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Shah to table CAPF bill on recruitment, promotion in Rajya Sabha on Monday

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce in the Rajya Sabha on Monday an "umbrella law" for central armed police forces (CAPFs) to regulate recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of their officers, according to the List of Business issued by the House. All the CAPFs -- CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB -- are governed by their respective Acts. The rules under these Acts govern the recruitment and conditions of service of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers and members in the CAPFs. The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, provides that for the purposes of appointment of officers from the Indian Police Service in CAPFs, 50 per cent of the posts will be filled by deputation in the rank of Inspector General and a minimum of 67 per cent of the posts will be filled by deputation in the rank of Additional Director General. The posts in the ranks of Special Director General and Director General shall be filled by deputation

Govt raises commercial LPG allocation to 50% as gas crisis hits sectors

The total LPG allocation increases to 50 per cent for commercial users with the latest additional 20 per cent allocation

Govt raises commercial LPG allocation to 50% as domestic output improves

The government has approved an additional 20 per cent allocation of commercial LPG to states and Union Territories, taking the total allocation to 50 per cent, as increased domestic output is helping the situation crawl back to normalcy. The three-week-long war in the Middle East disrupted energy supplies to India, leading to initial curtailment in LPG supplies to commercial establishments like hotels to prioritize supplies to household kitchens. Later, a fifth of their supplies were restored, and the government offered an additional 10 per cent, subject to states expediting piped gas projects. On Saturday, the government announced a 20 per cent enhanced allocation to key sectors such as restaurants, hotels, industrial canteens, food processing units, community kitchens and subsidised food outlets, while also supporting migrant workers through targeted distribution. The additional allocation will be subject to commercial establishments registering with oil companies and applying fo

Kerala Assembly polls: LDF Ministers, Cong, BJP leaders file nominations

Kerala state ministers, top Congress and BJP leaders filed their nomination papers on Saturday for the upcoming Assembly polls. Several state ministers, including P Rajeev, V Sivankutty, R Bindu and P A Mohamed Riyas as well as CPI(M) leaders K K Shylaja and Kadakampally Surendran were those from the LDF who filed their nominations, from Kalamassery, Nemom, Irinjalakuda, Beypore, Peravur and Kazhakootam constituencies, respectively. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Nemom), former Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan (Kazhakootam) and several other candidates of the saffron party filed their nominations accompanied by chief ministers from party-ruled states like Rajasthan and Gujarat. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma accompanied Chandrasekhar and Muraleedharan when they filed their nominations, while the party candidate from Thrissur, Padmaja Venugopal, was accompanied by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel. From the Congress, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, senior party leader

Delhi CM meets PM Modi, discusses national capital's development

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and discussed the national capital's all-around development. "I had the privilege of a heartfelt meeting with the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which I received his invaluable guidance. His visionary leadership and special affection for Delhi always fill us with fresh energy and inspiration," Gupta said in a post on X. The BJP leader said that during the meeting, detailed discussions on Delhi's all-around development were held, including strengthening infrastructure, and commitment to fulfilling the people's aspirations. "With the able guidance and continuous support of the prime minister, we are fully committed to taking Delhi to new heights of progress, prosperity, and good governance," she added. Gupta also thanked the prime minister for his constant inspiration and for giving his valuable time.

UK condemns Iran's 'reckless attacks' on Diego Garcia base in Indian Ocean

Britain has condemned "Iran's reckless attacks" after its military fired missiles at the UK-US air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. UK officials have not given details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It's unclear how close the missiles came to the base, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran. The Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Iran's "lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies." Britain has not participated in US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed American bombers to use UK bases to attack Iran's missile sites. On Friday, the British government said US bombers can also use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran targeted the base before that UK statement.

PM Modi speaks with Iranian President, hopes for peace in West Asia

PM Modi also discussed the West Asia's security situation and its wider implications with the Iranian President

PWD installs QR code boards on roads for public feedback, transparency

In a move aimed at citizen participation, the PWD has introduced QR code-enabled display boards on roads undergoing strengthening, officials said on Saturday. PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the initiative seeks to transform how people engage with public infrastructure projects by providing easy access to key information while also creating a direct channel for feedback. "Transparency is not just about sharing information; it is about listening to the people. With this initiative, citizens will not only know the details of road works but will also be able to give their feedback directly," the Public Works Department (PWD) minister said. According to officials, the display boards will be installed within seven days of the completion of any road work. "These will be placed at prominent public locations such as bus queue shelters, major intersections, and other high footfall areas to ensure visibility," Singh said. Each QR code will allow citizens to access detailed information

Attacks on Iran will 'increase significantly' next week: Israeli Minister

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that attacks against Iran will "increase significantly" in the coming week. Katz spoke on Saturday, hours after US President Donald Trump said he was considering "winding down" military operations in the Mideast. "This week, the intensity of the attacks that the IDF and the US military will carry out against the Iranian terrorist regime and against the infrastructures on which it relies will increase significantly," Katz said in a video statement.

Navy set to commission frontline stealth frigate 'Taragiri' on Apr 3

Indigenous stealth frigate 'Taragiri', endowed with the cutting-edge weapon suite including supersonic missiles, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on April 3, officials said on Saturday. The ceremony in Visakhapatnam is scheduled to be presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and it will serve as a powerful testament to the nation's journey toward becoming a completely self-reliant naval power, they said. As the fourth potent platform of the Project 17A class, 'Taragiri' is not merely a ship; it is a 6,670-tonne embodiment of the 'Make in India' spirit and the sophisticated engineering capabilities of our indigenous shipyards, a Navy spokesperson said. The fourth ship of Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) and the third one built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding Ltd (MDL), 'Taragiri' (Yard 12653), was delivered to the Navy on November 28 last year at MDL, Mumbai, marking a major milestone in achieving self-reliance in warship design and construction. This state-of-the-art

India's milk production up from 17 MT in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025: Official

Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) M L Jat has said India's milk production rose from 17 million tonnes in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025. Jat, a distinguished agronomist, highlighted dairy's dominance within the Rs 17.25 lakh crore livestock sector -- contributing 65 per cent of output and driving 16 per cent of India's gross value added (GVA), which supports 46.1 per cent of the population. "The Union Budget has allocated Rs 6,153 crore for animal husbandry (up 16 per cent) to recruit 20,000 veterinarians, subsidize colleges/labs and provide cooperative tax relief, powering Viksit Bharat in 2047," he said, while addressing the 22nd convocation of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) at Karnal in Haryana on Friday. According to an NDRI release, Jat said India's milk production surged from 17 MT (1950) to 247 MT (2025), led by Uttar Pradesh, with Punjab-Haryana topping .

Love in the Time of Caste: Beyond headlines, a deeply human portrait

A powerful anthology that reimagines love as resistance, exposing how caste oppression shapes intimate relationships and personal freedoms in India

India-UK FTA likely to be implemented by early May; EU by year-end

The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK, signed in July last year, is likely to be implemented by early May, as both sides are "sorting out a few issues", officials said on Thursday. According to officials, the EU has indicated November as the timeline for the ratification of the trade pact with India, and its implementation is expected this year. However, they indicated that trade pact talks with Israel and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, have slowed amid the ongoing conflict in the region. On the US-India trade pact, officials said the process of the trade agreement "stands"; however, "any trade agreement is based on preferential market access versus competitors. If we get that, then the trade deal stands". On January 27 this year, India and the EU announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement, described as 'mother of all deals', under which 93 per cent of Ind

HSBC considers 20,000 job cuts as AI drives overhaul of operations

Non-client facing roles in global service centres are among those expected to be most impacted although the assessment is at an early stage

Trump says US will not deploy troops to West Asia amid Iran conflict

Trump spoke at the White House during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Notes on Being a Man: Scott Galloway maps men's path in new territory

As traditional ideas of what it means to be a man, and a desirable one at that, are being questioned, NYU's Scott Galloway offers a helpful guide for men to navigate this new territory

US Fed proposes easing bank capital rules to free funds for lending

The Fed's Board of Governors will vote to formally propose the plan Thursday. The FDIC board is holding a concurrent meeting

Iranian missile hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, minor damages reported

Energy Minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most of those who were affected

UK, EU leaders say ready to 'contribute' for safe passage through Hormuz

The joint statement reflects growing concern that Iran's retaliatory attacks in response to US-Israeli bombardment threaten to stoke inflation and further disrupt global trade

NTPC, UK's Octopus Energy sign pact to explore power sector opportunities

Homegrown power giant NTPC has signed an agreement with UK-based Octopus Energy Group to explore business opportunities in various segments, including electricity distribution and storage. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Jatinder Singh Chandok, Head International Business Development, NTPC, and Chris Fitzgerald, Group Director, International Affairs, Octopus Energy, on the sidelines of Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 in the national capital. The collaboration will explore opportunities across India, the UK and other mutually agreed geographies with a focus on enhancing efficiency, affordability, reliability, and clean energy adoption, NTPC said. The MoU establishes a non-binding frameworkfor cooperation aimed at identifying, assessing, and pursuing opportunities in electricity distribution and retail, renewable energy and storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, digital energy platforms, innovation, research & development and capacity building.