TOP STORIES

Raipur, Nov 8 (IANS) Raipur, Bilaspur and Bilha in Chhattisgarh have been selected for national awards under the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, officials said.President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards on these three cities at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on November 11, officials added on Saturday.Special recognition will also be given to 'Safai Mitras' (sanitation workers) during the ceremony.The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has formally informed the state government about the selection.Officials said the achievement is the result of sustained cleanliness drives, the dedication of sanitation workers and active participation by citizens.Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed happiness over the recognition.He congratulated the citizens, public representatives, officials a...

Mumbai, November 7 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday secured the conviction of Adnanali Sarkar in the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case, officials said.The Special Court (NIA) in Mumbai held him guilty under Sections 13, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.The court sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for a maximum period of six years and imposed a total fine of Rs 65,000.Sarkar was the fifth accused in the case registered by NIA Mumbai.The central agency had taken up the investigation suo motu on June 28, 2023, after receiving information from the Ministry of Home Affairs about a conspiracy by ISIS members aimed at threatening the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of Ind...

Guwahati, Nov 7 (IANS) In a significant boost to the conservation and recovery of the critically endangered Black Softshell Turtle (BST), locally known as Bormuria Kaso (Nilssonia nigricans), 240 hatchlings were released on Saturday into a protected waterbody under the Biswanath Wildlife Division in Assam.A senior forest official said that the release was jointly organised by the Wildlife Survival Alliance Foundation India (WSAFI) and the Biswanath Wildlife Division, in collaboration with Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and the Assam Forest Department, as part of the ongoing project titled 'Conservation and Recovery of Black Softshell Turtle in Assam'.The conservation initiative has been underway for nearly a decade.The Black Softshell Turtle, which was once declared 'Extinct in the Wild' in th...

Ahmedabad, Nov 7 (IANS) Gujarat has deported 2,412 illegal foreign nationals and filed charge sheets within 60 days in 92 per cent of cases following the implementation of the new criminal laws, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.In a post on social media platform X after chairing a high-level review meeting on law and order and internal security in Ahmedabad, Union Minister Shah described the state's performance as "excellent".He said that Gujarat had achieved the figures after the implementation of the new criminal laws."After the implementation of the new laws in the state, Gujarat has performed excellently by filing charge sheets within 60 days in 92 per cent of cases and deporting 2,412 illegal foreign nationals," Union Minister Shah added.He also called for Central and ...

Itanagar, Nov 7 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Saturday inaugurated Utkarsh Bhawan, state Training and Development Centre, along with a multipurpose hall and academic block of the Arunachal Shiksha Vikas Samiti (ASVS), at Kamak Nagar in Pachin Colony in Naharlagun.On the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister also flagged off a bus for Saraswati Vidya Niketan at Mahadevpur in Namsai district to support the institution's educational activities. The newly inaugurated facilities are expected to strengthen teacher training, professional development and academic activities in the state. Utkarsh Bhawan will provide a platform for capacity-building programmes, academic workshops and leadership development. The centre is equipped with residential facilities, smart cl...

Agartala, Nov 7 (IANS) With the arrest of three more accused including a woman, the total number of people arrested so far in connection with the brutal attack on Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Tripura's Sepahijala district has risen to 21, including four women, police officials said on Saturday. A police official said that a middle-aged woman, identified as Hasina Khatun, was arrested from Kalapania in Sepahijala district on Saturday in connection with the November 2 incident at Ashabari village, under Kalamchaura police station, along the India-Bangladesh international border. In a separate incident, the BSF detained two prime accused, identified as Rabiul Hossain and Mahabul Hossain, on Saturday and later handed them over to the Kalamchaura Police Station during the night. Ac...

Patna, Nov 7 (IANS) The Bihar Police on Saturday busted an alleged heroin trafficking network by an operation in Kaimur district, arresting three people, including a woman, and recovering 52.58 grams of heroin worth around Rs 35 lakh.The seizure was made during a raid at a house in the Babu Mohalla area under Kudra police station following a tip-off that heroin was being packaged into smaller quantities for distribution.Mohania Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gopal Krishna said the Kudra police received confidential information about the illegal activity and immediately formed a team to conduct a raid.The operation was carried out at the residence of local resident Kiran Devi in the presence of a Magistrate, who also serves as the Circle Officer.During the search, police recovered 5...

Faridabad, Nov 7 (IANS) A man accused of shooting his neighbour following an altercation over parking in Sector-21C of Haryana's Faridabad, has been arrested, officials said on Saturday.The incident took place on Friday, coinciding with the occasion of Dhanteras. The deceased was identified as Paramjit Dhankar, who had returned from Singapore just two days before the incident to attend a family wedding, officials said.According to the police, his neighbour, identified as Mohan alias Monu Sharma, allegedly opened fire with his licenced pistol, firing around 15 to 16 rounds. Eight to nine bullets reportedly hit Paramjit, leaving him dead.A team of Crime Branch Sector-30 has now arrested the accused.Preliminary questioning revealed that the accused lived on the second floor of House number 64...

Ahmedabad/Anand, Nov 7 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Gujarat president Jagdish Vishwakarma on Saturday held a series of meetings with prominent citizens and social leaders in Ahmedabad to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as part of the party's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign.He also visited the Art of Living Ashram in Vasad of Anand district, where he met its founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and sought his blessings.During his outreach in Ahmedabad, Vishwakarma met intellectuals, prominent personalities and social leaders in the Nikol Assembly constituency and discussed various aspects of the SIR exercise, including the need for clean and transparent electoral rolls and their importance in a democratic system.Later, he held a separate interac...