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: Following the Supreme Court order, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said only certified dealers will be allowed to sell green crackers from Oct 18 to 20 at designated sites.Delhi govt has constituted teams comprising police, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, MCD, and revenue department personnel to ensure action against illegal sellers, he said. Delhi has only one CSIR-NEERI registered manufacturer of green crackers while there are 140 certified dealers, he pointed out."We held a meeting with 140 certified dealers to sell only NEERI-approved green crackers bearing QR codes. If more dealers apply for licences, we may give temporary licences to additional vendors," said Sirsa, who chaired meetings with dealers and enforcement agencies, including PESO, NEERI, MCD, NDMC, and Delhi Police.Delhi Police has been directed to process temporary sale licence applications within two days, ensuring timely readiness. After Diwali, retailers will get two days to return or safely dispose of unsold stock, ensuring that restrictions are reinstated immediately.Asked about the city markets being flooded with all kinds of firecrackers, Sirsa said the enforcement teams will act against those selling illegally. "Since crackers were banned till now, people were sneaking them in. As green crackers have been allowed now, we will have an organised system," he said.The Delhi govt will continue monitoring AQI levels from Oct 14 to 25 through DPCC and submit daily reports to CPCB and the Supreme Court in line with the court's directives."This Diwali, retailers are also our partners in spreading awareness. They must inform buyers that only green crackers are allowed and explain why the Hon'ble Supreme Court has wisely restricted their use to two hours in the evening and one hour in the morning for two days. This relaxation is temporary, and if Delhi shows discipline and compliance, it can become permanent. Protecting our environment and traditions together is everyone's collective responsibility," said Sirsa.
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 Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) put out a public notice on Sunday and asked the city residents to report any cases of firecrackers being stored, sold, manufactured, or used in Delhi. The decision came after a blanket ban put in place by the Delhi government on December 19, 2024, based on the direction of the Supreme Court. The notice said, "As per the order from the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India dated November 4, 2024, the Delhi government gave directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, on December 19, 2024. The order puts a complete ban on ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court will on Thursday hear the suo motu case titled 'In Re: City hounded by strays, kids pay price,' amid an ongoing debate over the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. Animal activists, celebrities, and some political figures have voiced their objections to the order, highlighting that Delhi and other NCR cities like Noida and Gurugram lack the necessary infrastructure for carrying out the mass relocation within such a limited time. Additionally, many argued that displacing the dogs from their territories would simply ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The Delhi government has withdrawn regulations governing seven commercial activities, including swimming pools, eating houses, hotels, discotheques, video game parlours, amusement parks and auditoriums, with immediate effect, said a notification. According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the move follows an order dated June 19, 2025 by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The lieutenant governor, exercising powers under Section 28(2) read with Section 4 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978, has withdrawn the earlier sanction granted to the Commiss ...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 >
Delhi's End-of-Life (EOL) vehicle ban takes effect on November 1 The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has decided to defer the fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) till November 1, 2025. According to PTI sources, the panel reviewed the fuel ban and decided to delay the enforcement of this ban till November. The report states that the End-of-Life (EOL) vehicle ban will be implemented across the National Capital Region (NCR), covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat. Delhi fuel ban: No end-of-life vehicles seizure According to PTI, CAQM has instructed the a ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): A day after Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa highlighted the Delhi government's request to the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to delay the implementation of the policy regarding to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles in the national capital, the CAQM has stayed the policy till November 1. The meeting was held at CAQM's office at Tolstoy Marg earlier today. Also Read | PM Modi in Brasilia: PM Narendra Modi Receives Grand Welcome From Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Alvorada Palace, Both Leaders To Hold Talks Next. According to a ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issued a public notice on Sunday, requesting citizens to report any instances of storing, selling, manufacturing, or bursting firecrackers within Delhi. The notice is based on the permanent firecracker ban implemented by the Delhi govt on Dec 19, 2024, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines."In compliance with the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India order dated Nov 4, 2024, the govt of NCT of Delhi issued a direction under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 on Dec 19, 2024, for imposing a complete ban on the manufacturing, ...Read More >
For the second consecutive day on Monday (December 2, 2024), Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement although it remained in the 'poor' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 273 in the morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's 24-hour average AQI on Sunday stood at 285, an improvement to the 'poor' category and a welcome relief following 32 consecutive days of 'very poor' and 'severe' air quality (AQI over 400). The city's air quality was last recorded in the 'poor' category on October 29 with an AQI of 268, according to the CPCB. Farm fires ris ...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 [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 >
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Delhi government, claiming its role in orchestrating the fuel ban on old vehicles to favour automobile tycoons. What began as a policy stunt has ballooned into a full-blown crisis, dragging multiple neighbouring cities into chaos and placing two crore vehicle owners under siege. Saurabh Bharadwaj denounced the farce as a reckless betrayal, crafted in collusion, defended with lies, and destined to collapse under the weight of its own hypocrisy, Bhar ...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, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a temporary relief for thousands of motorists who drive overage vehicles in the national capital, the Delhi government has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), saying the fuel ban on overage vehicles is not feasible due to technological challenges and complex systems. Addressing a press conference here, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday said that there was discontent among people due to this move and the government stood with them. The government has suggested that the ban should be implemented across the National Capital Regio ...Read More >
"The Commissioner of Police shall continue to deploy a police team for patrolling in the area and ensure that all the demolition orders passed by the MCD, over which courts have not granted any stay, are meticulously complied with and where the illegal/unauthorized constructions are going on, such properties are sealed forthwith," the bench said. A compliance report from the local DCP was directed to be filed on the next hearing. The bench said no residential property would be converted to comm ...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 High Court on Wednesday criticised municipal bodies for showing "complete apathy and insensitivity" in maintaining public toilets in the capital."We are staking claim to host the Olympics, and we don't even have clean public toilets in the city," a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela remarked, terming the status of public conveniences "hurting and unfortunate". It noted that "municipal authorities and development bodies like MCD, DDA and NDMC have exhibited complete apathy, insensitivity and even dereliction of duty as far as the maintenance of public con ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has bagged the top position in the 'Super Swachh League' of Swachh Survekshan Awards, in the category of cities with a population of 50,000-3 lakh, for its exemplary work in urban sanitation, waste management, and green initiatives. Meanwhile, Noida has emerged as the cleanest city with a population of 3-10 lakh in the same category. On the other hand, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) secured 31st position in the 'Medium Cities' category. The Swachh Survekshan Awards, now in their ninth edition, are based on the results of the world's ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid heartfelt tributes to freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary, remembering him as a "pioneering warrior" who challenged British authority and remains a lasting symbol of courage and patriotism. Recognised as one of the earliest voices of resistance, Mangal Pandey played a key role in the events that sparked the Revolt of 1857, which eventually led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the establishment of direct British rule under the Government of India Act of 1858. Taking to X, Prime Minister Modi wr ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 3 (ANI): In a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling, officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III, have seized 14.738 kgs of suspected NDPS hydroponic weed (marijuana) valued at approximately Rs 14.73 crore during operations on Sunday. The seizures were made across Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI), resulting in the arrest of one passenger, as stated in the press release. The passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Based on specific intel, ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (PTI) The Delhi government on Friday released over Rs 900 crore funds to urban local bodies for development works, according to a statement. They have also released Rs 820 crore to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) received Rs 146 crore under the free drinking water scheme. "In this scorching summer, ensuring clean and sufficient drinking water for every citizen of Delhi is our top priority. Water is not a privilege for a few, it is a basic right of every citizen. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that every household has a ...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 >
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 >
The Delhi government will launch a month-long cleanliness campaign from August 1, with active participation from schools, resident welfare associations (RWAs), and community groups, Education Minister Ashish Sood said. According to a statement, the preparations for the large-scale campaign were reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Mr. Sood at the secretariat on Friday (July 18, 2025). Modi launches initiatives to shape cleaner, greener future for Delhi Mr. Sood, who is the Education ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the participation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Supreme Court judges in the 'Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam' campaign in Delhi, hoping it will add momentum to the green drive. PM Modi, in a message on X, called CJI Gavai and other Supreme Court judges' participation 'inspirational'. "The participation of honourable judges in Van Mahotsav is inspirational for everyone. I am confident that the 'One Tree in the Name of Mother' campaign will gain new momentum from this," wrote PM Modi in a message in Hindi. ...Read More >
* Delhi is testing retrofitting devices to cut heavy vehicle emissions by over 70 per cent * Thirty catalytic converter devices will be installed on older BS-III and BS-IV trucks and buses * Devices trap and neutralise pollutants like PM, CO, HC, and NOx near the exhaust Did our AI summary help? Let us know. Switch To Beeps Mode New Delhi: In a bid to tackle one of the worst sources of air pollution, Delhi has begun testing retrofitting devices that promise to cut harmful emissions from he ...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 >
New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Only seven overage vehicles were impounded by authorities on the second day on Wednesday of fuel ban for end of life vehicles, even as petrol pumps reported less traffic, officials said. Under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), petrol pumps across Delhi have been asked not to provide fuel to end-of-life vehicles starting Tuesday with the Transport Department along with the Delhi Police and traffic personnel putting in place a detailed enforcement strategy to ensure strict compliance. Also Read | Parliament Monsoon Session 2025: Presiden ...Read More >