four people present at the event on Friday were also on stage that day. Humorously pointing out the differing career trajectories of the persons involved, A ...Read More >
Officials say the train will help the troubled region, but many Kashmiris see it as a tool to entrench the Indian government's control. After decades of highly complex engineering work and billions of dollars in investment, India has finally connected the Himalayan region of Kashmir by rail to the rest of the country. The train link, which was officially inaugurated on Friday, fulfilled a dream dating back to the British colonial era. Indian officials called it a transformative leap for the res ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between ...Read More >
New Delhi, November 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the government at the Centre has strengthened the spirit of the Constitution over the last 10 years. Addressing the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court, PM Modi highlighted that in the last 10 years, more than 53 crore bank accounts were opened, more than 4 crore pukka houses were given and more than 10 crore free gas connections were given. "In the last 5-6 years, by providing tap water facilities in more than 12 crore houses, the government made the lives of citizens easy, particularly of women," he sai ...Read More >
Srinagar, Dec 4 (PTI) Security forces continued their search for militants in the Dachigam forest here on Wednesday, a day after a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was killed in an encounter in the area, officials said. According to officials, the security forces halted their search on Tuesday night but maintained a tight cordon in the area. The search for militants in the vast mountainous and forest area of Dachigam resumed in the morning, they said. Also Read | ISRO PROBA-3 Mission Launch Delayed: Indian Space Agency Reschedules Launch of PSLV-C59 After Detecting 'Anomaly'. "The search operation ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: To achieve the goal of 2047 and make India a global phenomenon, we need to follow global strategies and parameters, said Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh at the "India Economic Conclave" organised by a media house in New Delhi on Saturday. India's space, marine and Himalayan resources, which remained inadequately explored before PM Narendra Modi took over, will contribute substantially to India's future economic growth. While answering to a question on how India can unleash benefits out of its natural resources in future in terms of creative growth, the minister said that Prime Mi ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jan 2 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday claimed that the Centre was trying to"bring back" the now-repealed farm laws, referring to the newly announced draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. The AAP-led Punjab government has termed the newly announced draft policy as an attempt to reintroduce the three central agricultural laws passed in 2020 "through backdoor." After a yearlong protest by farmers, the Centre had repealed the laws. Speaking to reporters here, Mann also stated that the demands of the protesting farmers pertain to the c ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Jammu: For railway engineer Tarun Kumar, Friday's inauguration of the Udhampur-Baramulla-Srinagar Rail Link (USBRL) -- Kashmir's historic rail connection to rest of India -- was an emotional culmination of a decade spent overcoming fear and personal sacrifice, including the loss of a colleague to terrorism. Kumar, an engineer with Indian Railway Construction International Limited (IRCON), shared the journey of his association with the project at the Banihal railway station, located 100 km from Srinagar along the national highway. "As a manager in IRCON, I was initially posted in Srinagar and ...Read More >
Dec 3 (Reuters) - India's top renewable energy agency said on Tuesday it withdrew its ban prohibiting Reliance Power (RPOL.NS), opens new tab from participating in tenders for clean energy projects after a court directive. Last month, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) had barred Reliance Power from bidding for its tenders for three years and was weighing criminal proceedings against the company after a bank guarantee turned out to be a fake endorsement. The High Court of Delhi had granted a stay last week on the notice of debarment after the Anil Ambani-owned company challenged th ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday dismissed the allegations by AAP convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against BJP's New Delhi Constituency candidate Parvesh Verma as"'nonsense" and a result of his "growing frustration". Kejriwal had alleged that Verma, as part of the BJP's campaign, was involved in distributing money and setting up job camps under the 'Har Ghar Naukari' initiative to solicit registrations. Talking to IANS, Puri said: "Why is Arvind Kejriwal talking about Parvesh Verma? He has already claimed that an NGO from ...Read More >