Page 24 - Delhi

Ayushman Bharat sees 28K registrations for elderly in a week: Delhi CM

Over 28,000 elderly, aged 70 years and above, in Delhi have registered within a week under the Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Yojna that gives a health cover of Rs 10 lakh, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday. Flagging off a mobile van for registrations under the health insurance scheme in RK Puram constituency, she said Rs 5 lakh cover is provided by the Centre and the Delhi government will top it up with an additional Rs 5 lakh. The chief minister said that since the launch of the scheme in Delhi on April 28, over 28,000 registrations have been done in the last five days. Mobile vans will operate in each of the 70 assembly constituencies for registering eligible senior citizens. Applicants only need to carry their Aadhaar cards and mobile phones for registration and nothing else is required, she said. "The Delhi government will ensure registration of each eligible elderly person in Delhi under the scheme because their blessings are invaluable for us. Vaya Vandana is a uniqu

Watch: Rain, thunderstorms lash Delhi-NCR; red alert issued amid waterlogging

Delhi-NCR woke up to heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds on Friday morning.

Delhi CM calls rain a wake-up call, blames AAP's 'development backlog'

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta termed the pre-monsoon showers on Friday a warning sign for the capital's crumbling infrastructure, blaming it on the "decade-long development backlog" created by the previous AAP government. Taking a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, she said the AAP chief was oblivious to the problems of waterlogging and broken trees as he would be busy with his "sound-proof" sleep in the "Sheesh Mahal" -- a term the BJP gave to the former chief minister's official residence accusing it of unnecessary opulence. Gupta who visited Majnu Ka Tila area following heavy rainfall in the city stressed the need for planned urban growth to prevent such recurring crises. The city was hit by waterlogging and traffic disruptions, many due to fallen trees due to the early morning rain and storm on Friday. A house collapse in Najafgarh killed a woman and her three children as many busy road stretches, including Minto Bridge and ITO, were waterlogged, causing heavy traffic jams. The chief

Delhi-NCR rain: 4 dead, over 100 flights delayed, IMD warns of more storms

A powerful storm with heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning hit Delhi-NCR on Friday, leaving four dead, disrupting flights and trains, and prompting IMD weather alerts

Delhi starts 20-day cleanliness drive, bans plastic in markets, temples

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched a 20-day intensive cleanliness drive across Delhi, promising a visible transformation in public spaces under the "triple-engine" government model. She also announced a ban on the use of single-use plastics in religious places, schools, and markets. The cleanliness campaign, which begins Friday, will focus on large-scale waste segregation, removal of encroachments, and strict daily monitoring. "Civic officials will be held accountable for areas falling under their jurisdictions. No garbage, debris or encroachment will be tolerated in public places," Gupta said at a press conference. The announcement came after a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena at Raj Niwas, attended by district magistrates, deputy commissioners, DCPs and senior officials from civic bodies. "All top officials, including DMs and DCPs, must visit their areas daily and submit compliance reports. Cameras will monitor every corner of the ...

SC seeks govt response on protection of affluent illegal colonies in Delhi

The Supreme Court slammed the MCD for its reliance on the PM-UDAY scheme to justify the protection of illegal structures in upscale colonies in Delhi

Delhi's power demand peaks at 6,015 MW, highest on Apr 28 in last 3 yrs

The peak power demand of Delhi, pushed by the hot weather, crossed 6,000 MW for the first time this season on Monday, said discom officials. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre, Delhi's peak power demand reached 6,015 MW at 3.30 pm -- the highest on April 28 in the last three years. Earlier, the highest peak demand on April 28 was 6,050 MW in 2022. The peak demand on April 28 in 2024 and 2023 was 4,994 MW and 4,428 MW. The maximum temperature in Delhi reached 40.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. BSES discoms -- BRPL and BYPL -- successfully met the demand of 2590 MW and 1290 MW in their distribution areas, said a spokesperson of the company. He said more than 2,100 MW of green power will play an important role in ensuring a smooth supply in Delhi during the summer months. Delhi is on the cusp of another historic power milestone, the SLDC said, adding that after clocking a record power demand of 8,656 MW in 2024, Delhi's peak power demand during the summers of 2025 may clock th

Ayushman Vay Vandana: Delhi launches ₹10 lakh health cover for elderly

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launches Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme offering ₹10 lakh cover for citizens aged 70 and above, combining central and state contributions

New NCERT textbooks: Mughals, Delhi Sultanate dropped; Maha Kumbh added

All references to Mughals and Delhi Sultanate have been dropped from class 7 NCERT textbooks, while chapter on Indian dynasties, 'sacred geography,' references to Maha Kumbh, and government initiatives like Make in India and Beti Bachao, Beti padhao are among the new additions. The new textbooks released this week have been designed in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, which emphasise incorporating Indian traditions, philosophies, knowledge systems, and local context into school education. When contacted, NCERT officials said these are only first part of the book and second part is expected in coming months. They, however, did not comment on whether the dropped portions will be retained in the second part of the book. While NCERT had previously trimmed sections on the Mughals and Delhi Sultanate including detailed account of dynasties like Tughlaqs, Khaljis, Mamluks, and Lodis and a two-page ..

Delhi govt to allow ads on 100 footbridges to fund their maintenance

The Delhi government has decided to allow advertising on around 100 Foot Over Bridges (FOB) in a bid to generate additional revenue for their upkeep. The Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma has directed the department to start working on the project and come up with a proposal so that the extra revenue could help in the better maintenance of these FOBs, which are built on the main roads with heavy traffic flows. "The idea is to generate just enough revenue for the proper maintenance of the FOBs. Currently many of these are in a poor condition, with their lifts and escalators requiring repairs and overhead plastic roof cracked and discoloured. Through the advertisements, we will fund the upkeep of the bridges," Verma said. "The plan is to have a revenue-sharing model with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which will give the NOC (no objection certificate) for this project. Currently, there are just a few FOBs -- like the one at Akshardham -- where advertising is ..

Lack of water is a huge problem for the people of Delhi: CM Rekha Gupta

In her speech, CM Gupta announced the commencement of several infrastructure projects in slum areas and underdeveloped blocks, including pipeline installation, street and drain construction

BJP sweeps MCD poll, Raja Iqbal Singh elected as Delhi's new mayor

With this win, the BJP has reclaimed control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after a two-year gap

Pahalgam attack: Delhi trade associations to observe bandh on Friday

Trade associations of Delhi have called for a "complete shutdown" of markets in the national capital on Friday in protest against the terror attack in Pahalgam, CAIT said on Thursday. "The brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of innocent citizens, has caused deep sorrow and anger among the trading community. As a mark of tribute to the deceased and in strong solidarity with the government, leading trade associations of Delhi have called for a complete shutdown of markets in Delhi on 25 April," CAIT said. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said it fully supports this call and appeals to traders across Delhi to voluntarily keep their establishments closed and observe the bandh peacefully. CAIT has also requested the Delhi Police and administrative authorities to maintain law and order during the bandh and ensure a peaceful environment across all marketplaces.

Parl security breach: Delhi HC to hear accused bail plea on April 29

The Delhi High Court on Thursday set April 29 to hear the bail plea of Neelam Azad, the sole woman accused arrested in the 2023 Parliament security breach case. A bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar said it would then hear Azad's bail plea along with a similar petition of co-accused Manoranjan D. During a brief hearing, the high court asked the police to explain on the next date whether carrying or using a smoke canister, which is not lethal, covered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the offence of terrorist activities. In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, accused Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D allegedly jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during zero hour, released yellow gas from canisters and sloganeered before they were overpowered by some MPs. Around the same time, two other accused -- Amol Shinde and Azad -- allegedly sprayed coloured gas from

Delhi may curb gasoline car sales, ban gas-guzzling bikes to cut pollution

The measures represent one of the most drastic steps the city has lined up to tackle pollution

Making PPPs work for metro-rails: Early land acquisition is non-negotiable

Delays in land acquisition, unclear contracts, and weak last-mile links have led to cost overruns and low ridership in PPP metro-rail projects, undermining their efficiency and financial viability

Delhi to expand bus fleet with 2,080 electric vehicles, retire 1K old ones

The Delhi transport department is set to add 2,080 electric vehicles to its bus fleet over the year, an official said on Monday. It currently operates around 7,000 buses in the city. But around 1,000 of those are set to get off road this year with some already being retired. "We have signed a memorandum of understanding with five different concessioners to procure 1,040 buses. For the second set of 1,040 buses, we will sign agreements soon. Once they start rolling out, it would plug the gap created due to decommissioning of ageing buses," said a transport department official. According to the plan, 1,040 buses will be added to the fleet in the first phase under the Centre's National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP). The scheme aims at introducing e-buses across the nation. The second lot of 1,040 buses will be part of the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme. The scheme aims to incentivise over 14,000 e-buses across nine major cities with

Delhi govt unveils Heat Action Plan 2025 amid soaring temperatures

Launching the plan, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said that it is a critical initiative to safeguard our citizens, especially the most vulnerable, from the escalating dangers of extreme heat

Eight held, including two juveniles, in teen's stabbing case in Delhi

Delhi Police has apprehended eight people, including two juveniles, in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in northeast Delhi's Seelampur area, officials said on Sunday. The eight accused were arrested on Saturday. Six of them were identified as Sahil (18), Sohaib (35), Nafish (32), Aneesh (19), Zahida (42) and Vikas (29), they said. On April 18, Zikra (19), who worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba's wife, was arrested and sent to two-day police custody in the case, a senior police officer said. Kunal, a resident of New Seelampur, was stabbed to death in J-Block, Jhuggi Seelampur, on the evening of April 17. He was rushed to JPC Hospital by his family members, where doctors declared him dead. "Zikra, Sahil and the two juveniles conspired and carried out the fatal attack while the other five were involved in harbouring and helping the main accused escape," a senior official said. A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of

JD Vance, wife to visit Akshardham Temple; PM Modi to host dinner for them

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for US Vice President J D Vance and Indian-origin Second Lady Usha on Monday evening, after holding talks with the American leader that are set to focus on trade, tariff and several other key issues, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The US vice president, his wife, Usha, and their three children -- Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel -- are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase here at 10 am on Monday on a four-day India visit. The Vances will be welcomed on their arrival by a senior Union minister. Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra. Vance is expected to be accompanied by at least five senior officials, including from the Pentagon and the State Department, the people cited above said. Hours after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are scheduled to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple and could also go to a shopping complex selling traditional Indian handcrafted goods, they said. At 6:3