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10:41 PM

Menstrual, maternity leave to students of higher educational institutes: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that in a first in the country, menstrual and maternity leaves would be granted to all women students in all institutions under the State government's Higher Education Department.

Vijayan announced this decision of the government on his Twitter handle and Facebook page.

10:31 PM

3.14 mn poor families to get Rs 300 through DBT for mustard oil in Haryana

A total of 3.14 mn BPL families in Haryana will receive Rs 300 through DBT for mustard oil beginning next month.

Earlier, the amount given to such families per month was Rs 250.

10:29 PM

New India dreams big, achieves its goals, asserts PM; says no dearth of funds for Mumbai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said for the first time since Independence, a New India has emerged which has big dreams and also the capacity to realise them, and gone are the days when discussions in the country mostly centred around poverty and seeking foreign aid.

10:24 PM

Truck operators take out protest march against closure of cement plants in Himachal

Hundreds of truckers from Bilaspur and Solan districts on Thursday took out a foot march trudging 12 km distance to protest against the closure of two cement plants.

The truckers demanding the immediate opening of cement plants gathered at Nauni in Bilaspur district and marched towards the office of the Deputy Commissioner to hand over the memorandum.

10:16 PM

Joshimath subsidence: Irdai ask insurers to expeditiously settle claims

Regulator Irdai on Thursday asked insurance companies to take steps for expeditious settlement of claims of loss to property due to subsidence and landslides in the calamity-affected areas in Uttarakhand.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has issued the circular for general insurers in wake of subsidence in Joshimath town of Chamoli district and subsequent evacuation and demolition of properties which have developed cracks.

10:15 PM

Leave politics for few days, focus on law & order: Kejriwal to LG after DCW chief claims harassment

After Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday said that she was harassed by a man in a vehicle and dragged along on the previous night, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Lt Governor V.K. Saxena to put aside political matters for few days and instead focus on improving the law and order situation in the city.

 

10:10 PM

Umar Khalid moves Delhi Court for daily inmate calling facility

Former JNU student Umar Khalid has moved a Delhi court seeking direction to the prison authorities concerned for having access to daily inmate calling facility.

Khalid is in prison in a case of larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, which is being probed by the special cell of Delhi police.

10:07 PM

Odisha govt approves nine projects worth Rs 1.53 trillion

The Odisha government on Thursday approved nine projects with a total investment of over Rs 1.53 trillion for implementation, which will create employment opportunities for 77,000 people in the state.

The High-Level Clearance Authority, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, gave its nod to the projects, an official said.

10:04 PM

Supreme Court's pushback to Centre took 4 days of discussion: Reports

The Supreme Court's unprecedented step of making public its communication with the Centre on judges' elevation was taken after four days of deliberation, sources have told NDTV. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had conferred not only with brother judges of the Collegium, but also the judge who is expected to succeed him, sources said.  
 

10:01 PM

Sarojini Nagar trader bodies write to Amit Shah, urge him to take steps to improve roads

Trader associations in Sarojini Nagar here have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to take steps to improve the condition of roads and other facilities in the area in view of the upcoming G20 summit.

In a letter, the three main market associations of Sarojini Nagar noted that G20 will attract a lot of foreign and domestic tourism and the Sarojini market remains a hotspot for all tourists from India and abroad as well.

 

9:57 PM

Mamata pans Centre for stopping students' grant; launches new scholarship

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government's move to discontinue scholarships for students of backward castes and minority communities, and said her government would be providing them aid.

She launched the 'Medhashree' scholarship, under which students belonging to the backward and minority communities will be entitled to an annual grant of Rs 800, benefiting 2.63 lakh students every year.

9:53 PM

PM Modi, CM Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis take ride in Mumbai metro

9:50 PM

NIA chargesheets two with Al-Qaeda links in connection with recruitment of youths for terror acts

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed chargesheet against two men having affiliations with Al-Qaeda in connection with conspiracy hatched to send youths to Kashmir and Afghanistan to undergo terrorist training, officials said.

The accused have been charged with provoking youths to instigate communal violence in India.

9:49 PM

Sustainability must be at forefront of energy transition: ReNew Power chief Sumant Sinha

Energy security may be driving the transition towards new sources at present in the developed world, but sustainability should be the key factor in the longer run, Indian renewables major ReNew Power's chief Sumant Sinha said on Thursday.

Speaking at a session on 'Different roads to energy transition', he also said the energy transition began quite early in India and the process has got a huge leg up now

9:46 PM

NIA chargesheets two with Al-Qaeda links in connection with recruitment of youths for terror acts

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed chargesheet against two men having affiliations with Al-Qaeda in connection with conspiracy hatched to send youths to Kashmir and Afghanistan to undergo terrorist training, officials said.

The accused have been charged with provoking youths to instigate communal violence in India.

9:39 PM

Delhi Assembly approves grant of Rs 1,028 for DJB, cleaning of Yamuna

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for the Delhi Jal Board and to speed up work for cleaning the Yamuna.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia placed Supplementary Demand For Grants before the Delhi Assembly.

9:35 PM

Cashew processing industry to witness 15% revenue growth in FY23, FY24: Report

The cashew processing industry is expected to witness 15 per cent revenue growth in this and the next financial year due to higher realisation and rising domestic demand, according to a report.

Higher realisation and rising domestic demand will lift the revenue of the Indian cashew processing industry beyond Rs 30,000 crore next fiscal, the highest-ever, driven by 15 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue this fiscal and the next, Crisil Ratings report said on Thursday.

9:09 PM

IOA President P T Usha stands in support of protesting wrestlers

We request athletes to come forward & voice their concerns with us. We'll ensure a complete investigation to ensure justice. We also have decided to form a special committee to deal with such situations that may arise in future, for swifter action," tweets IOA President PT Usha.

8:53 PM

Govt to host country's first global tourism investors summit in Delhi in Apr under G20 Presidency

The central government will organise the country's first global tourism investors summit in Delhi from April 10-12 under the aegis of India's G20 Presidency, officials said on Thursday.

All G20 member countries will be invited to participate, they said.

8:42 PM

UK PM Rishi Sunak defends PM Modi over controversial BBC series

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come out in defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a controversial BBC documentary claimed that the British government was aware about the Indian leader having an alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Sunak said he does not agree with the characterisation of Prime Minister Modi by Pakistani-origin Imran Hussain, an Opposition Labour Party MP, when he asked if the British premier agreed with claims in the BBC programme that some UK Foreign Office diplomats believed that "Modi was directly responsible".

8:20 PM

Govt can't repeatedly send back proposals, says SC Collegium, reiterates 2 names for second time

The Supreme Court collegium has for the second time reiterated the names of two advocates -- Amitesh Banerjee and Sakya Sen -- for appointment as judges of the Calcutta High Court "expeditiously", saying it was not open for the government to repeatedly send back the same proposal.

Advocate Banerjee is the son of former apex court judge Justice U C Banerjee, who headed a commission which in 2006 ruled out conspiracy angle in the 2002 Sabaramati Express fire tragedy at Godhra that killed 58 'kar sevaks'. The Godhra incident had triggered widespread communal riots in Gujarat.

8:07 PM

UAE approves $2 billion funding to cash-strapped Pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday announced that the UAE has rolled over its deposits of USD 2 billion, providing critical support to the cash-strapped country's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

The confirmation came days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the oil-rich Gulf country seeking help to improve the balance of payments.

7:41 PM

Hong Kong to scrap isolation rule for new Covid-19 cases: Reports

Hong Kong will scrap its mandatory isolation rule for people infected with COVID-19 starting January 30 as part of its strategy to return the semi-autonomous Chinese city to normalcy, the city's leader said on Thursday. For most of the pandemic over the last three years, Hong Kong has aligned itself with mainland China's "zero COVID" strategy, requiring those who test positive to undergo quarantine. Many residents had to be sent to hospitals or government-run quarantine facilities even when their symptoms were mild. Currently, infected persons are allowed to isolate at home for a minimum of five days and can go out once they test negative for two consecutive days.
 

7:25 PM

Greta Thunberg visit spotlights lack of climate action at Davos

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg on Thursday slammed corporate bigwigs meeting in Davos, Switzerland, for fuelling the destruction of the planet by investing in fossil fuels and prioritizing short-term profits over people affected by the climate crisis.

Thunberg was joined by prominent young activists Vanessa Nakate, Helena Gualinga, and Luisa Neubauer in a roundtable with International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering.

7:17 PM

Meta's WhatsApp fined 5.5 mn euro by lead EU privacy regulator

Meta's WhatsApp subsidiary was fined 5.5 million euros ($5.95 million) on Thursday by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) for an additional breach of the EU's privacy laws.

 

6:58 PM

WHO says it backs global health agenda of Indian presidency set at G20 meet

The WHO on Thursday said it was a strong supporter of the Global Health Agenda being set by the Indian presidency at the G20 Health Working Group meeting here as it was focused, well-articulated and takes into account priorities of the day.

Stephanie Seydoux, WHO envoy for Multilateral Affairs at the G20 India Health Working Group Meet here, further said on the sidelines that the agenda being set by the Indian presidency was ambitious and well supported by G20 members and participants.

6:38 PM

Modi says govt committed to giving amenities to poor, launches two new Metro lines

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex and inaugurated two new Mumbai Metro lines and various projects, including road concretisation, sewage treatment plants and PM Svanidhi scheme, among others. Modi said that while the world is reeling under economic crisis, India is providing subsidies. “Double Engine government is committed to giving better amenities to poorest of the poor. Therefore, even railway stations are being developed on the lines of airport. CSMT, which is one the oldest railway stations, is being redeveloped. We are pushing for multi model connectivity," according to the reports

6:24 PM

Adani now plans to enter water segment; FPO opens next Friday

Adani Enterprises, which is launching India Inc's second-largest follow-on public offer worth Rs 20,000 crore next week, on Thursday said it is planning to enter the water segment as this is a key element of its core business of infrastructure.

The group is into the entire gamut of infrastructure -- being its ports, airports, roads, expressways power generation & distribution, among others. In ports and airports, the group is the largest player in the private sector.

6:16 PM

IIT Guwahati signs MoU with industry partners to set up drone-flying school

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with industry partners to establish a commercial drone-flying school on the campus.

IITG signed the MoU with Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited (AMTRON) and R C Hobbytech Solutions (RCH) to work together on strengthening and expanding drone-based training, research and development, manufacturing for varied sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care, according to a release issued by the institute on Thursday.

6:02 PM

Earthquake of 3.2 magnitude hits Jammu and Kashmir; no damage reported

An earthquake of 3.2 magnitude hit Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday but there was no loss of life or damage to property, officials said. The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 12.4 pm, was the Doda area in the Jammu region, they said.The quake hit at a latitude of 33.21 degrees north and a longitude of 75.72 degrees east at a depth of 10 kilometres, the officials said.