INDIA

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday interact with Chief Ministers through video conferencing on the West Asia conflict to review preparedness and plans of states, said an official.The meeting will focus on ensuring synergy of efforts in the spirit of 'Team India', said the official.With geopolitical tensions escalating and their global fallout becoming more pronounced, the meeting is likely to serve as a platform for PM Modi to brief Chief Ministers and seek broader consensus on India’s approach to the crisis.“Chief Ministers of election-bound states shall not be a part of this meeting due to the model code of conduct,” said the official.There will be a separate meeting for Chief Secretaries of election-bound states which will be held through the Cabinet ...

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, on Thursday, welcomed the result of a survey by a reputed US-based data analytics firm that ranked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the world's most popular leader.According to the survey conducted by Morning Consult, between March 2 and 8, PM Modi has stayed well ahead of his global counterparts by garnering a commanding approval rating of 68 per cent.Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "The Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi, has been the best even as the former Gujarat Chief Minister and will continue to be the most popular leader in the world as the country's Prime Minister. Not only on the basis of survey, but because of the way he has worked throughout his life."Speaking to IANS, ...

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Supreme Court has cautioned that the growing practice of citing "non-existent" or incorrect judgments has emerged as a "rampant menace" affecting courts not only in India but across jurisdictions globally. Emphasising the need for heightened vigilance in judicial proceedings, a Bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Vijay Bishnoi made the observation while hearing a special leave petition (SLP) filed by Heart and Soul Entertainment Ltd. against certain remarks made by the Bombay High Court regarding the alleged citation of a non-existent judgment. Flagging the seriousness of the issue, the apex court observed: "However, the fact remains that this menace is rampant in all Courts now, not only in India, but throughout the world. Everyone needs to be careful about ...

Karnal (Haryana), March 26 (IANS) Union Minister Manohar Lal on Thursday said that while global conflicts and geopolitical tensions pose a potential risk to the supply of petroleum products and gas, India is well-prepared to tackle any such challenge and there is "no need to panic" at present.Speaking to reporters, the minister underlined that the issue of energy supply is not confined to India alone but is a growing international concern, particularly in light of ongoing conflicts between several countries that could disrupt global supply chains."This is not only an Indian issue, but also at the international level. A major problem we are seeing is that some countries are engaged in wars, which could greatly affect the supply of petroleum products and gas, as we import them from there," h...

Gandhinagar, March 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the longest-serving head of an elected government in the country, completing 8,931 days in office across his tenures as Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister, state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma said on Thursday.Addressing a press conference at the party’s state headquarters in Gandhinagar, Vishwakarma said the milestone surpasses the 8,930-day record of former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.He added that PM Modi had also exceeded the tenure of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who served 4,077 days in office, and remains Gujarat’s longest-serving chief minister.Describing the achievement as “not merely a record of time, but a record of the unwavering trust of the people”, Vishwakarma said PM Modi’s p...

Haridwar (Uttarakhand), March 26 (IANS) Yoga guru and Patanjali co-founder Baba Ramdev on Thursday said "Neither America will win, nor Iran will lose" as he appealed for world peace amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia."I had earlier said that neither America will win (the war) nor Iran will lose. By launching its ballistic missiles at a distance ranging from 1000-1200 km to 4000-5000 km and by dropping bombs, Iran has shown that nobody can frighten anyone using weapons," Ramdev told reporters at a Ram Navami event at Patanjali Yogpeeth here."I had earlier said that neither America will win (the war) nor Iran will lose. By launching its ballistic missiles at a distance ranging from 1000-1200 km to 4000-5000 km and by dropping bombs, Iran has shown that nobody can frighten anyone using ...

Chennai, March 26 (IANS) The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on Thursday announced its candidates for three constituencies in Puducherry after a dispute with the Congress over seat allocation within the alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).The move follows the Congress’ refusal to withdraw its nominee from the Uzhavarkarai constituency, which had been allocated to the VCK as part of the alliance understanding.The VCK said the seat was among the constituencies allotted to the DMK in the Congress-led alliance and was subsequently ceded to it for contesting.Despite this arrangement, the Congress fielded a candidate in Uzhavarkarai, triggering tensions between the allies.The VCK alleged that the Congress nominee had prior links with the RSS and the BJP, and had joined the C...

Srinagar/Jammu, March 26 (IANS) At least two persons were killed, and five others were injured on Thursday in separate road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir.An assistant professor of Poonch degree college, identified as Dr Tabassum Naz, was killed and her husband critically injured in an accident in the Kallar area of Rajouri district.The accident occurred when the car going to Poonch from Rajouri, went out of the driver’s control and veered off the road.Locals rushed to the site and conducted a rescue operation, immediately shifting the injured to a nearby health facility. Prof. Tabassum Naz succumbed to her injuries during treatment, while her husband, Hameed, is in critical condition.Police have reached the scene and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.I...

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The transgender community staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday against the newly-introduced Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, alleging that it violates their rights and dignity. A large number of people from the community gathered to demonstrate against the government, claiming that the Bill undermines the principles of equality and self-identification.The protesters asserted that the Bill, which has already been passed by both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, and is now awaiting the President’s assent, poses a serious threat to the rights guaranteed to transgender persons under previous legal frameworks.IANS spoke to a few protesters during the demonstration.One of the protesters said, “Yesterday, Parliament passed ...

Bengaluru, March 26 (IANS) A professor at a private medical college on the outskirts of Bengaluru was allegedly assaulted by students after he reportedly proposed to a female student inside a classroom during a lecture, police said on Thursday. Authorities have taken the case seriously as the professor and the female student are from different communities.The incident has been reported from the college under the jurisdiction of the Nelamangala Rural Police Station. Police have launched a hunt for the accused. A video of the incident has gone viral, raising concerns among the public.According to police, the incident occurred while the class was in progress. The professor allegedly offered a chocolate to a girl student and expressed his feelings in front of the entire class.The student immed...