INDIA

Guwahati, Aug 13 (IANS) The Final Photo Electoral Rolls for all 40 constituencies of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) were published on Wednesday, marking a key step ahead of the upcoming council election, the Assam State Election Commission said in a statement. This year’s roll reflects a significant expansion, with the inclusion of 81 new villages in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) as per the delimitation notification issued by the Assam government on June 25, 2025.According to the updated data, the BTR now has a total of 26,58,477 registered voters, comprising 13,23,673 male electors, 13,34,787 female electors, and 17 voters classified as “others".The council area is served by 3,279 polling stations, although the figure may change as the final list of polling stations is sch...

Bengaluru, Aug 13 (IANS) Karnataka Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi, along with other senior leaders, met former minister K.N. Rajanna, who was recently dropped from the cabinet over his remarks regarding the voter fraud protest, and offered him moral support on Wednesday in Bengaluru.Both Satish Jarkiholi and Rajanna are close associates of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.Speaking to reporters after meeting Rajanna, Jarkiholi stated, “People will drift away when power is lost. However, we are here to send a message that we stand with Rajanna. There is a misunderstanding by the Delhi leadership, and we will convince them.”He added, “Rajanna has served as a minister for two years. We will go to Delhi and meet the high command. The cabinet post that was taken away from Rajanna should be given...

Guwahati, Aug 13 (IANS) Braving heavy rain, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alongside State BJP President Dilip Saikia, drew a massive crowd at the Vijay Sankalp Sabha in Kokrajhar's Chandra Para playground on Wednesday. The rally, held under the Bonorgaon constituency of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), was aimed at bolstering the BJP's momentum ahead of the council elections.Dismissing allegations that the BJP is "anti-tribal", the Chief Minister announced plans to create micro tribal belts and blocks in 600 villages and assured that existing tribal belts and blocks would remain untouched."Even in our dreams, we don't think of breaking tribal belts," he said.In his address, Chief Minister Sarma also accused the current BTC administration of restricting the flow of gover...

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) At a recent seminar on challenges to regional peace and security in South Asia in Kathmandu, Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Principal Political Advisor to the President of Nepal, said that Pakistan-based UN-designated terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish pose a risk to India.He also said that these groups could potentially use Nepal as a transit point for their nefarious objectives.Nepal, being used as a transit point, is nothing new for Pakistan’s ISI. There are numerous incidents which clearly show that Nepal has been a favourite transit hub for the ISI.In recent weeks, the Intelligence agencies have flagged the rising operations by the ISI and its elements in Nepal. Counterfeit Indian currency, which was flooded into India through the Bangladesh border, ...

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) The overall gross exports of gems & jewellery registered a robust increase of 15.98 per cent to $2.18 billion (Rs 18,756.28 crore) during July this year, as compared to $1.88 billion (Rs 15,700 crore) for the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) on Wednesday.On the other hand, the overall gross imports of gems & jewellery witnessed a growth of 26.55 per cent to $1.8 billion (Rs 15,587.73 crore) in July 2025, as compared to $1.43 billion (Rs 11,956.04 crore) for the same period of the previous year.This massive rise is due to the expedited trade activities during July as a preventive measure against tariff threats kicking in from August 2025 onwards. As India heads into the fes...

Surat, Aug 13 (IANS) Under the "Tapi ke Taare" project, 28 tribal students from 15 government schools in Gujarat's Tapi district took their first-ever flight and travelled to Chennai to visit ISRO's renowned Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, an experience that has left a lasting mark on their aspirations.The students returned to Surat airport on Wednesday, where they were welcomed by the Gujarat Tribal Development as well as Education Minister Kuber Dindor, Forest and Environment Minister and Tapi district in-charge Mukesh Patel, and district officials.In an interactive session at the airport conference hall, the young visitors shared their excitement over seeing India's space programme up close, from rocket launch towers to vehicle assembly buildings.Minister Dindor hailed the...

Mumbai, Aug 13 (IANS) Amid raging controversy over the announcement by several civic bodies that slaughterhouses and meat shops within city limits would remain closed on August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day and Janmashtami, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday clarified that the state government has not banned the sale of meat.He told reporters that “The government resolution (GR) in this regard was issued in 1988. I was not aware that many municipalities have made decisions in this regard. I also came to know about this after the media reports.” He thereby downplayed the row and the opposition’s criticism. He further stated, “I asked those municipalities why they took such a decision? Then they sent me the GR of 1988. They also said that they make such a decision every...

Aizawl, Aug 13 (IANS) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Wednesday that the state lies within close proximity to the Golden Triangle, a notorious region for drug trafficking. Flagging off the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Drugs Free India Campaign) in Aizawl, the Chief Minister said that this geographical location has led to the frequent inflow of drugs into the state. Noting that drugs bring no benefit to society and must be eradicated completely, he also urged communities to be vigilant and united in their stand against drug abuse, ensuring that Mizo society remains protected from such harmful influences. Lalduhoma encouraged young people to abstain entirely from drugs, warning that even occasional use is the first step towards addiction. He further called on those already trapped in ...

Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS) A 17-year-old Class 11 student collapsed and died inside a private school in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram on Wednesday, sending shockwaves across the district and sparking intense public attention after video footage of the incident surfaced online.The student, identified as Mohan Raj of Mel Theru in Villupuram, had arrived at school as usual and taken his seat in the classroom when the tragedy occurred. Eyewitnesses said he suddenly fainted and fell to the floor without warning. Teachers and classmates rushed to his aid, and he was immediately transported to a nearby private hospital. However, doctors there declared him "brought dead". Upon receiving information, police arrived at the school and began an inquiry. Mohan Raj’s body was later sent to the Mundiyampakkam Gove...

Kolkata, Aug 13 (IANS) A 30-year-old man possessing a firearm was apprehended near the Sealdah railway station on Wednesday, an official said. A home guard and a traffic sergeant saw the man moving around suspiciously and caught him. However, they had to chase the man -- identified as Pankaj Biswas -- a long way to catch him. Upon searching, a firearm was recovered which was kept inside his shirt.Later, officers from Entally Police Station reached the spot and arrested the young man. However, questions on safety in and around Sealdah station have been raised following the arrest of the person in possession of a firearm. Thousands of people commute daily through Sealdah Station which is one of the busiest railway stations in West Bengal after Howrah station.According to police sources, Pank...