Page 7 - National News

Given equal chances, women perform at par or better than men: Rajnath Singh

Women have proved that whenever they get equal opportunities, they perform as well as or even better than men, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. After inaugurating the Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Centre of Excellence for Women at Dharampur in Gujarat's Valsad district, Singh said the legacy left behind by Jain spiritual leader Shrimad Rajchandraji in his short life will continue to guide people for centuries. In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually laid the foundation stone for the Centre, which is spread over 11 acres and assists women in skill development and improving livelihood. Shrimad Rajchandra was a Jain saint, poet, mystic, philosopher, and a major reformer of the late 19th century. His devotee Gurudev Shri Rakeshji founded Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur, a spiritual organisation. I believe that the women who will work here will not only be empowered but also become self-reliant and get the opportunity and time to engage in spiritual ...

Ahead of New Year, Delhi Police apprehend 966 in Op Aaghat 3.0 drive

The Delhi Police has apprehended 966 people and seized arms, drugs, illegal liquor and vehicles during a large-scale preventive crackdown in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year celebrations, an official said on Saturday. The operation, namely Operation Aaghat 3.0, was launched to curb organised crime, street offences and the activities of habitual criminals in view of heightened public movement during year-end festivities, they said. Of the total, 331 accused were arrested under the Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act and the Public Gambling Act, while 504 people were apprehended under various preventive provisions, the police said. As part of targeted action, police apprehended 116 listed bad characters, arrested five auto-lifters and four proclaimed offenders, officials added. During the operation, police recovered 21 country-made pistols, 20 live cartridges and 27 knives under the Arms Act. They also seized 12,258 quarters of illicit liquor, 6.01 kg of ganja and Rs 2.36 lakh from gamblers.

Uttarakhand CM Dhami transfers ₹12 crore to 4,224 beneficiaries via DBT

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that the state government is continuously resolving issues faced by workers and implementing several welfare schemes for workers and their dependents

India gets first standard for bomb disposal systems to boost security

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified a dedicated standard for bomb disposal systems to address a critical gap in the country's security preparedness framework and provide manufacturers with clear performance benchmarks. The new standard, IS 19445:2025, was developed at the request of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory. It establishes comprehensive guidelines for evaluating bomb disposal systems against blast loads and splinter effects. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said the standard is intended for "voluntary adoption" by procurement agencies, manufacturers, and testing bodies. "Its implementation is expected to bring uniformity in evaluation practices, promote quality-driven manufacturing, and enhance confidence in bomb disposal systems deployed in critical security operations," she said in a statement. The standard specifies requirements for test equipment, test range conditions, and evaluation procedures to ...

Punjab govt moves non-veg, liquor stalls out of Amritsar's walled city

Punjab government has begun shifting temporary kiosks and street vendors selling liquor, meat, eggs, tobacco and other non-vegetarian items from the old walled city of Amritsar, which has recently been declared a holy city, officials said on Saturday. Officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation said a detailed survey has identified around 150 temporary shops and stalls operating within the walled city. These include meat shops, pan-bidi kiosks and carts selling boiled eggs, particularly in areas such as the Old Telephone Exchange near Shastri Market and Katra Jaimal Singh. Several other locations, including Hathi Gate, Lohgarh Gate, Hakiman Gate, Bhagtanwala Gate, Guruwali Gate, Guru Bazaar, Lahori Gate, Namak Mandi and surrounding areas were also found to have vendors selling non-vegetarian food and tobacco products, officials said. Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association president Surinder Singh said that excise department has not issued liquor vend licences within the wall

Subsidised onion sale begins as NCCF offers Rs 19/kg in Delhi-NCR

National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) has started subsidised retail sale of onions at Rs 19 per kg in Delhi-NCR, well below the prevailing market price of Rs 25-35 per kg. Onion retailing will be done through mobile vans operating across the Delhi-NCR region at 16 locations, including INA Market, R K Puram, Model Town, and Shalimar Bagh. Onion will also be sold at NCCF's retail store at Nehru Place and outlets located in major metro stations like Udyog Bhawan, Rajeev Chowk and Patel Chowk, the cooperative said in a statement. NCCF is selling onions sourced from Nashik, Maharashtra, and stored in controlled-atmosphere (CA) cold storage using a newly developed irradiation technology recommended by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The new technology has been piloted to reduce storage losses and stabilise supply. "After four months of storage at the CA cold store, the Grade A rabi onions, pink in colour and known for their sweeter taste compared to the red Kharif .

India imposes anti-dumping duty on Chinese steel, refrigerant gas

India has imposed anti-dumping duty on two Chinese goods -- a refrigerant gas and certain kinds of steel products, during the month so far to guard domestic players from cheap imports from the neighbouring country. These duties were imposed as these products -- cold-rolled non-oriented electrical steel, and 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane or R-134a -- were exported to India from China at below normal prices. On steel goods, India has imposed USD 223.82 per tonne on certain Chinese firms, while on few others USD 415 per tonne was imposed for five years, according to a finance ministry notification. On the gas, up to USD 5,251 per tonne was slapped for five years. As per a separate notification, India said it has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of 'Calcium Carbonate Filler Masterbatch' exported from Vietnam. It is widely used in plastic industry. These duties are imposed after the commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has conducted probes

Delhi Police files chargesheet against key aide of gangster Kapil Sangwan

The Delhi Police has filed a chargesheet against a key member of the gang led by fugitive gangster Kapil Sangwan, alias Nandu, officials said on Friday. The chargesheet was filed against Manoj Yadav, alias Kaira, a close associate of the gangster. Yadav was previously arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and is judicial custody. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora said the action is part of an intensified crackdown on organised crime networks operating in the national capital and neighbouring states. According to the officer, Yadav played a crucial role in providing sensitive information about businessmen and other potential targets to the gang for extortion. He was also responsible for arranging illegal weapons for shooters hired by the syndicate. Yadav was arrested on October 7 in a case registered at the Crime Branch police station. During the investigation, police traced his links to several criminal activities allegedly ..

Delhi CM attack case: Court frames charges against two accused persons

Setting the stage for trial, a Delhi court on Friday formally framed charges against two persons accused of attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at a public event earlier this year. Additional Sessions Judge Ekta Gauba Mann said the proceedings of the case will be in camera since the victim is a public figure. The judge formally framed charges against Sakriya Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai and Tahsin Raza Rafiullah Shaikh, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, after they were physically produced in the court. Earlier on December 20, the court had ordered the framing of charges against the duo under various penal provisions, including attempt to murder, saying there was a prima facie case against them. The judge said that prima facie all ingredients for the offence punishable under BNS Sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 132 (using criminal force on a public servant while they are executing their duty), 109(1) (attem

Delhi Metro runs first-ever train as special service on 23rd anniversary

The Delhi Metro on Thursday operated its first-ever train, TS#01, as a special service to mark the anniversary of the commencement of passenger services on the network in 2002. The train was run on the 8.3-km Shahdara-Tis Hazari section, where Delhi Metro services were inaugurated more than two decades ago, enabling passengers to relive the experience of the historic inaugural run, according to a statement. TS#01 was decorated with flowers and a commemorative banner on the occasion, while passengers travelling on the special service were greeted with flowers, it said. The Delhi Metro began operations in 2002, starting a journey that has since grown into one of India's largest and most successful urban mass transit systems. December 24 marks the completion of 23 years of its operations. TS#01 continues to remain in active service. Originally introduced as a four-coach train, it was expanded to six coaches in 2014 and further to eight coaches in 2023 to meet rising passenger demand,

ATS again takes custody of Pune engineer held for alleged terror links

The Maharashtra ATS has once again taken the custody of software engineer Zubair Hangargekar, arrested two months back for alleged links with banned outfits such as Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent as well as suspected involvement in radicalisation activities. Hangargekar, who was earlier in judicial custody, was sent to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) remand till January 3 by a special court hearing cases pertaining to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). "The ATS took Hangargekar into its custody on Wednesday. The court has remanded him to the ATS custody till January 3," an official said. Under the UAPA, the maximum period of police custody for an accused in terror cases is 30 days. Hangargekar (37) was arrested on October 27 for his alleged links with banned terror outfits. "Following his arrest, Hangargekar was in the ATS custody for 18 days. He was then sent in judicial custody after the probe agency last month sought his judicial custody while ...

Industrial-logistics space demand hits record 76.5 mn sq ft this year

Demand for industrial and logistics spaces hit an all-time high this year, with leasing volumes rising nearly 19 per cent to 76.5 million square feet across 24 major cities in India, according to Savills. Real estate consultant Savills India data showed that the manufacturing sector took on lease 29 per cent of spaces, followed by third-party logistics firms (28 per cent) and e-commerce players (12 per cent). "India's Industrial and Logistics sector continued its strong post-pandemic growth trajectory in 2025, recording its highest-ever annual absorption of 76.5 million sq ft," Savills India said. In the 2024 calendar year, leasing of industrial and logistics spaces stood at 64.5 million square feet. Out of the total leasing this year, the consultant said that eight tier-I cities -- Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Pune -- saw 20 per cent growth in leasing to 59.5 million square feet this year from 49.7 million square feet in 2024. Delhi-N

FSSAI asks food businesses to stop calling herbal infusions 'tea'

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a stern warning to food business operators against using the word 'tea' for herbal infusions and plant-based blends not derived from Camellia sinensis, terming it a case of misbranding and misleading practices under the law. The directive, issued on December 24, comes after the regulator found several food business operators (FBOs) marketing products, such as 'Rooibos tea', 'herbal tea' and 'flower tea', none of which are obtained from the Camellia sinensis plant. According to FSSAI regulations, the term 'tea' can only be used on packaging and labelling if the beverage is derived from Camellia sinensis. This includes variants such as Kangra tea, green tea and instant tea. "Such plant-based or herbal infusions or blends, which are not derived from Camellia sinensis, do not qualify to be named as tea," the FSSAI clarified. The violation, it said, amounts to misleading and misbranding under the provisions of the Food

NTPC to set up 1 tonne-per-day green hydrogen plant in Greater Noida

Power giant NTPC on Tuesday announced its plan to set up a green hydrogen project of 1 tonne/day at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The project will be set up through NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the Research & Development (R&D) wing of NTPC. NETRA will set up a plasma gasificationbased green hydrogen plant on its campus at Greater Noida, the company said. The plant is designed to produce 1 tonne of green hydrogen per day, NTPC said. The advanced plasma gasification technology will convert waste into tar-free syngas, which will be further processed to produce hydrogen using PSA/membrane technology, it said. NTPC, under the Ministry of Power, is contributing one-fourth of India's power requirements, and has an installed capacity of 85 GW+, with an additional capacity of 30.90 GW under construction, including 13.3 GW of renewable energy capacity. The company aims to achieve 149 GW of production capacity by 2032, including 60 GW of renewable energy capacity, .

Delhi, Noida AQI levels rise to 'severe', cross 400 at multiple locations

The air quality forecast failed as Delhi's AQI slipped into the 'severe' category above 400, with the national capital and neighbouring Noida recording the worst air quality in the country. A grey haze enveloped the capital on Tuesday as the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 412 in the severe category at 4 pm, deteriorating sharply from 373 in the very poor category at the same time a day earlier, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Out of the 40 functional monitoring stations in the city, five recorded severe-plus AQI levels above 450, including Nehru Nagar (465), Mundka (457), Chandni Chowk (453), Okhla (452) and Jahangirpuri, while 26 stations remained in the severe category. The remaining stations reported very poor air quality, as per CPCB's SAMEER app. Delhi recorded the second-worst air quality in the country with an AQI of 412, after neighbouring Noida, which registered an AQI of 426. These were the only two cities among 230 ...

VB-G RAM G to address labour shortage during peak farm season: Minister

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the recently passed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act addresses the labour shortage faced during peak farm seasons. The VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was passed in Parliament last week. Addressing virtually on the occasion of Farmers Day, Chouhan said the law strikes a balance between the welfare of farmers and labourers, according to an official statement. "VB-G RAM G is extremely useful in the broader interest of the country, as it empowers and makes the farming community self-reliant. While the VB-G RAM G fully takes care of the upliftment of labourers, it also focuses on farmers, ensuring sufficient labourers are available for farming," he said. The minister pointed out that farmers often face difficulty in finding labourers during sowing and harvesting seasons. "Now with this new law, this problem wil

Eminent Hindi writer, Jnanpith Award winner Vinod Kumar Shukla dies at 89

Eminent Chhattisgarh-based Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award recipient Vinod Kumar Shukla died on Tuesday evening due to age-related ailments at a government hospital here, his family members said. He was 89. Shukla was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, on December 2 after experiencing breathing difficulties. He breathed his last at 4.48 pm on Tuesday, his son, Shashwat Shukla told PTI. He is survived by his wife, son Shashwat and a daughter. According to the family, his mortal remains will first be taken to his residence here, and details regarding the last rites will be announced shortly. Shashwat Shukla said that after his father experienced breathing problems in October, he was admitted to a private hospital in Raipur. After his condition improved, he was discharged and continued treatment at home. However, his health deteriorated suddenly on December 2, after which he was taken to AIIMS Raipur for further treatment, he added. A ...

Workers' unions to go on strike in Feb over new labour codes, SHANTI Bill

A joint platform of central trade unions have decided to hold a nationwide strike in February against the government's move to change legislations related to workers, the nuclear energy sector, and rural jobs. The trade unions are opposing the four new labour codes notified by the government in November and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, passed by the Parliament during the Winter Session, which was concluded on December 19. Also, the unions are against the passage of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), 2005 and seeks to provide rural workers with an employment guarantee of 125 days per financial year. Members of the farmers' body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and NCCOEEE (National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers) have extended their support to the .

Mumbai civic polls: NCP (SP) holds alliance talks with Sena (UBT), MNS

Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Shashikant Shinde on Tuesday said his party was in talks with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-led MNS for a tie-up for the January 15 polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Talking to reporters here, Shinde said discussions were being held to bring on board all parties opposed to the BJP to put up a united fight against the lead partner in the ruling Mahayuti coalition. Asked if the ruling NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will align with his party for the Pune civic body polls, the former state minister maintained that the NCP (SP) has authorised its local units to take a call on the issue taking into account the prevailing political situation. To a query whether the Congress will be a part of the alliance that the NCP (SP) is trying to forge for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls, Shinde pointed out that the Grand Old Party is already a constituent of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Discussions on labelling AI content over, rules to follow soon: IT secy

The government has completed consultations with the industry on the proposed mandatory labelling of AI-generated content, and the related rules are set to be issued shortly, IT Secretary S Krishnan has said. Krishnan told PTI in an interview that the industry has been "fairly responsible", understands the logic behind labelling of AI content and that, as such, there has not been serious pushback against it. The primary feedback from the industry is around wanting clarity on the degree of modification to make clear distinctions between substantive, material changes through AI, and routine technical enhancements. "Based on the inputs we have received, we are just consulting the other ministries within government, saying that these are the changes which have been suggested... so which changes we accept, which changes we make and what tweaks we make... that portion is on right now, and I think we should come out with the new rules very shortly," Krishnan said. About the feedback and ..