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, March 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Poverty in Pakistan has surged to 43.5 per cent, according to the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC), indicating a far graver situation than official estimates by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the Planning Commission, which place poverty at 28.9 per cent, according to an article in the Karachi-headquartered Express Tribune. In its report, the SPDC, a policy research institute, highlights that urban households have borne the brunt of the increase, with poverty rising faster in cities than in rural areas. The report attributes the 14.6 per cent disparity between SPDC and official figures to differences in methodology. The PBS relies on a Cost of Basic Needs approach, updating historical poverty lines using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which largely reflects the consumption patterns of better-off households. This approach often underestimates the real cost of living for low-income families and overlooks essential expenses such as healthcare and access to clean water. In contrast, the SPDC adopts a calorific, or Food Energy Intake, approach, linking household spending to minimum calorie requirements for basic subsistence. This method uses adult-equivalent units, adjusting for household composition, and estimates separate thresholds for urban (2,230 calories) and rural (2,550 calories) populations. The resulting monthly poverty line for 2024-25 is Rs13,476 in urban areas and Rs10,283 in rural areas, significantly higher than the official Rs8,484, the article states. The SPDC analysis, based on the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024-25, shows that national poverty has risen from 36.6% in 2018-19 to 43.5% in 2024-25. Urban poverty increased by 10 percentage points, from 32.1% to 42.1%, while rural poverty rose by five percentage points, from 39.3% to 44.3%. In total, approximately 27 million people have been pushed below the poverty line over six years. "SPDC uses the caloric approach for measuring poverty. This is often regarded as more suitable than the Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) approach, used by the government, especially in developing countries, because it concentrates directly on food requirements," SPDC Managing Director Muhammad Asif Iqbal told The Express Tribune. He further said that, under the official method, poverty estimates are completely disconnected from the economy's performance, which runs counter to both economic theory and real-world experience. The SPDC report concludes that Pakistan is facing a broad-based deterioration in living standards, particularly in urban areas, and underscores the urgent need for more accurate and credible measurement of poverty and inequality.
Gurugram, 11 December 2024: Around USD 40 billion of investments are envisaged over the next 5-6 years for the development of Electric Vehicles (EV) & ancillary industries in India. However, the deployment of these funds will rely upon successful implementation of government policies, charging infrastructure ramp-up and domestic manufacturing capacity scale-up. As per Colliers' latest report "EVs in India: Renewed Vigour in Electric Mobility", about two-thirds of the planned investments, can potentially materialize in the lithium-ion battery segment alone. Interestingly, despite slower than an ...Read More >
Guwahati: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a massive healthcare infrastructure overhaul for Assam, while inaugurating the Neotia Bhagirathi Woman and Childcare Centre (NBWCC) in Guwahati here on Thursday.During the event, the Assam CM revealed plans to invest Rs 4000 crore in expanding the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) into a 5000-bed facility.He also praised the newly-inaugurated NBWC centre saying that he was happy that the group had invested in Assam " I am sure that the people of Assam, along with other northeastern states, will immensely benefit from this venture o ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region has called for amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities to foster an inclusive and sustainable future. WHO's Regional Director, Saima Wazed, stressed that empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring their active participation in all sectors is essential to addressing the barriers they face, particularly in healthcare and during humanitarian crises. Also Read | South Korea Unrest: Martial Law Troops Enter Nat ...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 >
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to develop 'Visakha Economic Region' as the growth engine of Andhra Pradesh, with an aim to transforming it into a USD 120 billion economic region by 2032. He emphasised the need to develop Visakhapatnam on the lines of Mumbai in the next seven years. The Economic Region consists of eight districts including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, ASR, and Manyam. The Chief Minister instructed officials to develop projects that would boost economic activity across this eight-distri ...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: India is set to overtake Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, but must not become complacent, as the country remains far behind Japan in GDP per capita terms, WEF's former MD Claude Smadja said. According to IMF data dated April 2025, India's GDP per capita of USD 2,878.4 is approximately 8.5 per cent of Japan's GDP per capita of USD 33,955.7, meaning Japan's per capita income is about 11.8 times higher than India's. "Yes, it (economy size) is a good indicator because it gives a notion of the economic weight of the country on the global balance. "No, it is not a go ...Read More >
ess than 24 hours after he asserted in Nigeria's Abuja that stepping out of the comfort zone, innovating and creating new paths has now become the very essence of today's India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told the gathering of world's most influential leaders converged in Rio de Janeiro for the G20 Summit that the main reason for India's success lies in his government's 'back to basics' and 'march to the future' approach. Addressing the G20 session on 'Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty' at the bayside museum of modern art during the two-day 19th G20 Summit, ...Read More >
Chennai, Dec 10 (PTI) Standalone health insurance company Star Health Insurance has targeted doubling its business in Tamil Nadu over the next four years, a top official said. As part of its growth strategy, the company plans to add 12,000 new agents across Tamil Nadu and expand its footprint with 25 new offices in both rural and urban areas in FY2025. Also Read | 7th Pay Commission Latest News: Narendra Modi Government Likely To Hike DA for Employees by 3% in January 2025, Check Details. Star ...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 >
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 >
Over 331,000 devotees have already registered for the Amarnath Yatra, commencing on July 3 and concluding on August 9, 2025. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a meeting to review preparations, focusing on essential amenities and safety measures along the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The board discussed enhancing facilities, lodging, and services for a hassle-free pilgrimage. SRINAGAR: More than 3,31,000 devotees have registered so far for this year's Amarnath Yatra, which is set to begin on ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, instead of introspecting on the defeat in the 2024 state assembly polls, has been repudiating the mandate given by the people because they rejected him. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta. On Saturday, Gandhi, in an article published in several newspapers and in posts on X, claimed the 2024 Maharas ...Read More >
The Odisha government has formed a high-level ministerial committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, to ensure the smooth execution of the Rath Yatra in Puri on June 27. The committee will oversee all arrangements for the festival, expected to draw around 1.5 million attendees. Preparations are also underway for the Snan Yatra on June 11.The Odisha government has constituted a high-level ministerial committee to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannat ...Read More >
PRNewswire Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 13: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, the first standalone health insurance company in India, today announced the launch of its revolutionary retail health insurance product, 'SUPER STAR'. This innovative policy offers a long-term policy for the retail health segment, combining advanced features and highly customisable covers to address the growing complexities of modern lifestyles, rising medical expenses, and unforeseen emergencies. * Offers a long-term policy and unparalleled, highly customisable solutions for evolving heal ...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 >
Chennai: Over the past decade India has lifted 171 million people from extreme poverty. Those living on less than $2.15 per day fell from 16.2 percent in 2011- 12 to 2.3 percent in 2022-23, finds the World Bank. However, Wage disparity remains high, with the median earnings of the top 10 per cent being 13 times higher than the bottom 10 per cent in 2023-24. Rural extreme poverty dropped from 18.4 percent to 2.8 percent, and urban from 10.7 percent to 1.1 percent, narrowing the rural-urban gap from 7.7 to 1.7 percentage points -- a 16 percent annual decline. India also transitioned into the l ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 18 (PTI) Jobs and talent platform and a Quess company, foundit, on Wednesday announced the appointment of V Suresh as its Chief Executive Officer. With over two decades of experience in the internet domain, digital transformation, and the e-recruitment ecosystem, Suresh brings a wealth of strategic expertise and a forward-looking vision to foundit (formerly Monster APAC and ME), the company said in a statement. "Suresh's deep understanding of the digital talent ecosystem and proven ability to scale businesses will help us strengthen our leadership position in the market. Under hi ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): IFFCO Managing Director (MD), U S Awasthi on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence office in New Delhi. During the meeting, Awasthi briefed and updated the Minister on the overall performance of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) for the Financial Year 2024-25, a strong testament to the vision of Sahakar Se Samriddhi under his dynamic guidance. Awasthi also apprised him of the progress at the seed research and development facility at IFFCO's Kalol Unit in Gujarat. Furthermore, both had a meaningful discussion on strategies to en ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) India's extreme poverty rate declined sharply to 5.3 per cent over a decade from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12 even as the World Bank revised upwards its threshold poverty line to USD 3 per day. Given India's inflation rate between 2017 and 2021, a revised extreme poverty line of USD 3 would constitute a 15 per cent higher threshold than USD 2.15 expressed in 2021 prices and result in a 5.3 per cent poverty rate in 2022-23, the World Bank said in a report. In India, the report said, 54,695,832 people lived on less than USD 3 per day in 2024. Thus, the poverty rate at USD 3 ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 8: HDFC Bank has strongly denied allegations made by Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMM Trust) which called for the suspension and prosecution of bank's Managing Director and CEO, Sashidhar Jagdishan, in an alleged financial fraud, which the bank termed as "baseless and malicious". HDFC Bank said it has obtained "comprehensive legal advice and representation in this regard" and will defend its MD and CEO's reputation. "The allegations made by Lilavati Trust, its Trustees and Officials against the Bank's MD and CEO are baseless and malicious. The outrageous and prepostero ...Read More >
Biocon Biologics, in collaboration with Diabetes Africa and St Paul’s Hospital in Ethiopia, has launched the Embedding Specialist Nurses in Diabetes Care project. The initiative focuses on training nurses to become diabetes specialists to address the country’s growing diabetes crisis. With Ethiopia ranking among the top countries in sub-Saharan Africa for diabetes prevalence, this project aims to integrate diabetes care into primary healthcare, enhancing accessibility and care quality. By upskilling nurses and establishing a structured pathway for them, the program seeks to improve diabetes ma ...Read More >
Health Minister Dr. Shane Reti announced encouraging progress in Health New Zealand's (Health NZ) financial recovery, highlighting a significant reduction in its projected deficit for 2024/25. The improvement follows extensive efforts to address what Dr. Reti describes as a financial crisis inherited from the previous Labour-led government. Health NZ's revised budget for 2024/25 now forecasts a deficit of $1.1 billion, a significant reduction from the projected $1.76 billion deficit before the Government's intervention. "This progress reflects our commitment to restoring financial discipline ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Databricks, the Data and AI company, announced its Series J funding. The company is raising $10 billion of expected non-dilutive financing and has completed $8.6 billion to date. This funding values Databricks at $62 billion and is led by Thrive Capital. Along with Thrive, the round is co-led by Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, GIC, Insight Partners and WCM Investment Management. Other significant participants include existing investor Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and new investors ICONIQ Growth, MGX, Sands Capital and Wellington Management. The company has seen increased momentu ...Read More >
The number of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases continues to rise, with five new cases reported on Monday, bringing the ... The number of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases continues to rise, with five new cases reported on Monday, bringing the total number of suspected cases in Pune to 163. Among these, 47 patients have been discharged, 47 are in the ICU, and 21 are on ventilators. Of the infected, 32 are from the Pune Municipal Corporation area, 86 from surrounding villages, including 18 from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, 19 from rural areas, and eight from other districts. The ...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 >
Pune: Hospitals in Pune have started reporting an increase in dengue cases among children following recent heavy rainfall and intermittent showers. Conditions are now ripe for mosquito breeding, experts said, as they warned citizens to ensure there's no waterlogging or stagnant pools near homes and offices. "Dengue is typically seen first in children as they often play outside," said Dr Sagar Lad, a senior neonatologist and pediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, Shastrinagar. Dr Lad said he's seen at least three children admitted for dengue this week, with all of the ...Read More >
JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon has envisioned a future where artificial intelligence (AI) could cut the traditional work week down to just 3.5 days. Speaking at the recent JPMorgan's annual investor day, Dimon said that AI would not just make businesses better but also improve work-life balance for employees, Fortune reports. He highlighted the historical benefits of technology but also noted job displacement risks from AI. In a chat with Bloomberg TV, Dimon disclosed that thousands at JP Morgan are already using AI. He called the tech a "living breathing thing" that keeps evolving. Despite the r ...Read More >