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The DRDO has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system at controlled velocity, validating some of the key safety parameters including complete aircrew recovery. The test has placed India in "an elite club of nations" with advanced in-house escape system testing capability, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. In a rocket-sled test, the system coupled with a rocket propulsion mechanism is run at a high speed on a pair of rails to simulate a moving aircraft in mid-air, a senior official said. Defence Minster Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, IAF, Aeronautical Development Agency, and HAL on the successful test. He described it as a significant milestone for India's indigenous defence capability towards self-reliance. "Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of fighter aircraft escape system at precisely controlled velocity of 800 km/h- validating canopy severance, .
The Centre has proposed to include the Union territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 will be introduced in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1, 2025, as per a bulletin of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to include the Union territory of Chandigarh in Article 240, in alignment with other UTs without legislatures such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Puducherry (when its Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended). This opens the door to an independent administrator in the UT of Chandigarh, like when it had an independent chief secretary in the past. The move to bring this Bill has evoked sharp reactions from Congress, Akali Dal and the AAP. According to the bulletin, the government has also proposed a provisional ...
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key accused in the Chandigarh Sector 10 grenade attack case, masterminded by foreign-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorists, an official statement issued on Saturday said. Abhijot Singh alias Babba alias Gopi, a Punjab resident who was arrested in April this year for his involvement in the attack, has been charged in the supplementary chargesheet filed before a special NIA court in Chandigarh on Friday, it said. The attack, which targeted a retired Punjab Police officer, was part of a conspiracy to spread fear in the society, said the statement issued by the probe agency. The conspiracy was orchestrated by Pakistan-based BKI terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, in collusion with US-based gangster Happy Passia, it said. As per the NIA investigations, Passia was responsible for the recruitment and funding, and for providing weapons and explosives to the India-based operatives. Both Rinda and Passia were ...
Delhi, Maharashtra and Chandigarh have emerged as frontrunners in NITI Aayog's first India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) which assesses performance across three themes of EV adoption, charging infrastructure readiness and EV technology and innovation. The Aayog in it's report titled 'India Electric Mobility Index 2024' evaluated all Indian states and Union Territories across 16 indicators under three core themes. According to the Aayog, Delhi, Maharashtra and Chandigarh have emerged as frontrunners in the overall IEMI score, reflecting the robust ecosystems. In transport electrification, Delhi and Maharashtra are the frontrunners while Haryana, Karnataka, Ladakh and Hamachal Pradesh lead in charging infrastructure readiness. In terms of EV research and innovation, the Aayog said Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Telangana stand out as frontruners. According to the Aayog, currently 29 states and UTs in India have notified EV policies, with four in draft stage
The Enforcement Directorate raided some call centres located in and around Chandigarh which were allegedly cheating foreigners in the guise of providing technical support services and were laundering funds worth crores of rupees, official sources said on Thursday. The searches were launched on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in Chandigarh and adjoining cities of Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. These call centres were allegedly cheating foreigners in the guise of providing non-existent tech support services. It was found that the companies operating these call centres had counterpart companies abroad to receive "fraudulent" funds through various payment gateways, which were then remitted to India through banking channels as well as hawala, the sources said. According to the websites of these companies, they provide software support services like web designing and fixed wireless
The southwest monsoon hit Chandigarh and parts of Haryana on Tuesday. According to the meterological department, conditions are favourable for its further advancement over Haryana and some more areas in Punjab in the next two days. The monsoon had advanced over parts of Punjab on Sunday. The Met office has forecast an increase in rainfall activity over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh from June 25-30. Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures hovered below normal limits at most places in the two states and Chandigarh on Tuesday. Chandigarh recorded a high of 34.1 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 33.9 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 33.5, Patiala 33.1, Pathankot 34.1 and Mohali 33.3, while Bathinda experienced hot weather at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 33.4 degrees Celsius, Hisar 36.7, Karnal 30.2, Narnaul 35.4 and Gurugram 36.
India's renewable energy share in the total installed power capacity has increased to 49 per cent in April 2025 from 32 per cent in 2014, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Friday. Addressing the Regional Conference for the Northern Region States/UTs in Chandigarh, the minister said states should also work on having an adequate power generation mix, including the addition of nuclear generation capacity while meeting their resource adequacy plan. He also pointed out that states should complete the installation of prepaid smart metres in government establishments and colonies by August 2025 and for all commercial, industrial and high-load consumers by November 2025. States should work towards listing power sector utilities to generate additional resources and improve transparency and governance, the minister noted. "We successfully met a peak demand of 250 GW in May 2024 and India has transformed from power-deficit to a power-sufficient nation and as of today, peak demand short
The Punjab BJP has deleted a social media post in which it paid tributes to "martyrs" of Operation Blue Star, the Army operation which was carried out in June 1984 to flush out armed militants from the Golden Temple. The post on X was shared on Sunday but it was taken down later without assigning any reason for the same. In the post, the Punjab BJP had condemned the then Congress government for "attacking the Golden Temple" and expressed solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives. The post, which has now been deleted, read, "June 1, 1984'?' 'Saka Neela Tara'. A humble tribute to all the martyrs of the day one of the attack on the Darbar Sahib by the Congress government." The BJP had also shared pictures of the damage suffered by the Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, and an armoured vehicle with deflated tyres. The post, which was shared on Facebook as well, was deleted a few hours later. Meanwhile, officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani K