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.
Bank Holiday: India's banking calendar is seeing a cluster of holidays this week, with multiple closures lined up between March 31 and April 3. The break is driven by a mix of religious observances and financial year-end procedures, impacting banking operations in several cities across the country. While digital banking services remain accessible, customers relying on branch visits may face disruptions during this period. Bank branches in several major cities will remain shut on March 31 on account of Mahavir Jayanti. The festival, which marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, is widely observed with prayers, fasting, and charitable activities. Mahavir Jayanti 2026 will be celebrated on March 31, 2026, marking the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. It is a day of prayers, fasting, and acts of charity, observed by Jains across India. The festival emphasises non-violence, truth, and compassion, reflecting Mahavir's core teachings. Cities including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Patna are among those where bank branches will not operate on this day. However, the holiday is not uniform nationwide and depends on regional observances. Banking services will see further disruption on April 1 as institutions close their annual accounts. This day marks the beginning of the new financial year, and banks across India undertake crucial reconciliation and settlement processes. Branches in cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, and Srinagar, among others, will remain closed to the public. Despite this, the Reserve Bank of India has instructed agency banks handling government transactions to remain operational on March 31 to ensure smooth financial closure for official accounts. The annual closing activity means customers will not be able to carry out regular transactions at branches on April 1, even though backend operations will continue. The holiday stretch continues with Maundy Thursday on April 2, when banks in cities like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram will remain closed. The day holds significance in the Christian calendar. Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names, is a Christian feast during Holy Week that marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum and commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels, as per Wikipedia. The week concludes with Good Friday on April 3, leading to widespread bank closures across cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata. Good Friday falls on April 3rd this year. Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum With multiple holidays stacked together, customers are advised to plan their banking activities in advance to avoid inconvenience during this extended closure period.
New Delhi: A surge in sales may be around the corner for some of India's leading packaged consumer goods makers, as cheaper inputs and lower import duties craft a perfect recipe for their next stage of growth. Companies and analysts alike said that falling prices of wheat, maize, barley and oils will help expand volumes, in a change from the recent experience of pricier products driving revenue. On 31 May, the government halved the basic customs duty on crude soybean oil, crude palm oil, and crude sunflower oil to 10%, eight months after raising it from nil to 20%. The move had prompted pack ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar inaugurated Andhra Pradesh's first Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Terming it a landmark in sustainable infrastructure, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy efficiency and green design in public facilities. The facility will serve as a national-level training hub for power sector staff. He urged power utilities to expedite 20 lakh rooftop solar connections, targeting 10,000 in each Assembly segment. He reaffirmed nine-hour uninterrupted power for agri ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) India's gains from importing discounted Russian oil are estimated to be just USD 2.5 billion per annum, significantly lower than the previously speculated range of USD 10-25 billion, a research report said on Thursday. Stopping Russian oil imports would force India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, to rely on limited alternatives, potentially driving global crude prices up to USD 100 per barrel amid rising demand and tight supply. "Benefit from Russian oil imports is way less than exaggerated media numbers," brokerage CLSA said in a report. While ...Read More >
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The palaces in the city of Ayodhya are dazzling with the rows of lamps (Dipamalah), creating a gorgeous spectacle that contests with the luminous teeth of the moon)-Raghuvansha, Kalidasa The Indian poets and writers have delineated Deepavali, or Diwali, the festival of lights, since time immemorial, because it has an umbilical cord with Indian culture and tradition. But the creative élan of Kalidasa has surpassed all other poets in the portrayal of Diwali. In the Raghuvansham, the poet calls the festival 'Deepamalah' in the Ayodhya part of the epic poem. The specifi ...Read More >
As per Moneycontrol's calculations, a 7 per cent growth in the remaining two quarters will put India's GDP at 6.5 per cent. The Indian economy would find it challenging to achieve over 7 per cent growth for the fourth consecutive year, economists said. They pointed out that the second-quarter (Q2) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, which was announced on November 29, has made the task even more daunting for the government. "A sharper than expected growth slowdown in Q2 has tilted risks to our outlook of 6.8 per cent for the current fiscal downwards," said DK Joshi, chief economist, Crisil. ...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 >
New Delhi: Delhi govt has prepared a plan under which Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers and conductors will receive regular training, with a focus on ethical values, customer service and safe driving, transport minister Pankaj Singh said on Friday. The move is for improving the public image of DTC buses.The minister mentioned that DTC bus drivers who fail to halt at designated stops or are found speeding will face strict departmental action.Several commuters have complained about the behaviour of DTC bus drivers. There have alleged that the buses often fail to stop at the designate ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): The Vice-President of India, CP Radhakrishnan, on Sunday, graced the valedictory session of the third edition of Unmesha - International Literature Festival in Patna, Bihar, as the Chief Guest, according to the Vice President's Secretariat. The festival, organised from 25th to 28th September 2025, is a celebration of literature in multiple languages, offering an excellent platform for writers, scholars, publishers, and poets from 15 countries, representing more than 100 languages. Also Read | Dehradun Shocker: Refused Sex, Obsessed Lover Strangles Girl ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Homegrown Premier Energies on Monday announced securing multiple solar contract worth USD 19.95 million (around Rs 177 crore) Republic of Benin, West Africa. These projects are part of a national initiative by the Government of Benin to expand access to reliable, sustainable clean energy, Premier Energies said in a statement. Implementation will be carried out by Premier Energies in collaboration with the General Directorate of Energy Planning and Rural Electrification, under the Ministry of Energy, Water and Mines, Republic of Benin. The scope of the contracts cover ...Read More >
Kochi (AsiaNews) - The controversy began after St. Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, run by the Latin Catholic Church, refused to allow a student to wear the hijab. In the days that followed, referring to Muslim organisations, an editorial in the Catholic daily Deepika said: 'Those who asked for prayer rooms in Christian schools have now come forward to claim the right to wear the hijab.' This has led to harsh criticism, a sign of the interreligious tension that the affair is causing in Kerala. The student at the centre of the hijab controversy in Kerala has finally decided to leave school. ...Read More >
)
New Delhi: With the sparkle of Diwali just fading, the festive spirit continues as people gear up to celebrate Chhath Puja. However, amid the excitement, many are wondering whether banks will remain open or closed during these celebrations. October has already been packed with back-to-back festivals from Navratri and Vijayadashami to Diwali and Lakshmi Pujan leading to several bank holidays across the country. Banks in many parts of India will remain closed on October 27 in observance of Chhath ...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 >
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the centenary celebrations of the revered Jain spiritual leader Acharya Shri 108 Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital on Saturday. The celebrations mark the formal commencement of a year-long national tribute to the spiritual leader, being organised by the Union Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Ahimsa Bharti Trust, Delhi. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rashtrasant Paramparacharya Shri 108 Pragyasagar Ji Muniraj also graced the occasio ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court has said money cannot be recovered by filing an FIR and seeking help of police as it quashed a cheating case against the producer of Bollywood movie "Tanu Weds Manu". A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan expressed displeasure over the approach of the Allahabad High Court in dealing with the petition of producer Shailesh R Singh for quashing of the FIR against him by complainant Kunal Jain. "Money cannot be recovered, more particularly, in a civil dispute between the parties by filing a first information report and seeking the help of the ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 28 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured today with the title of 'Dharma Chakravarti' on centenary celebrations of Jain spiritual leader Vidyanand here. Speaking on receiving the award, PM Modi said, "On this occasion, you honoured me with the title of 'Dharma Chakravarti'. I do not consider myself suitable for this. But it is our culture that whatever we receive from saints, we accept it as 'prasad'. So, I humbly accept this 'prasad' and dedicate it to Maa Bharati'." The event was also attended by Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rash ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...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: Traffic in central Delhi will be affected on Thursday as the traffic police has issued an advisory due to the Janmashtami and Tazia processions.According to police, the traffic movement in Paharganj is likely to be affected from 1.30pm in view of the shobha yatra for Janmashtami and the Tazia procession.The Janmashtami procession will start from Mandir Shri Banke Bihari Ji in Paharganj's Sangatrasan Bazar and pass through Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Chuna Mandi, Main Bazar, Munja Chowk and Arakashan Road. The Tazia procession will start from Ajmeri Gate and proceed through Pul Paharganj ...Read More >
New Delhi, September 3: A person from minority community including Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian from neighbouring nations including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of it and entered into India on or before 31st December, 2024 - with or without valid documents including passport or other travel documents, will be exempted from any penal action, said a government notification. The declaration, allowing non-Muslim minority migrants to stay in the country without their passports, has been ma ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Sunday and had an insightful discussion on a wide range of subjects. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, Called on Vice President Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji and had an insightful discussion with him on a wide range of subjects. Called on Vice President Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji and had an insightful discussion with him on a wide range of subjects. Earlier today, VP Radhakrishnan graced the valedictory session of the third edition of Unmesha - International Literature Festival in Patna, Bihar ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned educational institutions that cases would be booked against them if drugs were found in their premises. The CM announced that the state's Anti-Narcotics Bureau would henceforth be known as Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and was tasked with curbing the menace of narcotics in the state. Speaking at an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025 at Shilpakala Vedika here, Reddy placed an onus on educational institutions to ensure their campuses were free of drugs. "It is the ...Read More >
Jammu, Jul 18 (PTI) Senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir government reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the 13-day-long Budha Amarnath pilgrimage in Poonch district that will begin on July 28. Deputy Inspector General of Police Tejinder Singh reviewed security in Poonch and stressed ensuring the safety of the devotees. "The first batch will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar basecamp in Jammu on July 28, moving towards the Mandi tehsil in Poonch in a regulated convoy amid full security arrangements," a spokesperson said. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Inspec ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (ANI): The Indian stock market on Friday ended higher after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 per cent, as the MPC's outcome served as the key catalyst for the market's rebound. At the close of trading today, the BSE Sensex ended at 85,712.37, up 447.05 points or 0.52 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 stood at 26,186.45, up 152.7 points or 0.59 per cent. Also Read | Dharmendra 90th Birth Anniversary: Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol Invite Fans at Khandala Farmhouse To Celebrate Late Actor's Legacy on December ...Read More >
The Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, has been cleared by the state cabinet for introduction in the monsoon assembly session beginning Tuesday in Gairsain. The legislation seeks to extend minority status in education beyond the Muslim community to include Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, and Parsi institutions. Until now, only Muslim-run institutions have enjoyed minority recognition in the state. The proposed law will make Uttarakhand the first state in the country to e ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, organised PSB Manthan 2025, a two-day programme that concluded on Saturday in Gurugram. The event, chaired by the Secretary of DFS, brought together the senior leadership of Public Sector Banks, along with regulators, industry experts, academicians, technologists, and banking practitioners. Eminent speakers included, Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India; V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India; M Damodaran, Former Chairman, SEBI; Debasish Pa ...Read More >
Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], October 16 (ANI): In a heartfelt tribute, both daughters of Haryana-cadre IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar performed the 'mukhagni' to his mortal remains during his last rites at the Sector 25 crematorium. The solemn ceremony was attended by Haryana DGP OP Singh, along with other dignitaries, honouring the legacy of the esteemed officer. Puran Kumar allegedly shot himself at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7. In the 'final note' he left behind, he accused eight senior cops, including Haryana director general of police Shatrujeet Kapur, of "blatant caste-based ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Delhi police conducted vehicle checking in some parts of the city ahead of Eid-Al-Adha, which will be celebrated on Saturday, to create a sense of security among people and appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony. Intensified checks were conducted in the Kartavya Path area, where police personnel were seen stopping and inspecting vehicles during routine patrols. Similarly, the police carried out security checks at the Yusuf Sarai area, the Ranjit Singh flyover, and the Nelson Mandela Marg. Also Read | Indus Waters Treaty Suspension: Desperate Pakista ...Read More >
"On this occasion, you honoured me with the title of 'Dharma Chakravarti'. I do not consider myself suitable for this. But it is our culture that whatever we receive from saints, we accept it as 'prasad'. So, I humbly accept this 'prasad' and dedicate it to Maa Bharati," PM Modi said during his speech. The centenary celebrations mark the formal commencement of a year-long national tribute to the spiritual leader, being organised by the Union Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mah ...Read More >