TOP STORIES

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a scathing critique of Congress and Rahul Gandhi over its proposed nationwide campaign on NEET paper leaks, just days ahead of re-examinations and said that such 'irresponsible and insensitive' conduct smacks of a “toolkit mindset”.The NEET (UG) retest is slated for June 21, following the cancellation of May 3 exams over paper leaks. The Congress party has announced nationwide student conventions, starting from Rajasthan’s Kota on Wednesday, to protest the government’s 'inability' to conduct fair examinations.During a press conference at party HQ, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi lambasted the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi for timing their stir just ahead of NEET re-exams, questioning their real...

Bhubaneswar, June 17 (IANS) Tension ran high in the Pahala area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Wednesday as locals staged a road blockade over the alleged murder of a youth.The Commissionerate Police identified the deceased as 34-year-old Prabhat Behera of Anantapur area under the Pahala police station limits in Bhubaneswar. He was working as a Hyva (truck) manager.Behera’s body, bearing deep injury marks, was spotted by some locals near the village under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday morning. Subsequently, his relatives and villagers staged a road blockade on the Pahala road, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.In the FIR, the deceased’s family members accused the Hyva owner and his brother of killing Behera over past enmity.“Local residents have resorted to a road b...

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi Police on a bail plea filed by Leena Maria Paul, wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, in a case registered under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) arising out of the Rs 200 crore extortion racket. A bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi sought a response from the Delhi Police and posted the matter for further hearing on July 27.Paul has challenged a Delhi High Court judgment refusing her regular bail in the MCOCA case linked to the alleged extortion syndicate headed by Chandrashekhar.However, she had earlier secured bail in the parallel money laundering proceedings investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).According to the prosecution, the cas...

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted India’s growing role in advancing sustainable agriculture through clean energy, saying the country’s model of harnessing solar power for farming offers a scalable solution for Africa. Emphasising its potential to strengthen shared prosperity, empower communities and enhance food security, the Prime Minister described the achievement as a matter of pride for India’s farmers and the nation.“Solar power is emerging as a transformative force. India’s model of harnessing clean energy for agriculture offers a scalable model for Africa, strengthening shared prosperity, empowering communities and promising food security. Truly a matter of pride for our farmers and all of us!” PM Modi posted on X, sharing an article by ...

Mumbai, June 17 (IANS) As both factions of the Shiv Sena gear up to celebrate the party's foundation day on June 19, the events carry far more weight than simple annual festivities. This year, the celebrations serve as a crucial test of psychological dominance and organisational strength, taking place against the backdrop of intense political manoeuvring.With the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature about to kick off and the shadow of "Operation Tiger" looming over the state’s political landscape, both camps find themselves at a critical crossroads.In Maharashtra's hyper-fragmented political landscape, June 19, therefore, is no longer just a celebration of a historical milestone. It has transformed into a high-stakes arena where the faction that commands the loudest narrative ...

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has embarked upon a major mission to dismantle narcotic syndicates and their networks in India. The Narendra Modi government is channelising its premier security agencies to crack down on these networks.The move comes amid the Narendra Modi government's promise to make India completely drug-free. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is overseeing these operations and has instructed all the premier agencies to use all resources at their disposal to crack down on narcotic terror and work urgently on making India a drug-free nation.An official said that all the central agencies are working in close coordination to achieve this goal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his interactions with various global leaders, has emphasised the n...

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The Indian Navy is set to commission three warships (INS Dunagiri, INS Agray, and INS Sanshodhak) together in Kolkata later this week, marking a significant milestone in the country’s naval modernisation efforts.Sources said the ceremony is expected to be attended by a top Union government dignitary and is likely to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Kolkata.The Kolkata ceremony will be only the second instance in recent years of three frontline naval platforms being commissioned together. The previous such event took place in January last year, when Prime Minister Modi commissioned destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, and submarine INS Vaghsheer at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard.INS Dunagiri is the fifth Project 17A frigate and the se...

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) India is undergoing one of the largest urban transitions in human history, with nearly 40 per cent of its population expected to reside in urban areas by 2036, which necessitates the rapid expansion of metro infrastructure in the country, leading experts have said.Determined to contribute meaningfully to shaping the policy perspective through substantive dialogue, Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) convened the national conclave, titled “Metros in Metros: Transforming Urban Mobility, Catalysing Transit-Oriented Development,” in the national capital.M. Jamshed, Distinguished Fellow, CRF and former Member (Traffic), Railway Board, noted that urban rail systems have become indispensable to modern cities worldwide.Stressing that the challenge extends beyond accommodati...

Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress has begun vacating a rented building on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in east Kolkata, which served as its temporary party headquarters.The process of shifting started on Tuesday night, with furniture and equipment being removed from the first and second floors. The party is now expected to shift its headquarters to a new location.Eyewitnesses claimed that several goods-laden vehicles were seen parked in front of the Trinamool building since Tuesday night. The vehicles left with the goods in the morning.The building where the Trinamool headquarters was located is owned by Monotosh Saha, also known as Montu Saha. Montu's company, 'Modern Decorating', used to handle stage constructions for all Trinamool events until the recently concluded Assembly...