News updates: Had Cong given priority to rural India, we would have less poverty, says Nitin Gadkari

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10:24 PM

Odisha announces Rs 30,000 monthly honorarium for Padma awardees

The Odisha government on Saturday announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000 for all Padma award recipients from the state, a release issued by the CMO said.

It said that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took this decision.

As many as 55 Padma awardees will receive the honorarium, the release said, adding that the state government will bear an additional expense of Rs 2 crore per annum.

9:17 PM

Officials say Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, reports AP.

7:23 PM

Delhi's air quality improves slightly, remains in 'very poor' category

Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' despite a slight improvement on Saturday evening, CPCB data showed. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that the national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to 351 at 6 pm from 358 at 9 am.
 

According to the Sameer app that provides hourly updates of the national AQI published by the CPCB, the AQI at Bawana and New Moti Bagh stations were in the 'severe' category with readings of 405 and 408, respectively.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 450 'severe'.

6:53 PM

Air sirens sounded in central Israel, military says

Air sirens were activated on Saturday in central Israel following a hostile aircraft infiltration, with details currently under review, the Israeli military said.

6:45 PM

Had Congress given priority to rural India, we would have less poverty: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday accused the Congress of not prioritising rural India, saying had that been the case, farmers would not be dying by suicide and there would have been less poverty in villages.

Addressing a rally at Arvi in Wardha district ahead of the November 20 assembly polls, Gadkari said the BJP is neither a party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor himself but the workers who dedicated their lives to it. He also hailed the contribution of party workers in his political journey.

5:54 PM

NC appoints new provincial president for Kashmir

The National Conference on Saturday appointed Showkat Ahamd Mir as the new provincial president for Kashmir.

Mir, who was earlier provincial secretary, will be the new provincial president of the Kashmir unit, the ruling party said in a statement.

Mir will take over from Nasir Aslam Wani, who has been appointed as advisor to chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Sajad Shafi Uri, who was earlier district president for Baramulla, has been appointed as Zonal President for the North Zone, replacing Javid Ahmad Dar, who was inducted into the Abdullah-led ministry.

Advocate Shahid Ali Shah will succeed Uri as District President of Baramulla.

5:49 PM

Junior doctors hold protest march at College Square over RG Kar Medical College rape-murder incident

4:34 PM

UP CM inaugurates book festival at park along Gomti River

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday inaugurated a book festival at Gomti Riverfront Park in Lucknow's Jiamau area.
 

The Gomti Book Festival, organised jointly by the National Book Trust and Lucknow Development Authority, will be held at the park built along the Gomti River till November 17, the state government said in a statement.
 

The chief minister asked the children to buy at least one book from the fair stalls to develop reading habits.

4:31 PM

Children of infiltrator father and Adivasi mother will be denied tribal rights: BJP chief JP Nadda

"Children of infiltrator father and Adivasi mother will be denied tribal rights," said BJP chief JP Nadda at Jharkhand rally.

4:21 PM

43,552 Palestinians killed, 102,765 injured in Gaza since Oct 7: Gaza health ministry

3:50 PM

Why are Congress people so much in love with Article 370, asks PM Modi

"Congress has been losing its support base over the years due to unity of SCs, STs, Dalits and Adivasis," said PM Modi at rally in Maharashtra's Nanded.

2:43 PM

Till BJP is present, no religion based reservation, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday criticized Congress over the issue of 'Muslim reservation', asserting that as long as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power, no reservation will be given to minorities. Shah claimed that Congress seeks to provide reservation to Muslims by reducing the reservation quota for OBCs, Dalits, and tribals.

2:36 PM

INDIA alliance will bring changes in Maharashtra with 'five guarantees', says Rahul Gandhi

After a controversy over 'poll guarantees', Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asserted that the party had fulfilled every promise made during elections, whether in Karnataka, Telangana, or Himachal Pradesh. He reaffirmed that the INDIA alliance would bring change to Maharashtra as well with their promised 'five guarantees.'

2:19 PM

SC judge B R Gavai nominated as National Legal Services Authority executive chairperson

Supreme Court judge B R Gavai has been appointed as the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), which provides free legal services to underprivileged sections of society. A notification from the Department of Justice on Friday stated that Justice Gavai's appointment as executive chairman of NALSA will take effect from November 11.

2:08 PM

Ram temple completion delayed by 3 months due to worker shortage, stone replacement

The Ram temple in Ayodhya, initially set for completion by June 2025, is now expected to be finished by September 2025, according to Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the construction committee. Mishra attributed the delay to a shortage of around 200 workers and the need to replace certain stones on the temple's first floor.

1:52 PM

Congress-ruled states ATM of party's shahi parivar, says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that wherever a Congress government is formed, that state becomes an ATM for the party's "Shashi Parivar." "We won’t let Maharashtra become the ATM of Congress," Modi said at a rally in Akola for the November 20 state assembly elections.

1:21 PM

JPC meeting on Waqf Bill chaired by Jagatambika Pal begins in Guwahati

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, chaired by JPC Chairman Jagatambika Pal, commenced in Guwahati, Assam, on Saturday. The meeting is part of the JPC's study tour across five cities — Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow — from November 9 to November 14 to examine the bill.

12:40 PM

BJP smashed backbones of poor states; squeezed J'khand like lemon: Hemant Soren

In a sharp attack on the BJP, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday accused the saffron party of exploiting the state for nearly two decades and weakening the backbone of poorer states. Soren also accused the BJP-led Centre of undermining the country's federal structure by establishing "double engine governments" through "poaching of MLAs, MPs, and toppling governments."

12:14 PM

Maharashtra Assembly polls: Amit Shah to release BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' on October 10

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's Sankalp Patra (manifesto) for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Sunday.

11:52 AM

Bomb blast at Pakistan railway station kills 21, injures 46

At least 21 people were killed and 46 others injured on Saturday in a powerful bomb explosion at a crowded railway station in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials confirmed. The blast occurred at the Quetta railway station, the provincial capital, as passengers gathered on the platform ahead of the Jaffar Express's scheduled departure to Peshawar.

 

10:58 AM

Congress govt in Telangana to begin caste survey today; will cover 1.17 cr households: Jairam Ramesh

Jairam Ramesh announced that the Telangana Congress government will begin its long-awaited caste-based survey today, calling it a "historic and revolutionary" step for the state. He noted that this is the first caste-based survey conducted by the Telangana government since 1931, describing it as a realisation of the aspirations of the Telangana Movement and a fulfilment of one of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's constitutional ideals.

10:45 AM

Operations at Thiruvananthapuram Airport to remain suspended for five hours today

Ahead of the celebrations for the 'Alpassi Arattu' procession, the operations at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala will remain suspended on Saturday. The procession for Alpassi Arattu will be carried out from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

10:01 AM

Restoration work underway after three coaches of Secunderabad-Shalimar Express derail

Restoration work is underway after three coaches of the 22850 Secunderabad-Shalimar SF Express derailed near Nalpur Station in the South Eastern Railway division of West Bengal earlier today, railway officials confirmed.

9:52 AM

Income Tax department raids residence of CM Soren's alleged aide ahead of Assembly polls

The Income Tax department is conducting raids at the residence of Sunil Srivastava, allegedly a close aide and personal secretary of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, said sources on Saturday. According to the sources, nine different locations are covered in the raids in Ranchi and Jamshedpur. More details are awaited.

9:36 AM

Mortal remains of two village Defence Guards brought home in J-K

The mortal remains of village defence guards Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar were brought to their residences in the Ohli-Kuntwara village. Both the village defence guards were abducted and killed in a recent terror attack in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

9:19 AM

Three coaches of Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express derail near Howrah; no casualties

Three coaches of the Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express derailed near Howrah in West Bengal at around 5.30 am on Saturday, according to South Eastern Railway officials. The weekly special train derailed at Nalpur, approximately 40 km from Kolkata. No casualties or injuries have been reported.

 

8:47 AM

CDS launches project to preserve and promote India’s military heritage

CDS General Anil Chauhan launched Project ‘Shaurya Gatha,’ a joint initiative by the Department of Military Affairs and the United Service Institution (USI) of India.  This project aims to preserve and promote India’s military heritage through educational programmes and tourism. 

 

8:45 AM

Layer of smog engulfs parts of Delhi; AQI drops to 'very poor' category

8:43 AM

US charges Iranian citizen for 'plotting to kill Donald Trump' pre-election

The US Department of Justice charged an Iranian citizen for allegedly being directed by Iran to assassinate Donald Trump ahead of the presidential election. Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old from Iran, was accused of acting as an asset for the Iranian regime.