Highlights: Wad of currency notes recovered from Abhishek Manu Singhvi's seat; Dhankhar orders probe

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9:51 PM

Cabinet approves 28 new Navodaya Vidyalayas across India

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the establishment of 28 new Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) in districts that are currently not covered by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme.

According to Government of India this initiative is with the aim,"to provide good quality modern education-including a strong component of culture, inculcation of values, awareness of the environment, adventure activities and physical education- to the talented children predominantly from the rural areas without regard to their family's socio-economic condition."

9:29 PM

Delhi's air quality nears poor' category

Delhi's air quality inched closer to the poor' category on Friday, with forecasts suggesting similar conditions could persist over the weekend.

Meanwhile, residents experienced a winter chill during the early hours and evenings with cold winds, while the daytime remained mostly clear and sunny.

9:03 PM

Meghalaya offers potential not only for high-value tourism but also agri-based industries: CM Conrad K Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma stated that Meghalaya, with its diverse agro-climatic zones, holds significant potential not only for high-value tourism but also for various agri-based industries.

He was speaking at the second Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit held at Meghalaya House, New Delhi, on December 5.

8:35 PM

Himachal CM Sukhu unveils Rs 800 crore drone stations for disaster management

In a pioneering move, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced the establishment of drone stations across the state to revolutionise disaster management.

Speaking on the occasion of the 62nd Raising Day of the Home Guards, CM Sukhu emphasised the importance of adopting modern technology to bolster disaster response mechanisms amidst the growing challenges of climate change.

8:21 PM

Vijay Krishnamurthy takes charge as MD & CEO of India INX

Leading stock exchange BSE on Friday said that Vijay Krishnamurthy has taken charge as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of India International Exchange (IFSC) Ltd (India INX). India INX, a subsidiary of BSE Ltd, commenced its trading activities on January 16, 2017, and is India's first international exchange set up at GIFT City in Gujarat.

7:55 PM

Delhi court sends AAP MLA Naresh Balyan to police custody in MCOCA case

A Delhi court on Friday sent AAP's Uttam Nagar MLA Naresh Balyan to police custody till December 13 in a case related to alleged organised crimes. Special judge Kaveri Baweja sent Balyan to the custody on a plea filed by police, seeking his custody to interrogate him in the case lodged under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

7:36 PM

Gujarat CM inaugurates Rabi season agri-festival; bats for natural farming

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday inaugurated the 'Ravi Krishi Mahotsav 2024' at a function held in Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University in Banaskantha district. The agricultural festival for Rabi season will be held in more than 246 talukas of the state on December 6 and 7, said an official release.

7:08 PM

Laws required to end toxic work culture in pvt sector, says TMC MP Saket Gokhale in RS

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Friday urged the government to frame laws to ensure that employees in private sector have good working conditions, as he highlighted recent incidents of professionals dying allegedly due to work-related stress.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Gokhale referred to the deaths of Anna Sebastian, who allegedly died due to extreme work pressure, and Satish Nandgaonkar, a journalist who suffered a heart attack, allegedly due to a toxic work environment.

6:00 PM

Farmers suspend march for day after 'jatha' stopped at Shambhu border, police fire tear gas shells

Protesting farmers on Friday suspended for the day their foot march to Delhi to press for various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Earlier in the day, a 'jatha' of 101 farmers began to march towards the national capital from their protest site at the Shambhu border but was stopped a few metres away by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel.

5:46 PM

Indian Navy all set to commission INS Tushil at Russia's Kaliningrad on December 9

The Indian Navy is all set to commission its latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate, INS Tushil, at Kaliningrad, Russia, on December 9 in a ceremony presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, as the Chief Guest, and many high ranking Indian Russian government and defence officials, the Ministry of Defence stated on Friday.

INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigates of the Project 1135.6, of which six are already in service - three Talwar class ships, built at Baltisky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad.

5:35 PM

ICAI takes disciplinary action in 172 cases in over 6 months

Chartered accountants' apex body ICAI has awarded punishments to its members under the disciplinary mechanism in 172 cases in over six months starting from February 12. Amid concerns in certain quarters that ICAI has not been acting fast against erring chartered accountants, the institute's President Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal in a statement said it has a zero-tolerance policy in disciplinary cases and in some cases, members have been removed from the register for lifetime.

5:02 PM

Eight dead as bus hits water tanker on Agra-Lucknow Expressway in UP's Kannauj

Eight people died and about a dozen passengers were injured when their bus collided with a water tanker irrigating plants on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Friday, police said.

4:54 PM

LG Electronics India files draft papers for sale of 10.2 crore shares through an initial public offering

4:51 PM

Dabur faces Rs 4.42 cr customs penalty, vows to contest in appellate court

Dabur India has been issued a tax demand of Rs 4.42 crore by the Commissioner of Customs (Prev.), Patna, the FMCG company said in an exchange filing.

 

Read full report here

4:40 PM

'No shocks ahead': Devendra Fadnavis assures stability after taking oath

Devendra Fadnavis, after taking oath as Maharashtra CM, assures a stable government with swift decisions, saying the Mahayuti alliance will ensure no repeat of past political turmoil

4:39 PM

Ahmadi man killed in axe attack in Pakistan

A trader belonging to the Ahmadi minority community was axed to death allegedly for his faith in Punjab province of Pakistan, police said on Friday.

4:36 PM

Anarchy to continue in Bangladesh as long as Jinnah's spirit remains there: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Friday flagged the issue of attack on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh and said the "anarchy" would continue as long as "Jinnah's spirit remains there".

4:30 PM

Multisite study finds increase in emergency visits linked to rise in NO2 levels in Delhi: Nadda

A multisite study conducted at five places in Delhi by the Indian Council of Medical Research has found an increase in wheezing and emergency visits associated with rise in levels of nitrogenous compounds like NO2, Union Health Minister JP Nadda told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

4:25 PM

India not re-considering to join mega trade agreement RCEP, says Goyal

India in 2019 decided not to join the mega free trade agreement RCEP as the pact was not addressing its concerns and since then there has been no change in that position, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

Read full report here

4:21 PM

How to check your GST refund status and know common reasons for delays

Checking the status of Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund is crucial for businesses and individuals who are eligible such money due to various reasons. Understanding the eligibility criteria and common delays can streamline this experience.

4:12 PM

Govt disburses Rs 20,657 cr to 9.58 crore farmers in 18th installments of PM-KISAN scheme

The government has disbursed Rs 20,657 crore to over 9.58 crore farmers in the latest 18th installment under the PM-KISAN scheme. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur informed that 9,58,97,635 farmers received Rs 20,657.36 crore under the PM-KISAN's 18th installment for August-November 2024 period.

4:11 PM

Haryana suspends mobile internet in Ambala villages amid farmers' protest

The Haryana government on Friday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in at least 10 villages of Ambala district from December 6 to December 9 under Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Another report stated that at least 11 villages have been affected by suspended internet services in the district. The move aims to curb the spread of misinformation and maintain public peace, news agencies reported. However, essential services like banking and mobile recharges remain operational.

Read full report here

3:32 PM

U'khand HC bans heavy machinery mining in two rivers

The Uttarakhand High Court has banned mining with heavy machines in the Suswa and Song rivers in Dehradun district. The directive was issued by a division bench of the high court comprising acting chief justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and justice Vivek Bharti Sharma while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on Thursday.

3:09 PM

India not re-considering to join RCEP pact: Goyal

India in 2019 decided not to join the mega free trade agreement RCEP as the pact was not addressing its concerns and since then there has been no change in that position, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

3:04 PM

INDIA bloc parties from Manipur urge PM Modi to visit state for restoration of peace

INDIA bloc parties from Manipur on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the violence-hit state at the earliest, asserting that his direct involvement and pro-active engagement with the people of Manipur can only bring peace and normalcy there.

2:59 PM

1 in 5 babies born via C-section in India, more in pvt facility than public: Study

Over one-fifth of deliveries in India are performed via caesarean section, with a higher proportion of these surgeries taking place in private facilities compared to public ones, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia journal. A caesarean delivery is performed by surgically cutting through a pregnant woman's abdomen and uterus.

2:55 PM

Quad growing as an expensive sort of intergovernmental coordination: EAM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that the Quad grouping is growing and called it "one of the most expansive sort of intergovernmental coordination." He recalled that Quad was actually restarted by the Donald Trump-US administration and it began at vice minister's level in 2017.

 

Speaking at the India - Japan Forum today, Jaishankar said that Trump administration deserves a lot of credit for the takeoff of the Quad. He said that Trump's views regarding alliances and US' share and burden sharing does not apply to the Quad as everybody pays their fair share in the alliance.

2:53 PM

Political business: Fadnavis' Maha return, Sukhbir Badal dodges death

Maharashtra was at the centre of news this week as suspense loomed large over Mahayuti 2.0's chief ministerial choice, which ended in an expected political comeback. In Punjab, a former deputy chief minister accepted a religious punishment to perform service at gurdwaras and narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. Meanwhile, a logjam continued in Parliament even as the treasury and opposition struck a deal to hold debates.

Read full report here

2:44 PM

BJP-RSS 'biggest tukde-tukde gang' of country: Cong slams 'traitor jibe at Rahul

The Congress on Friday slammed the BJP for acussing Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to destabilise India and calling him a traitor, saying the truth is that BJP-RSS is the "biggest tukde-tukde" gang of this country and is spreading the "poison of communalism".

2:29 PM

Kerala HC slams police, TDB over 'VIP darshan' to actor Dileep at Sabarimala

The Kerala High Court on Friday slammed the police and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for providing "VIP darshan" to Malayalam actor Dileep at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala during the ongoing pilgrimage season, observing that it "hindered" darshan of many devotees who had stood in line for several hours.