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.
Delhi (AsiaNews) - A significant step towards religious freedom and worship in the southern Indian state of Kerala, one of the most tolerant in terms of worship with a significant Christian (and Muslim) presence, capable of coexisting with the Hindu majority. A note from the Chief Minister's office points out that the local government, with a measure made official on 9 March, has granted maximum recognition to Pentecostal churches as part of the Church and as a Christian denomination. The decision comes a few days after a delegation of Pentecostal Church leaders met with Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram to present their request. In addition, the leaders of the Pentecostal community also delivered the same memorandum to opposition leader VD Satheesan. At the same time, the Kerala government cabinet decided to form a three-member committee of senior officials to examine the various issues faced by the communities. Among the urgent issues under consideration are members of the Pentecostal Church and converts to Christianity from registered castes (SCCC). Recommendations and guidelines will be presented on how best to manage the issue in the future. Although they are Christians in faith and prayer, various Pentecostal groups in Kerala, such as the Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC), the Church of God, the Church of God of New India and the Bethely Assembly, are not officially recognised as official Christian denominations. Pentecostal groups differ from Catholics and other Protestant movements in doctrine, style of worship and authority. Catholics, for example, consider the Pope in the Vatican to be the highest authority, while Pentecostals refer primarily to the Bible. There are also differences in matters of faith, particularly in the areas of salvation, rebirth and baptism. Pentecostal communities represent about 4% of the Christian population of Kerala. The main Christian denominations in the state are the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (about 40%), the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (7%), the Malankara Orthodox Church (8%) and the Jacobite Syriac Church (8%). With formal recognition as a Christian denomination, members of the Pentecostal Church will be able to enjoy benefits and privileges in line with those of other Christian groups. These include eligibility for programmes sponsored by the state and central government; approval of educational institutions and jobs in educational and health institutions; social security pensions for catechism teachers; and representation on minority commissions. In this regard, one of the key demands of the Pentecostal churches in the memorandum presented to the prime minister was the reservation for Dalit Christians. The three-member expert committee is expected to submit its recommendation to the state government. However, a local Catholic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, explains to AsiaNews: 'Although this is a positive move, many Pentecostal churches are criticised for promoting the prosperity gospel, which teaches that faith and donations bring wealth and health, which some say misrepresents the Bible and can exploit poor believers.' Other critical issues include the lack of 'a structured hierarchy, with independent and loosely organised congregations and "ephemeral" ministries, and some pastors becoming very wealthy thanks to church funds, raising questions about their accountability'. However, he concludes, 'being recognised and united with traditional churches in India is important, as it strengthens the Christian community and provides greater protection against anti-conversion laws and social persecution.'
Filmmaker Jayan K Cherian; stills from his latest film 'Rhythm of Dammam', on the Siddi Community of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada (north Karnataka). The stunningly shot and evocative Rhythm of Dammam, in Siddi Bhasha, is the first fictional feature ever to be made on the Indian Siddi community that traces its ancestry to Africa. In the film, the pre-teen Jayaram, who lives in Karnataka's Yellapura, is afflicted by his dead grandfather's visions, as his impoverished family fights over supposed buried treasure. But Jayaram is a chosen one, the visitations will lead him to discover his community's ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Thursday backed the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' bill, stating that party supremo Nitish Kumar has always supported simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. He added that the party had previously voiced its support for the bill and had approached the relevant committee. Jha remarked, "Our party welcomes this. We had approached this committee, and I was also part of the delegation. Nitish Kumar has always advocated for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. We conveyed to the committee that ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jan 8 (UNI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the belief system of Sanatan Dharma represents the world's oldest culture, standing above comparison with any religion or sect. The CM said, "I inherit a legacy that spans thousands of years, with its cultural and spiritual events equally ancient. The tradition of Sanatan is higher than the sky and beyond comparison." Speaking at the 'Mahakumbh Mahasammelan, he emphasised the profound significance of the Maha Kumbh. He explained that after the Devasura Sangram (the battle between gods and demons), drops of nectar fell ...Read More >
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 >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
The Indian government launched the Rs. 1,435 crore PAN 2.0 project. Announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the project aims to establish the PAN number as a common business identifier across all government digital systems. PAN 2.0 Project Launch The Rs. 1,435 crore PAN 2.0 the project aims to establish the PAN number as a common business identifier across all government digital systems. CCEA Approval The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the project under the Income Tax Department. As per Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaish ...Read More >
Assam Beef Ban: A political row has erupted over the Assam government's decision to ban the public consumption of beef in the state with the Opposition labelling it "against the right to freedom" while the ruling BJP lauding the state Cabinet's call. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced on Wednesday that his government has decided to ban the consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels and public places, drawing sharp reactions from the Opposition. Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (VOICE) The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that no fresh suits would be registered under the Places of Worship Act in the country, and in the pending cases, no final or effective orders would be passed till further orders of the Apex Court. A Special Bench headed by CJI Sajiv Khanna asked the Union government to file within four weeks its reply to the clutch of petitions challenging the validity of the 1991 Act, which prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. The Bench, also c ...Read More >
Kottayam: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Kerala and Tamil Nadu have always supported each other, establishing a model of cooperative federalism. He said that when rights of states are being encroached upon, such cooperation should be extended among others. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Vijayan inaugurated the Thanthai Periyar Memorial and Library in Vaikom in Kerala on Thursday, marking a significant occasion in the commemoration of the legacy of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy. Several key political leaders from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, underscored the longstanding ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has demanded that the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' bill be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, asserting that the bill undermines democracy. "The bill will be presented in Parliament, and we want it to be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will hold discussions on it. The Indian National Congress's position was clarified last year by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who sent a four-page letter to former President Ram Nath Kovind's committee on One Nation, One Election, stating that we oppose the b ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 28 (VOICE) The Muslim women have been empowered further by the Central government as they have been also included as members of the Waqf boards. Some of the key provisions of the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 are as follows: two Muslim women will continue to be included as members in both the State Waqf Boards (Section 14) and the Central Waqf Council (Section 9) to ensure Muslim women's empowerment and participation in waqf management. Also, the State Waqf Boards will now include one member from the Muslim OBC community, ensuring broader representation (Section 14). The informat ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The BJP's OBC morcha president Dr K. Laxman said the caste census undertaken by the Telangana government is full of loopholes. He characterised it as incomplete, unscientific and not rooted in reality. Addressing the media, he said, "If Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was serious about social justice, he should have made a law and tried to implement it. This is hypocrisy of the party on the OBCs. The percentage of BCs has come down and it should be seen as a measure meant to suppress the BCs. It reflects the Congress party's mentality. They used words like Hindu BCs and Muslim BCs whi ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the caste census will greatly benefit the indigenous Muslim community living in both the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley in the state. The Centre on Wednesday announced that India's 16th Census with caste enumeration will be carried out in 2027. The indigenous Muslim communities of Assam have been demanding for a long time, a caste-based census to assert their distinct socio-cultural identities, the chief minister said on the sidelines of the World Environment Day programme here. ''The proposed caste enumerati ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Fintech firm BimaPay Finsure on Thursday said it has entered into corporate insurance financing and aims for Rs 20 crore in premiums in 2025-26. Launching the pilot phase with insurance partners, BimaPay said the initiative will allow businesses to pay premiums in easy equated monthly instalments (EMIs) instead of bearing the burden of full upfront costs. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. The company aims to finance over Rs 20 crore worth of premiums by t ...Read More >
Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira entered India to live in his ancestral village in Goa just four months after his birth, but it has taken him 43 years to obtain Indian citizenship. IMAGE: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hands over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira. Photograph: @DrPramodPSawant/X Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistan-born Christian man under the Citizenship (Ame ...Read More >
The Supreme Court halted new temple-mosque legal battles. The court will review the 1991 law impacting religious site status. This law froze the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. Several cases, including Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah, challenge this law. The law's validity is being questioned. The court's decision impacts ongoing and future disputes.In its ruling on the keenly-watched Place of Worship Act case, the Supreme Court said on December 12 that no new Mandir-Masjid suits are to ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
ISKCON Bangladesh has strongly condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader, and spokesperson for the "Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot" and also issued a list of demands to the Muhammad Yunus-led government for subsequent violence and attacks against Sanatanis in various regions of Bangladesh. The organisation has also issued a statement and called upon the government authorities to promote peaceful coexistence. ISKCON Bangladesh made note of the above points and more matters in a statement issued, regarding the current situation in Bangladesh and the arres ...Read More >
Panaji, Dec 10 (PTI) Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira entered India to live in his ancestral village in Goa just four months after his birth, but it has taken him 43 years to obtain Indian citizenship. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistan-born Christian man under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Shane is the second person from the coastal state to receive the certificate, after Joseph Francis Pereira, another Pakistani citizen who was granted Indian citizenship in August this year. Shane, originally from Demello Wado ...Read More >
Kottayam (Kerala), Dec 12 (PTI) The historic struggle for equality that took place in Vaikom a century ago, popularly known as the Vaikom Satyagraha, was not a movement confined to Kerala but marked the starting point for various other struggles for social justice, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Thursday. In his address at Vaikom in this district after inaugurating the renovated Thanthai Periyar Memorial and Periyar Library, Stalin said that while impressive strides have been made in areas of social justice and economy in 100 years, a lot more has to be achieved. Stalin inaugur ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report on the examination of certain leaked audio tapes which allegedly implicate Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for instigating ethnic violence in the state. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the CFSL report should be submitted in six weeks in a sealed cover. Also Read | Bengaluru Water Crisis: Residents Brace for Harsh Summer As Groundwater Levels Drop Dangerously Low. The bench then posted the hearing in the week commenci ...Read More >
Kochi, Feb 3 (PTI) The opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday intensified its criticism of Union Ministers George Kurian and Suresh Gopi over their recent controversial statements, calling their remarks "immature" and accusing BJP leaders like them of having contempt for Kerala. Addressing reporters here, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, strongly criticised the "backward" remark made by Kurian, the Minister of State for Minorities and Fisheries, on Union Budget day, and stated that Kerala has only sought the funds it rightfully deserves from the centre. Taking a ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Feb 4 (UNI) BRS Working President and MLA K T Rama Rao (KTR) criticised the Congress government, stating that the people of Telangana have lost faith in its administration. Speaking during the debate on the caste survey report in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, KTR expressed disappointment, saying that many had expected historic announcements following the special Assembly session and Cabinet meeting. However, he claimed that the report lacked new insights and merely reiterated information previously shared by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. Referring to the Kamareddy declaration ...Read More >
Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP government in Gujarat on Tuesday formed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state, and also draft a bill for the same. While the Opposition said the decision was aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues ahead of the upcoming local body polls, the government claimed rights of the tribal communities will be protected if the UCC is implemented. The five-member committee, to be headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days, following which a decision abou ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of the southern states will be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at appropriate time. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this on Thursday, a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed concern over the Census-linked delimitation exercise. "The Honourable Home Minister has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern states will be taken care of and discussed with a ...Read More >
The Indian government has announced a 375km rail network expansion, aimed at enhancing economic growth and connectivity in North Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. With a total cost of approximately Rs79.27bn ($1.05bn), these projects are aimed to be completed within four years. Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, detailed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' approval of three railway infrastructure projects. The projects include the Jalgaon-Manmad fourth line (160 km), Bhusawal-Khandwa third and fourth lines (131km), and the Prayagraj (Iradatganj)-Manikpur thir ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister and former External Affairs Minister SM Krishna died here early on Tuesday, leaving behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service that saw the 92-year-old leader scale all heights of political achievements. Suave, sophisticated and a man with enviable academic credentials, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna started off his political innings as an independent MLA from Maddur in 1962, stunning a then Congress veteran in the elections, and went on to become the state's CM and later the country's External Affairs Minister. Tributes poured in for the fo ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process, sources told ANI. A comprehensive bill is expected to follow this decision, paving the way for unified elections across the nation. Earlier on Wednesday, former President of India Ram Nath Kovind stated that the Central government must build a consensus on the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, emphasising that the issue transcends political interests and serves the nation as a whole. Speaking to th ...Read More >
Census 2027: India's largest data exercise returns with digital tools and caste focus | Illustration: Binay Sinha After a nearly six-year delay, India's decennial census is finally back on the agenda. It would be conducted in two phases along with the enumeration of castes. India's population census is expected to be released on March 1, 2027. Here is everything known so far. What is the census and why it matters India's census is the largest population count in the world, conducted every 10 years by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, under the Ministry of Home Aff ...Read More >
Goa minister Mauvin Godinho said that Pope Francis's visit to India is likely imminent, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation. During the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Cardinal Luis Tagle conveyed appreciation for the event in Goa, which will likely encourage the Pope's visit, including Goa on his itinerary.Goa minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday said that Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, was likely to visit India "sooner than expected". Recalling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Pope Francis, Godinho said Goa would certainly be on his itinerary when he ...Read More >