STATE’S

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly condemned the desecration of Ambedkar's statue in Amritsar and has assured strong action against the guilty. In a post on X on Monday, CM Mann said that no one will be spared and strong action will be taken.A man on January 26 evening vandalised the statue on Heritage Street near the Golden Temple complex. He was arrested soon after a video went viral.According to the police, the accused, Akashdeep Singh, belongs to the Scheduled Caste community. The accused used a hammer to deface the statue and burnt the stone-carved Constitution book in front of the statue by lighting inflammable material on it. He used a ladder to reach the statue's top.The police said the motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained. Amri...

Chennai, Jan 27 (IANS) Farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Delta districts, the state’s rice bowl, are grappling with skyrocketing costs for harvesting machines and significant crop damage caused by unseasonal rains. These challenges have dealt a severe blow to the region’s Samba paddy farmers, many of whom are now facing substantial losses.The harvest, which began in December 2024 and continued into January 2025, has been hampered by private operators charging exorbitant rents for harvesting machines.The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has fixed the hourly rent for standard harvester machines at ₹1,160 and ₹1,880 for the belt variety.However, farmers have reported that private operators are charging between ₹3,000 and ₹3,200 per hour, with some rates anticipated to climb as high as ₹4,000.Farmers a...

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Uttarakhand is set to create history on Monday as it becomes the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).The UCC will not only be implemented throughout the state but it will also apply to the people of Uttarakhand living outside it.The landmark legislation will be rolled out at around 12:30 pm and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will unveil the UCC portal, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state today.The UCC rules that have been approved by the Uttarakhand government have avoided the controversial proposals for creating a separate process to resolve disputes related to personal laws.The rules proposed by the Shatrughan Singh Committee for the UCC initially presented to the Chief Minister on October 18, 2024, were ...

Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS) Two parallel and crucial hearings are scheduled at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, on similar pleas filed by two different parties challenging the order by the special court in Kolkata last week sentencing civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.Incidentally, both the parties challenging the plea have demanded the death sentence for Roy.On the one hand, the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi will hear the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea challenging the special court order and seeking a death sentence for Roy. On the other hand, the same division bench will hear a similar plea by the West Beng...

Kohima, Jan 26 (IANS) Nagaland Governor La Ganesan launched the ‘Chief Minister’s Mobile Operation Theatre’ during the celebration of the 76th Republic Day here in the presence of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and other dignitaries.Officials terming the new step as a pioneering initiative said that the ‘Chief Minister’s Mobile Operation Theatre’ has been established to deliver advanced surgical and healthcare services to rural and remote areas of Nagaland.Equipped with state-of-the-art keyhole surgery capabilities, this initiative aims to enhance access to specialised medical care, promote health equity, and reduce healthcare disparities in under-served regions, a senior health department official said.The facility features a fully equipped mobile surgical unit, portable diagnostic tools such...

Guwahati, Jan 26 (IANS) During his three-day visit to Dibrugarh, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reviewed the progress of various Central and State Government schemes in the Naharkatia co-district here on Sunday, officials said. He received comprehensive updates from senior officials across departments regarding the implementation of various schemes and co-district development efforts.Notably, the Assam government set up co-districts in the state which is a first-of-this-kind approach in the country. In the first phase, the state government rolled out 39 co-districts in October last year. The important features of these co-districts include smaller administrative units below the district level and timely access to essential government services by citizens.Chief Minister Sarma clai...

Gangtok, Jan 26 (IANS) On the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang joined the Governor Om Prakash Mathur, in inaugurating a new computer class for the children and staff of Raj Bhavan on Sunday, officials said. This initiative, launched under the visionary “Sabai Padhao, Sabai Badhao” campaign, aims to promote education, skill development, and empowerment, the official statement mentioned. The Chief Minister attended the “At Home” Programme at Raj Bhavan, hosted by the Governor. The event celebrated Sikkim’s rich cultural heritage, creating a memorable evening of unity and patriotism. The program featured captivating cultural performances, paying tribute to the nation’s freedom fighters and brave martyrs. These performances highlighted the spirit of ...