Page 2 - National News

K'taka bags ₹1.53 trillion in new investment proposals since GIM: Minister

Karnataka has attracted new industrial investment proposals worth Rs 1.53 lakh crore in the 11 months following the Global Investors' Meet (GIM) held in February last year, Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil said on Saturday. The investments are over and above the commitments secured during the GIM. Ahead of his visit to the Davos economic summit as part of a high-level state delegation, Patil said the government's investment outreach was a continuous process and not limited to the investors' meet. He said leading companies had shown interest in sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, data centres and global capability centres (GCCs). The proposals are expected to be submitted to Karnataka Udyog Mitra shortly, after which approvals will be processed expeditiously. Of the total proposed investments, Rs 66,293 crore is in manufacturing and industry, Rs 20,913 crore in wind and solar power generation, Rs 12,500 crore in GCCs, and Rs 6,350 crore in data ...

MCD records highest-ever property tax collection, crosses ₹2,700 crore

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has recorded its highest-ever property tax collection, crossing Rs 2,700 crore by December 31 in the 2025-26 financial year. The figure marks a jump of about 45 per cent over collections during the same period last year, officials said on Saturday. Officials said that the increase has been accompanied by a sharp rise in the number of taxpayers. The total count of registered property taxpayers has surged from 10.31 lakh in 2024-25 to 12.43 lakh this year, an increase of nearly 21 per cent. Civic officials attributed the rise to a combination of taxpayer outreach, tighter enforcement and the response to the tax amnesty scheme, SUNIYO, introduced for 2025-26. "Under the scheme, property owners can get interest and penalties waived if they clear the current year's tax along with dues from the previous five years," an official statement read. Officials said the scheme encouraged many owners who had earlier filed incorrect property tax returns or

Delhi govt revises ration card norms, raises income cap to ₹1.2 lakh

The Delhi government has decided to raise the annual income cap to Rs 1.20 lakh from the previous Rs 1 lakh, to enable more households to be eligible for ration cards. According to official data, due to the absence of clear rules for several years, more than 3,89,883 applications for ration cards have remained pending in Delhi, and over 11,65,965 people are still waiting for food security benefits. Data verification revealed the income details of around 6,46,123 people did not match the prescribed norms. About 95,682 individuals had remained in the system for a long time without availing any benefits. Nearly 23,394 duplicate names were found, while in 6,185 cases, benefits were recorded in the names of deceased persons. Around 56,372 people had themselves requested to opt out of the system. Owing to all these reasons, a total of more than 8,27,756 vacancies were created; these slots will now be filled with those who have been waiting for years for ration card or food security ...

Delhi Customs seizes ₹2.89 cr gold from 3 Myanmar nationals at IGI airport

Three Myanmar nationals have been booked after Delhi Customs officers seized over 2 kg of gold worth Rs 2.89 crore from them at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, officials said on Saturday. The three male passengers, who arrived from Yangon, Myanmar, on January 14, were intercepted while crossing the green channel at the international arrivals hall of Terminal 3, an official statement said. "On thorough personal search and baggage examination, 13 gold bars, were recovered from them. The weight of 13 uneven rectangular shaped gold is 2158 grams," the statement said. According to the officials, the gold recovered was appraised at a tariff value of Rs 2.89 crore. The gold has been seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962 and three passengers were placed under arrest according to the provisions of Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962, it added.

Gujarat Metro ridership jumps fourfold in 3 years; hits 0.15 million daily

With Phase-2 completed, the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro now spans 68 km with 53 stations, reducing dependence on private vehicles

Maintenance societies lack locus to join developer insolvency cases: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that homebuyers' societies or Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) ordinarily constituted for maintenance and management of common facilities in a housing project cannot intervene in the insolvency proceedings of the developer company. A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahdevan, which upheld the insolvency proceedings related to Takshashila Heights India Private Ltd under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016, said if creditors elect to invoke the provisions of the code, they must do so with a genuine willingness to pursue revival of the corporate debtor. It said, "Should revival not be their objective, the Code cannot be converted into a tool for expedient recovery; alternative statutory remedies, including under SARFAESI or other applicable laws, remain available in accordance with law." The bench upheld the rejection of intervention application by National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) of Elegna Co-operative Housing and ...

EU leaders Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen to be Republic Day guests

Top European Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen will be the chief guests at India's 77th Republic Day celebrations, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday. Costa and von der Leyen will undertake a three-day visit to India beginning January 25 and the two sides are expected to announce firming up of the much awaited India-EU trade pact during their trip. India and the European Union (EU) have been strategic partners since 2004. The bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of EU College of Commissioners to India in February last year, the ministry said. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be on a state visit to India from January 25 to 27, it said. The MEA said the two European leaders will be the chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.

Resolve all land disputes in Uttarakhand within month: CM to officials

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday directed officials to resolve all land disputes in the state within a month, asserting that such matters must be brought to a "zero level" through an intensive campaign. The chief minister instructed Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan and Director General of Police Deepam Seth to ensure that pending cases in every district are settled within the 30-day deadline to provide relief to the public. Dhami noted that land disputes directly affect the lives of ordinary citizens and can lead to problems in law and order and social harmony. He said the government's priority is to ensure a swift, transparent and equitable resolution to these matters. The chief minister directed officials to pay special attention to sensitive cases and warned against any negligence during the campaign. To ensure targets are met within the stipulated timeframe, Dhami asked the chief secretary to review the progress of the campaign every week. This regular monitoring wi

Centre appoints senior IPS officer Rakesh Aggarwal as NIA chief

Aggarwal, a 1994 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is currently special director general in the anti-terror agency

Delhi may allow one-month window to register unregistered e-rickshaws

In an effort to improve road safety, the Delhi transport department is considering giving unregistered e-rickshaw operators a one-month window to complete vehicle registration, officials said on Wednesday. Initially introduced as an eco-friendly transport option, e-rickshaws have increasingly become a problem on city roads due to their slow movement, contribution to traffic congestion and safety concerns. According to the official data of the Delhi government, 204,131 e-rickshaws are registered on the Vahan dashboard as of January 2026. However, unofficial estimates put the actual numbers much higher. "A plan is under consideration to give one month's time since the order is issued to unregistered e-rickshaw owners to get registered so that livelihood is also maintained along with safety on roads," the transport department said in reply to a question in the Delhi Assembly's recent winter session. The date for the start of the scheme has not been decided yet. Earlier this month, the

Delhi HC asks DUSIB to use tents, subways as shelters near hospitals

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a series of fresh directions in the suo motu PIL concerning the acute shortage of night shelters for patients and attendants outside major hospitals in the capital, permitting impleadment of several additional authorities to comprehensively address the crisis.A Division Bench led by Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, along with Justice Tejas Karia, allowed the impleadment of the Centre for Holistic Development and directed that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences be impleaded through its Additional Director (Administration). The Court further ordered the impleadment of the MCD, NDMC, L & DO, DMRC, PWD, DDA, Delhi Jal Board, and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi.The Bench also directed that Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital be impleaded as parties.Referring to its earlier order dated January 12, the Court reiterated its concern over the "human ...

Zubeen Garg drowned, was intoxicated and without life jacket: S'pore police

Garg, 52, was with a yacht party on September 19, 2025 and initially wore a life jacket but removed it and later declined to put on a second one offered to him

Gems, jewellery sector seeks duty cuts, GST relief ahead of Budget FY27

In a bid to strengthen India's gem and jewellery competitiveness amid a challenging trade landscape, the gems and jewellery sector has sought targeted duty rationalisation, procedural reforms and reduction in GST in the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27. The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in its pre-Budget recommendations to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has made several proposals to make Indian exports more cost-efficient and position India as a diamond trading and value-discovery centre. "The global gem and jewellery trade is undergoing a major transformation. With high US tariffs, evolving consumer preferences, and shifting global supply chains, it is imperative that India maintains its competitive edge," GJEPC chairman Kirit Bhansali said. Bhansali further noted that the pre-Budget proposals are focused on making Indian exports more cost-efficient, strengthening SEZ operations, and improving policy frameworks that encourage investment and skill ...

India faces second highest economic burden due to diabetes: Study

India faces the second highest economic burden due to diabetes of USD 11.4 trillion -- the United States bears the highest costs at USD 16.5 trillion, and China the third at USD 11 trillion, a new study has estimated. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria, calculated the economic impact of diabetes across 204 countries from 2020 to 2050. Global costs amount to around USD 10 trillion, excluding informal care provided by family members -- about 0.2 per cent of the world's annual gross domestic product (GDP), findings published in the journal Nature Medicine show. Factoring in informal care amounts to up to USD 152 trillion, or 1.7 per cent of the world's yearly GDP, the study estimates. "Caregivers often drop out of the labour market, at least partially, which creates additional economic costs," author Klaus Prettner, professor of macroeconomics and digitalisation at th

Ensure faster grievance redressal, claims settlement: FinMin to insurers

Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju on Tuesday asked Public Sector Insurance Companies (PSICs) to ensure timely resolution of public grievances and to provide seamless, prompt claims processing, in order to provide efficient services to customers. Chairing a meeting to review the financial performance of PSICs for FY25 and the first half of FY26, Nagaraju emphasized that PSICs should focus on increasing profitable business and devise strategies to reduce loss ratios, while maintaining market share and consistently strengthening their retail portfolios. The meeting was attended by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) CEO and MD R Doraiswamy, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) ED Hitesh Joshi, New India Assurance Co. Ltd (NIACL) CMD Girija Subramanian, National Insurance Co. Ltd (NICL) CMD Rajeshwari Singh Muni and United India Insurance Co Ltd (UIICL) CMD B S Rahul. Besides, Oriental Insurance Co Ltd (OICL) CMD Sanjay Joshi and Agriculture Insurance Company of Indi

Poll promises turn deadly: 500 stray dogs killed in Telangana in a week

In a fresh incident of stray dog killings, around 200 canines were allegedly killed in Telangana's Kamareddy district, taking the toll to about 500 in the last one week, police said on Tuesday. Sources from villages said (some) elected representatives, including sarpanches, allegedly carried out the killings to "fulfill promises made to villagers" during the recent gram panchayat elections to tackle the stray dog menace. Police said a case has been registered against six persons, including five village sarpanches, for their alleged involvement in the incident. Earlier, police in Hanamkonda district had booked nine persons, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages. "Ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year, some candidates promised villagers they would tackle the stray dog and monkey menace. They are now allegedly fulfilling' those promises by killing

Land-for-jobs case: CBI says Lalu's acts not part of official duties

Opposing Lalu Prasad Yadav's petition to quash its FIR in the land-for-jobs scam case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said the decisions made by RJD supremo on appointments in Railways did not fall under the discharge of his public duties as railway minister, and only the general managers could make such decisions. Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the CBI, submitted this before Justice Ravinder Dudeja to argue that there was no need to obtain prior sanction under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to proceed against Lalu Prasad as his conduct could not be said to be within the ambit of "discharge of his official functions or duties". "Our case is, in discharge of his official duties or functions, he (Lalu) was not required to make any recommendation or take a decision. Therefore, whatever decision or recommendation is made, it was not in discharge of his official duties. The recommendation or decision could only be taken by the general ...

MoSPI plans transition to chain-based approach for IIP data compilation

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed transition towards the chain-based method of index of Industrial Production (IIP) compilation, as it is undertaking a base-revision exercise of macroeconomic data. In the process of revising the base, the MoSPI is revisiting methodologies, exploring new data sources, and incorporating changes following comprehensive consultations with experts, academicians, users, and other stakeholders, an official statement said. Traditionally, the IIP was compiled using a fixed-base Laspeyres framework, in which sectoral and industry weights remain unchanged until a base-year revision. However, it stated that, with production shifts in response to demand, technological changes, and policy shifts, some industries expand, while others decline or disappear, and entirely new industries or production lines within an industry emerge. Therefore, fixed weights become progressively less relevant, thereby affecting the efficacy o

UPI user base can more than double to 1 billion: RBI Deputy Governor

There is a lot of scope and opportunity for expanding digital payment in the country and UPI has the potential to more than double to 1 billion users from the current base of 400 million, Reserve Bank Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar said on Tuesday. About 50 per cent of global retail payment transactions are done in India but even then in terms of the number of digital transactions per person, it has to catch up with many advanced economies. Citing an example of Kenya, the RBI Deputy Governor said, digital transaction per person in Kenya is roughly double than what India has. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an RBI-0promoted body which created and operates UPI, had launched a USSD-based service to enable UPI access for feature phone users, within months of the launch of the main platform for smartphone users in 2016. " The active users of UPI are about 400 million. We are targeting 1 billion users. So...there is a lot of scope, there is a lot of distance that we nee

MUDA case: Court reserves order on Lokayukta B-report against CM

The Special Court for Public Representatives on Tuesday reserved its order on a 'B-report' (closure report) in the MUDA land allotment case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M and others to January 22. The Lokayukta police had filed a B-Report against Siddaramaiah and others citing lack of evidences', which the complainant Snehamayi Krishna had challenged. On Tuesday, the case came up before the Special Court where the former MUDA Commissioner Dinesh Kumar was present as an accused. The Special Public Prosecutor of the Lokayukta submitted the synopsis of relevant portions of the case. Krishna, who was present as the party-in-person, filed a written submission before the court. The Court reserved its order on B-Report on January 22. It also ordered for the physical appearance of the accused on January 17. In the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in