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: In a move aimed at enhancing transparency in public works, the Flood Control and Irrigation Department has shifted the submission of Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) in tenders to a completely online system, doing away with physical deposits at project offices.Officials said the earlier mechanism required bidders to submit EMDs in person, leading to unnecessary human interface, concerns over information leaks and questions about fairness in the bidding process. Under the revised system, bidders are required to submit the EMD online and upload a scanned copy on the e-procurement portal along with their tender documents.The original EMD will now be sought only from the lowest bidder (L1), who must submit the original EMD within three days of the opening of bids. Failure to do so will result in the bidder being barred from participating in the tender process for two years.According to the department, the shift is intended to ensure that no official or external entity can track which firms are bidding for specific projects during the tendering process. This, officials said, is expected to reduce the scope for bias, pressure or manipulation, and create a more level playing field for contractors.minister Parvesh Verma said the reform is meant to "build trust in the system" by eliminating avoidable human interaction and ensuring a fair bidding environment. "Honest contractors should get a fair opportunity, and public money should be utilised with full accountability," he said.The move is part of a broader push to digitise governance processes and plug gaps that could potentially compromise transparency in public procurement, an official said, adding, physical submission of EMDs will no longer be accepted under any circumstances.
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Delhi government has rolled out guidelines for tree officers to enforce certain sections of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, officials said. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Section 8 of the DPTA mandates that no tree shall be felled, removed or disposed of without prior permission from the tree officer. However, it provides an exception for emergency cases, where a tree poses an immediate danger to life, property or traffic, he explained. In such situations, RWAs, land-owning agencies, individuals or responsible agencies may act wit ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Amid the push for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India in view of the changing geopolitical scenario, the state government has amended Odisha General Financial Rules (OGFR), 2023 enabling restrictions on procurement from certain countries. The amendments, notified by the Finance department on Thursday, authorised the state to bar procurement from bidders, who are either based in or have commercial arrangements with entities from countries or classes of countries that may pose a risk to the defence of the country or matters related to national security. The newly substituted rule ...Read More >
Mumbai: Domestic institutions, including mutual funds and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), hold the key to allowing Subhash Chandra-led promoter entities to increase their stake in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. That's when Norges Bank, the company's largest overseas investor, has given its assent. LIC (4.49%), HDFC Mutual Fund (3.66%) and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund (3.04%) together own over a tenth of the outstanding shares of Zee as of 31 March, making their decision crucial. HDFC Life Insurance (1.57%) is another significant shareholder. Zee has intensified its outreach to ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday claimed that there was no waterlogging in the national capital following heavy rain in Delhi-NCR from Wednesday night. CM Rekha Gupta said, 'We are solving the backlog of the last 27 years of Delhi one by one. Even after such heavy rains, there was no waterlogging in Delhi.' She added that there was no waterlogging at Minto Bridge, which made headlines in the media every monsoon. 'It was a trend for a picture of a waterlogged Minto Bridge to be published in the newspapers. But this time it did not happen,' the Ch ...Read More >
Itanagar, July 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed gratitude to the people of Riga village in Siang district for accepting the government plan to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), hydropower project with an estimated generation capacity of 11,000 MW. An official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Saturday that people of Riga village of Siang district signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government in a meeting held on Frid ...Read More >
Meghalaya government introduced the Draft Meghalaya Film Tourism & Creative Media Policy 2025. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma disbursed Hello Meghalaya Grants to local filmmakers. The government aims to empower youth through creative platforms. The film policy offers financial incentives and skill development projects. Public feedback is welcome until June 20, 2025. Guwahati: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma unveiled the Draft Meghalaya Film Tourism & Creative Media Policy 2025 and dis ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday said it will raise Rs 500 crore through ESG bonds. An ESG bond is a debt security that funds an environmental, social, or governance goal. "Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced a Rs 500 crore ESG bond issuance deal, becoming the first Indian corporate to do so under the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) newly introduced ESG and sustainability-linked bond framework," the company said in a statement. HSBC is acting as the sole lead arranger in the transaction, it said. As part of the ESG bond deal, the ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the Delhi government has arrested two individuals, including a suspended executive engineer and a private contractor, for allegedly siphoning off over Rs 4.6 crore meant for civil works that were never carried out in the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, officials said on Monday. They said the scam involved the release of payments for nonexistent roads and drains in Siraspur village in north Delhi and painting works in Burari, based on forged documents and manipulated test records. ACB's Joint Commissioner Madhur Verma said the fra ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 10, 2025 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for greater transparency and due process in how Indian authorities handle social media restrictions, following reports of the temporary block of multiple international news organizations' X accounts over the weekend. X accused the Indian government of censoring the press. "This incident once again underscores the serious lack of transparency and accountability in how the Indian government issues and enforces orders for the removal of social media content and the blocking of accounts," said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ's India repre ...Read More >
Governance firm InGovern Research has called for investor safeguards, citing market volatility triggered by offshore short-seller reports. This follows Viceroy Research's 9 July report alleging governance issues at Vedanta, which caused an intraday stock plunge of nearly 8 per cent. While acknowledging short-selling as a legitimate, regulated activity that aids market liquidity and price discovery, InGovern emphasised that such reports often serve the financial interests of their authors. "Crit ...Read More >
India's Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Anantha Nageswaran, has urged regulators not to hinder innovations in the crypto and gaming sector. Speaking at the 2024 Global Economic Policy Forum on Wednesday, Nageswaran stressed the importance of regulatory transparency. He also advocated to strike a balance between fostering innovation and addressing social costs. "In a country with low per-capita income and financial illiteracy, not every innovation needs to be encouraged without any questioning. You have to have a social cost-benefit analysis of innovations such as Crypto and online gaming." He ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Delhi government has barred hospitals in the national capital from buying medical devices, consumables, equipment and machinery directly, asking them to make all purchases exclusively through the government's e-procurement process. "Direct purchases or cart-based procurement on the GeM (Government-eMarketplace) portal by hospitals are strictly prohibited," the state health ministry said in an order, warning disciplinary or legal action in case of any deviation. The government's Central Procurement Agency (CPA) will "solely" handle all demand and bidding processes, it said. Th ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 4 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government to further strengthen grant-aided primary schools to enhance access to quality education for children from marginalised communities, an official statement said on Friday. Under the initiative, primary schools operated through the Social Welfare Department will provide free and quality education to children from economically weaker sections -- especially those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and families living below the poverty line. Currently, 448 grant-aided primary schools in the state are recognised by the Basic Education ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) The Delhi government has directed all district magistrates to conduct regular inspections of night shelters across the city, following reports of serious mismanagement, fake staff and unsafe conditions for residents. Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday to review the functioning of the night shelters operated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). The meeting, attended by senior DUSIB officials and district magistrates through video-conferencing, was convened a day after the minister cond ...Read More >
BENGALURU, India (AP) - Each year from June to September, a series of heavy rains known as monsoons sweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country´s farms and replenishing its rivers. However, as global heat increases, the rain is becoming more erratic and intense, creating the conditions for deadly floods. Nearly 1,300 people died in India throughout 2024 due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds of rain-related deaths have already occurred this year in the South Asian region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, ...Read More >
New Delhi: The death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who was sentenced to death in Yemen, has been postponed for the time being. She was to be executed by shooting today, July 16. According to media reports, activist groups and influential religious leaders intervened in the matter, after which the death sentence of Nimisha Priya was postponed. Earlier, many efforts were also made at the diplomatic level to save Nimisha from the death penalty. There is also news that the victim's family has not yet agreed to clemency or blood money. As a last-ditch effort to save her, Kanthapuram A. ...Read More >
PUNE: In a move to empower homebuyers and enhance transparency, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has revised its project registration certificates to include critical details about real estate projects in a concise, reader-friendly format. For the first time, the certificate -- issued at the time of project registration -- includes comprehensive data such as the project's total built-up area, number and names of buildings and wings, approved habitable floors, total residential and non-residential units, commencement certificate status, and number of parking spaces f ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Chikkaballapur (Karnataka) [India], July 2 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday once again dismissed speculation regarding a change in leadership in the Karnataka government, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party is simply "daydreaming." "The BJP is daydreaming about the change of power in the government. BJP believes only lies and not the truth, and the BJP, which is incompetent in lying, does not know how to tell the truth. They believe it or not, we are all together," the Chief Minister said while addressing the media at Nandi Hills. Also Read | Opium in Anardana Goli: ...Read More >
Mumbai: Net profit of Nifty 50 companies at the aggregate level is expected to increase 4.6% year-on-year while revenue may increase 4.5% for the June 2025 quarter. Net profit is likely to show single-digit year-on-year growth for the first time in at least nine quarters amid an anticipated poor performance by select companies, including Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank and Coal India. The sample's revenue is expected to grow in single digit for the fourth consecutive quarter reflecting persistent muted demand scenario. Select companies from metals, pharmaceuticals, cement, banking and finance and ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): Delhi is experiencing incessant rainfall since Wednesday causing water logging in several areas including Bindapur in Uttam Nagar, where roads are submerged under water. The water logging has made the day to day activities of residents difficult. The rains lashed parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday, bringing relief from days of intense heat. Waterlogging was witnessed in several parts of Delhi. Traffic also came to a standstill in many parts of the national capital following the heavy rainfall. Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) Delhi Pres ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
Srinagar- The Meteorological Department has predicted a spell of unsettled weather across Jammu and Kashmir over the coming days, with intermittent rain and thundershowers expected until July 26. A weather advisory has been issued for July 21-23, cautioning about gusty winds and brief intense showers in some areas. According to MeT officials, the region will experience scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall till July 20. "From July 21 to 23, J&K is expected to witness generally cloudy weather with intermittent spells of light to moderate rainfall," an official said, adding ...Read More >
Kerala is experiencing intensified monsoon rains, leading to flooding in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts. The IMD has issued an orange alert for seven districts, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall. In Wayanad, continuous rains caused the Chooralmala River to swell, raising concerns due to the area's history of deadly landslides. Monsoon rains intensified in Kerala on Thursday with some parts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts getting flooded and the India Meteor ...Read More >
Jalpaiguri: In a first, the West Bengal irrigation department has started receiving a 72-hour weather forecast for Bhutan, thanks to the dispatch of periodic warnings from the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) of Bhutan to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The updates will assist in the timely combat of floods. The chief engineer of the Northeast Irrigation Department gets these updates through email. According to the sources of the irrigation department, 71 rivers that originate in Bhutan crisscross the Dooars. Rivers like Torsha, Jaldhaka, Diana, Pana Basra, Ret ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 4 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government to further strengthen grant-aided primary schools to enhance access to quality education for children from marginalised communities, an official statement said on Friday. Under the initiative, primary schools operated through the Social Welfare Department will provide free and quality education to children from economically weaker sections -- especially those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and families living below the poverty line. Also Read | Bodoland Lottery Result Today, July 04, 2025: Assam State Lottery Sambad Friday L ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANII): In a significant move to enhance the quality and transparency of pilot training in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday officially announced the formal commencement of a comprehensive ranking framework for Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across the country. The initiative aims to ensure standardisation, safety, and accountability in India's aviation training sector. The ranking system will be implemented as of October 1, 2025, and rankings will be published twice a year, on April 1 and October 1, to provide timely and upd ...Read More >
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, July 9: Heavy rains continued to batter large parts of Jammu and Kashmir today, damaging residential structures and local infrastructure, and triggering landslides and flash floods in several vulnerable regions. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp In Poonch district's Ajamabad village of Mandi tehsil, two residential houses were damaged early morning due to a landslide, while in the remote Sazar area of Kishtwar's Padder region, a flash flood caused by downpour in the upper reaches swept away four water mills. The widespread rainfall disrupted normal life across bo ...Read More >
(CNN) -- India's financial capital and one of its largest cities has experienced its wettest May in more than a century, with the unusually early arrival of the monsoon season causing a ferocious weekend downpour that turned roads into rivers and flooded a newly inaugurated underground train station. Mumbai, a city of more than 12 million, has recorded more than 400 millimeters of rainfall this month so far, according to data from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), with much of the downpour arriving late last weekend. The deluge caused chaos and delays across transport networks, inc ...Read More >
With the monsoon approaching, Delhi Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Parvesh Verma on Thursday conducted an inspection of key waterlogging hotspots in Mehrauli and issued strict directions to officials to ensure smooth flow of water in all major drains across the city. During the inspection, Verma visited four critical locations -- near Saket Gurdwara, Dargah Mehrauli, Moti Lal Nehru Camp and Kusumpur Pahadi-Qutub Institute area -- all known for chronic drainage issues during the rainy ...Read More >