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The Delhi government on Thursday said a noticeable reduction in vehicular movement was observed on the city roads following strict enforcement of anti-pollution measures under GRAP-4, with increased public compliance with the Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms. In response to rising air pollution levels in the capital, the Delhi government on Thursday undertook a comprehensive monitoring exercise to assess the impact of the stringent measures implemented for pollution control, said an official statement. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed feedback received from her cabinet colleagues and their respective departments, and observed that the measures implemented by the government have delivered positive results on the ground. Following the government's directives, a noticeable reduction in vehicular movement was observed on Delhi's roads compared to normal days. In a significant trend, a large number of vehicle owners voluntarily obtained Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates,
Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday announced Rs 10,000 in compensation for construction workers rendered unemployed due to the pollution-battling GRAP III and GRAP IV measures. The minister also said all government and private institutions must mandatorily switch to work from home for 50 per cent of the staff from Thursday, or face action. Addressing a press conference, the minister said GRAP III had been in place for 16 days, and workers affected by the restricted activity during the period will be compensated with Rs 10,000. "Similarly, workers will be awarded compensation for the days GRAP IV will remain in place. These benefits will be extended to workers registered with the government. The registration process is ongoing," he said. The measure excludes workers from hospitals, departments involved in the fight against air pollution, the fire department and other essential services. Mishra also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party for protesting against the government. "Th
The Delhi Directorate of Education on Saturday directed all schools to conduct classes for students up to Class IX and XI in a hybrid mode in light of the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. This decision follows an order issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which invoked Stage-IV actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect to curb further worsening of air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. According to the circular dated December 13, government, government-aided, and unaided recognised private schools under the Directorate of Education, NDMC, MCD, and the Delhi Cantonment Board have been instructed to offer both physical and online classes wherever feasible until further orders. Saturday recorded the worst air quality of the year so far, surpassing the previous high of 428 recorded on November 11, official data showed. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 431, according to the Central Pollution Control
In a significant move aimed at making governance simpler and citizen-centric in the national capital, the Delhi government has approved the reorganisation of the existing 11 revenue districts into 13 new districts. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday. For many years, the boundaries of revenue districts did not align with those of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, NDMC, and Delhi Cantonment Board, repeatedly causing delays in service delivery, difficulties in land record management, and inconsistencies across departmental jurisdictions, said an official statement. After the reorganisation, the boundaries of all 13 districts will fully align with those of the MCD, NDMC, and the Delhi Cantonment Board, bringing clarity to governance and improving inter-departmental coordination, it said. The gazette notification will be issued within 15 days with the government looking to operationalise the new districts by the end of t
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with six BJP cabinet ministers, arrived in Amritsar on Monday to offer prayers at the Golden Temple, on the occasion of the 350th commemorations. Visuals from Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport showed Gupta stepping out amid heightened security, where she and her ministers were welcomed with flower bouquets and garlands by BJP workers.Ahead of their visit, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared pictures from inside the aircraft, showing Gupta and her cabinet members - Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Misgra, Pankaj Kumar Singh - on their way to Amritsar from Delhi. "Blessed to join Hon'ble CM @gupta_rekha Ji and other Cabinet members as we head to offer Ardas & Shukrana for the successful 350th commemorative functions. Praying for Waheguru's mehar and Sarbat da Bhala." Sirsa in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said.Gupta and her ministers went directly from the airport to .
Delhi is not merely a city but a "living civilisation" shaped by a continuous cultural evolution from Indraprastha of the Mahabharata to a modern democratic place, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday. Gupta said this at the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held at the Red Fort. She said India's intangible cultural heritage ranged from the Vedas, Upanishads and yoga to festivals, rituals and performing arts, which thrives "not in museums but in the everyday lives of its people". The chief minister noted that rapid modernisation, climate change, migration and digital transformation make protection of intangible heritage more critical than ever. India's recent emphasis on promoting traditional knowledge systems and cultural practices on global platforms, she said, reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of strengthening the country's cultural roots and civilisational identity. Inviting delegat
The Delhi government has imposed more than Rs 7 crore in penalties on construction sites violating pollution norms this year, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. A total of 1,750 sites were inspected, 556 notices were issued and 48 units were ordered shut for violating pollution control norms, he said. In the last two days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee officials carried out 230 road and garbage inspections, 110 by Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, 36 by the Public Works Department, 32 by the Delhi Development Authority, 17 by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and eight by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, resulting in a show-cause penalty of around Rs 1 crore, the minister said. He said the agencies issued 7.97 lakh Pollution Under Control challans this year, compared to 4.33 lakh challans in 2024. A total of 42,017 potholes were fixed this year, against 18,000 repaired a year ago. Sirsa said the number
Calling the national capital's air pollution woes a legacy problem, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday assured that her government has been actively working for the past 10 months to address these issues. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gupta highlighted that issues like pollution, garbage mountains, and broken roads were legacy issues and her government is working to tackle them through sustained efforts. She also referred to the clean-up of the Yamuna river as a "big project", stating that her administration is working daily to rejuvenate it. The rapid population growth in Delhi and the exponential increase in vehicles have contributed to rising pollution levels, Gupta pointed out, adding that several factors, including dust, vehicular emissions, and open burning, contribute to the pollution crisis. "It also matters what steps were taken by the previous government. Our government has taken all the steps needed to tackle pollution, which were not taken
The Delhi government is expected to finalise ITO as the location for its proposed twin-towers, as it has received consent of the Income Tax (IT) department for sharing 4.5 acre land for the project, officials said on Tuesday. Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma held a meeting in which the issue of twin-tower was discussed by officials of his department and the Income Tax department. "A meeting was held today with the ACS (PWD) and the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax regarding the Twin Tower matter. Senior officials from both departments were present," said the minister in a post on X. All key points were discussed in detail and clear directions were issued to take the necessary steps in a coordinated and effective manner, he stated. "There are several options available to us. But ITO has emerged as the most feasible location after all our discussions. Especially with cooperation from the Income Tax department now, we have availability of a bigger plot to come up with ...
The Delhi government is offering free professional coaching to 2,200 meritorious government school students for JEE, NEET, CLAT, CA and CUET under the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission, Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Monday. The mission aims to empower students' aspirations, ensure emotional well-being and build future-ready schools across the capital, an official statement said. This scheme, which was announced in the budget, has a budget allocation of Rs 21 crore. It reserves 50 seats per course for female students in JEE, NEET, CLAT, and CA Foundation, while CUET-UG will offer 1,000 seats, with 150 reserved for girls. Coaching will be provided through empanelled institutions, including Aakash Institute, Narayana Academy, KD Campus and Ravindra Institute, it said. Students will receive classroom coaching, live sessions, study material and test preparation support after school hours and on weekends. Calling it a "turning point in Delhi's public
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday cast her vote for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bye-elections and urged citizens to participate in large numbers, calling voting a democratic duty that strengthens governance and development. Gupta, who voted at her local booth along with her family, described the act as fulfilling her "democratic responsibility". "Voting is an integral part of the sacred process of our democracy, and our active participation further strengthens democratic values," she said in a post on X in Hindi. Highlighting that bypolls are being held in 12 wards of the city, she appealed to all eligible voters to reach polling stations without fail. "Each of your votes plays a decisive role not only in determining the direction of local governance but also in laying a strong foundation for the overall development of Delhi, good governance, and transparency," she said. Polling began on Sunday morning amid tight security and will conclude at 5.30 pm. The ..
The inflation rate in Delhi remained substantially lower than in other metro cities and the national average last year, especially in the fuel and light group, according to a government report. The report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Delhi government, however, showed that the inflation rate rose in the food & beverages and housing sectors. The report assessed the Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers IW) between Delhi and 14 other metros. These were Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Amritsar and Lucknow. The report said that during 2024-25, CPI (IW), Kolkata, recorded the highest increase (3.6 per cent) while it was (3.4 per cent) at the All India level, followed by Mumbai (3.0 per cent), Delhi (1.8 per cent), and no change was observed in the case of Chennai. Among the selected cities assessed by the report, Delhi had the third lowest Consumer Price Index .
Delhiites can experience the hot-air balloon rides from Saturday at Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) Asita Park near the ITO area, officials said. Earlier this week, Lt Governor VK Saxena launched the facility from Banseera Park near Sarai Kale Khan. "Due to an ongoing event at the Baansera Park, the rides will be launched for the public from Asita Park," a DDA official said on Friday. In July, the DDA had finalised a private agency to conduct these activities at four locations, including the Yamuna Sports Complex, the Commonwealth Games sports complexes, and two other sites along the Yamuna Bank at Asita and Baansera. The facility will be available from Saturday, and the ticket will be Rs 3,000 per person, excluding taxes, for a ride around 120 feet in the air. The trips would range from seven to 12 minutes, with each ride having a holding capacity of four people, officials added. According to the officials, each day, four hours of flying time will be allowed, and the private