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Jalandhar, Sep 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday directed Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to visit Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara amid violent student protests that erupted over unverified claims concerning a female student. CM Mann asked the DGP to personally assess the situation at the university and ensure the matter is investigated thoroughly, according to officials.The directive came two days after protests at the university turned violent, with students allegedly damaging property and setting parts of the campus on fire.Protesters had also blocked the Delhi-Amritsar national highway, disrupting traffic for more than 15 hours. However, the police managed to restore traffic on National Highway-44.The university management has ordered a 10...

Rudraprayag, Sep 28 (IANS) A five-year-old boy died on the spot after being struck by a falling stone from a hillside near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath trekking route in Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday.The deceased has been identified as Yash, son of Rohtash Yadav, a resident of Etah in Uttar Pradesh.According to the District Disaster Management Officer, the police control room received information about a sudden rockfall from a hill near Chirbasa. Yash was hit by the falling stone and succumbed to his injuries at the spot.Following the incident, a rescue team deployed in the area transported the child's body by palanquin to the MRP Bhairav Temple in Junglechatti.The trekking route near Chirbasa has also been blocked by debris and rocks following the rockfall. Rescue teams have been c...

Madurai, Sep 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Police have put a five-tier security arrangement in place at Madurai airport for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit on Monday. Security has also been stepped up along the roads he is expected to use during his engagements in the city. Police personnel have been stationed on both sides of the road from the airport to Government Rajaji Hospital, CM Vijay’s first stop after his scheduled arrival at 11 a.m. Sniffer dogs have been used to inspect the airport complex, while the Central Industrial Security Force and local police were checking vehicles before allowing them onto the premises.Drone flights have been prohibited during the visit. Barricades have been erected near the airport and in Mandela Nagar, Avaniyapuram and Chinthamani to control access alon...

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) As it aims to increase iron ore production capacity to 100 million tonnes in the long term, NMDC Ltd has commissioned its 2 million tonne per annum (MTPA) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh, as part of a Rs 5,427-crore integrated project, an official statement has said.This project has iron ore processing, pipeline and pellet making, connecting the company's iron ore operations at Bacheli with the company's steel plant at Nagarnar.The project includes a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 15 MTPA slurry pipeline, and the 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar. According to Steel Ministry, the 135-km slurry pipeline carries processed iron ore concentrate from Bacheli to Nagarnar, providing an alternative to transporting the material by road.The facilities wil...

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of attempting to divert public attention from ongoing controversies and disrupt the BJP’s political activities in the state, alleging that the recent violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) was part of a political conspiracy.Bittu made the allegations in a post on X, claiming that AAP was “badly rattled” by the response to the BJP’s ‘Drug-Free Punjab Journey’.“The Aam Aadmi Party is badly rattled by the resounding enthusiasm and overwhelming support that Punjabis are extending to the BJP's 'Drug-Free Punjab Journey'. The alleged conspiracy at LPU was orchestrated solely to divert people's attention from the controversy over government bungalows allotted to Delhi leaders a...

Jaipur, Sep 28 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will make a one-day visit to the Bayana area of Bharatpur district on Monday to inaugurate development projects and lay foundation stones for new works, followed by a public meeting and an interaction with party workers. According to the scheduled itinerary, the Chief Minister will depart from Jaipur Airport by helicopter at 11:10 a.m. and arrive at the Bayana helipad at 11:50 a.m. From there, he will travel by road to the programme venue near Harnagar Mod on the Bayana-Bharatpur road.The Chief Minister is scheduled to reach the venue near the Nayara petrol pump in the Bidyari area around noon. Between noon and 1 p.m., he will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for various development projects and address the public meeting....

Chennai, Sep 28 (IANS) Women seeking to start or expand businesses in Tamil Nadu can apply for loans ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 5 crore under a new state scheme aimed at improving their access to institutional finance.The government has asked MLAs to identify 10 prospective women entrepreneurs in each of the state’s 234 Assembly constituencies for the Vetri Magalir Thozhilmunaivor Membattu Thittam. That could produce an initial pool of 2,340 prospective applicants.The loans will be provided through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC). They will carry an annual interest rate of 9.95 per cent, calculated on a diminishing balance, and borrowers will have up to nine years to repay them.Legislators have been asked to identify women in their constituencies who have the pot...

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Delhi-NCR residents woke up to pleasant weather on Monday as cloudy skies and cool, breezy conditions brought relief from the recent heat.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the national capital is likely to experience partly cloudy skies on Monday, with the maximum temperature expected to remain between 31 degrees and 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover between 20 degrees and 22 degrees Celsius.The weather department has forecast isolated rainfall in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab on Monday. However, predominantly dry weather is expected to return to the region from September 29 and continue until October 3.Overnight rainfall and cloudy conditions on Saturday brought down temperatures across Delhi, keep...