New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has refused to share information on the impact of a proposed mega infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost part of Indian territory, on primitive tribal groups and the relocation of villages from tiger reserves, citing parliamentary privilege and other legal exemptions. This PTI correspondent filed an RTI application on April 3 this year, requesting minutes of all commission meetings held since January 1...Read More
Udhampur, Jul 9 (PTI) Defying odds and driven by unshakable devotion, 21-year-old devotee Harnam Prasad from Uttar Pradesh has embarked on an extraordinary 7,000-km Kanwar Yatra from Madhya Pradesh to the sacred Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir for the first time, saying faith has driven out fear among every pilgrim undertaking the pilgrimage. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre shrine commenced on July 3 from the valley via the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam rout...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the petitioner to file a separate plea for a court-monitored probe into the July 4 fire incident at a store in Karol Bagh area in the capital which claimed two lives. The plea was filed in an ongoing matter over flooding in Old Rajinder Nagar in July, 2024 in which three students drowned after a drain burst caused flooding in the basement of a UPSC coaching centre. A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Anish...Read More
Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI) Stock markets closed lower on Wednesday due to selling in IT and oil & gas shares as investors turned cautious ahead of the start of earnings season and mixed global trends. Dragged by late selling, the 30-share BSE Sensex fell by 176.43 points or 0.21 per cent to settle at 83,536.08. During the day, it lost 330.23 points or 0.39 per cent to 83,382.28. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 46.40 points or 0.18 per cent to end at 25,476.10. From the Sensex firms, HCL Tech, Tata S...Read More
Kolkata, Jul 9 (PTI) Reports of violence were received from various pockets of West Bengal after Left-wing activists, supporting a countrywide general strike called by 10 central trade unions on Wednesday, clashed with police and TMC supporters in multiple districts, even as additional security forces were deployed to ensure normal life. The strike was called against "liberalisation, price rise of essentials, joblessness, increase in contractual work and other issues". Reinforcing its stand of...Read More
Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI) Guru Dutt was famous for his quicksilver temper on the movie sets but he was equally good at winning over people, says Devi Dutt while remembering his elder brother on the filmmaker's 100th birth anniversary. Devi Dutt witnessed every shade of his brother's temperament -- the man who gifted Indian cinema timeless classics like "Pyaasa", "Kaagaz Ke Phool", and "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam". "He was lovely. He would get angry a lot. He would speak his heart out, but within some tim...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) West Indies great Chris Gayle has criticised South Africa's stand-in skipper Wiaan Mulder for declaring the innings despite being within reach of Brian Lara's world record Test score of 400 not out, saying "he panicked and blundered, straight up". Mulder was batting on 367, just 34 runs short of overhauling Lara's record of highest individual Test score but opted to declare South Africa's innings at 626 for five on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe out of...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) A new study has projected that for every fractional increase in global warming, the duration of heatwaves could extend by a greater amount than previously observed. This suggests that as the planet continues to warm, heatwaves will last longer at an accelerating rate. The longest heatwaves will see the greatest acceleration in extending in duration, and the frequency of the most extreme heat waves will increase the most, the study found. Climate change has been consisten...Read More
Patna, Jul 9 (PTI) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar, where assembly polls are due later this year, with the opposition INDIA bloc alleging that it was designed to "benefit the ruling NDA", a charge denied by the EC that is carrying out the massive exercise. The issue has also reached the Supreme Court, which will hear petitions on July 10 challenging the Election Commission's decision to carry out the exercise in Bihar....Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) In the final leg of his space sojourn, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla turned into a farmer, taking photos of 'moong' and 'methi' seeds sprouting in petri dishes and inserting them into a storage freezer on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a study on how microgravity influences germination and early plant development. Shukla and his fellow Axiom-4 astronauts have spent 12 days on the orbital lab and they are expected to return to Earth any day after Jul...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) A 23-year-old man has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) here for allegedly impersonating as a Delhi Police sub-inspector by using a forged identity card and fake appointment documents, an official said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Sahil Kumar, is a resident of Ladpur in Rajasthan's Alwar district and allegedly used the fake identity to target and befriend women victims, including Delhi Police personnel. "Kumar, who was wearing a T...Read More
Shillong, Jul 9 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday unveiled the trophy of the 134th Indian Oil Durand Cup 2025 at a ceremony held at the State Convention Centre here, marking the official start of the tournament's trophy roadshow in the state. The unveiling sets the stage for one of the world's oldest and most prestigious football tournaments and reinforces Meghalaya's growing stature as a hub for sports-led youth development. The trophy roadshow will cover Shillo...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Shares of Vedanta Ltd tumbled nearly 8 per cent on Wednesday after US short seller Viceroy Research released a report charging billionaire Anil Agarwal's mining conglomerate to be "financially unsustainable" and posing a severe risk to creditors. But later, the stock recovered some of the losses to trade 3.31 per cent down at Rs 441.10 on the BSE. Viceroy said it was shorting the debt stack of Vedanta Resources, the parent company and majority owner of Mumbai-listed Veda...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed speculation about leadership change in the Congress-led government in the state, saying there are currently no plans to alter the cabinet composition. "No cabinet reshuffle is on the cards. Myself and the chief minister are meeting central ministers to discuss various state issues," Shivakumar told reporters. When asked about the buzz that he will take over as chief minister after completion of two-and...Read More
New Delhi, July 9 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at her residence here on Wednesday, fuelling speculation about leadership change in the state. The meeting comes amid reports that Shivakumar has been pressing for the chief minister's post, based on an 'understanding' within the party that he would take over the role after two-and-a-half years of the current term. Shivakumar remained tight-lipped about the details of the dis...Read More
Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the incident of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapping an employee of a canteen at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai sends out a wrong message about all legislators that they indulge in misuse of power. The issue was raised in the legislative council by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab, who accused the ruling party MLA of being high on power, and said such incidents also damage the image of CM Fadnavis. "Such a con...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) From love ballads, peppy numbers to deeply philosophical tracks, Guru Dutt was not just known for his mastery in storytelling but also for the way he visualised songs in his movies. On his 100th birth anniversary, here's a look at 10 evergreen tracks from his films: "Jaane Woh Kaise Log The": The song from "Pyaasa" (1957) is considered one of the most iconic Guru Dutt songs. Rendered by Hemant Kumar, the song has a hauntingly beautiful tune set by SD Burman to Sahir Ludhi...Read More
Thane, Jul 9 (PTI) A deputy executive engineer of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company has been arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a person in Raigad district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Wednesday. A man approached the accused, posted at the power company's Pen circle office, for expediting the issuance of a license required to relocate three high-voltage cables passing through a private land at Khalapur, Raigad. The work was assigned to a company r...Read More
Bhubaneswar, Jul 9 (PTI) A local court here on Wednesday granted bail to BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, who was arrested in a case involving the physical assault of a senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office. The District and Sessions Court, Khurda has granted bail to Pradhan on security of Rs 30,000. The court has asked the government counsel to produce the telephonic conversation between Pradhan and Ratnakar Sahoo, the victim OAS offi...Read More
Vadodara, Jul 9 (PTI) Nine persons, including a child, were killed and nine others rescued after a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, officials said. A slab of the Gambhira bridge, located on Mahisagar river which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region of the state, collapsed, killing nine persons, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand said. The bridge was located near Padra town in the district. "Accor...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Around 12,500 MW capacity of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects are under tendering process and 3,300 MW in the pipeline, Central Electricity Authority Chairperson Ghanshyam Prasad said on Wednesday. He was speaking on the second day of India Energy Storage Week organised by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) here. "We have roughly around 3300 MW capacity in the pipeline, culminating to 8500 megawatt hour (MWh)...expected in the next two years. Another thing...Read More
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 9 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that the law and order situation in the state, including Dakshina Kannada district, is stable and improving due to strict enforcement measures and the creation of special task forces. Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at Kukke Subrahmanya temple in this district, Parameshwara said, "At a recent conference chaired by the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah), we reviewed crime trends across the state. ...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu case over the issue of investigation agencies summoning lawyers who offer opinion or represent parties in cases and examine if they can be put to notice. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria will hear the matter on July 14, when the court reopens after the summer break. The action comes in the wake of Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning couple of senior lawyers. The probe agency, h...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the producer of "Udaipur Files", a movie based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case, to arrange its screening for those seeking a ban on it. The court's direction came after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as well as the makers of the movie claimed that objectionable portions have been removed from the film. The bench was hearing petitions claiming that the movie has potential to inflame communal tensions and disrup...Read More
Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI) NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded that the Maharashtra government take immediate action to resolve the ongoing protest here by teachers of aided and partially aided schools from across the state. He was speaking to reporters after meeting the protesting teachers at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. The teachers from aided and partially aided schools have launched an agitation claiming that the government has not increased grants to their institutes despite an...Read More
Chandigarh, Jul 9 (PTI) Punjab police on Wednesday said they have foiled a major terror plot orchestrated by Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Rinda and recovered a cache of arms from a forest area in Gurdaspur. Preliminary investigation has found that the consignment was pushed into India by Pakistani agencies and Rinda as part of a premeditated plan to carry out attacks at multiple locations in Punjab, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said. "In an intelligence-led operation, the Anti...Read More
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Bungalow No 48 in Pali Hills was a dream for many but not for its owner, filmmaker Guru Dutt. For his wife, singer Geeta Dutt, it was a haunted space, for him, never the sanctuary he longed for. In time, he had it demolished - that too on his birthday. The heartbreaking story of the palatial house that never became a home for the celebrity couple has been vividly captured in two books, Bimal Mitra's "Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari" and Yasser Usman's "Guru Dutt: An Unfinished ...Read More
Vadodara, Jul 9 (PTI) Eight persons were killed and five others rescued after several vehicles fell into a river following the collapse of a portion of a four-decade-old bridge in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, police said. Five vehicles fell into the Mahisagar river after a slab of the Gambhira bridge, located on the river which connects central Gujarat and Saurashtra regions of the state, collapsed, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural), Rohan Anand told PTI. Eight per...Read More
New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said the Dalai Lama should be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, adding that he will write to the central government to recommend India's highest civilian award for the Tibetan spiritual leader. In an interview with PTI Videos on Tuesday, Khandu also said that Beijing has no locus standi in the selection of the next Dalai Lama since Tibetan Buddhism is not even practised in mainland China unlike in Tibet and the Himalayan regions of India...Read More
Hyderabad, Jul 9 (PTI) Thirteen people were hospitalised after allegedly consuming adulterated toddy, health officials said here on Wednesday. Hailing from the Kukatpally area, they were initially admitted to different hospitals on Tuesday after complaining of ill health--acute gastroenteritis and were subsequently shifted to the state-run Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here, they said. Telangana Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha on Wednesday instructed the health officials...Read More