Page 8 - National News

Govt removing Gandhi's name from rural jobs bill hurts Congress: Khurshid

Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said the party is hurt by the government's move to pass the VB-G RAM G Bill in Parliament, replacing the MGNREGA and thereby "removing" Mahatma Gandhi's name, but stressed that he lives in the hearts of the people. Addressing a press conference as part of the Congress' nationwide campaign on MGNREGA and the latest development in the National Herald case, he said, "MGNREGA has two aspects. One is the emotional aspect for us, for our country." "MGNREGA was associated with Mahatma Gandhi's personality, with his greatness, with his name. They have removed it. A question arises about what benefit anyone will get by it and what purpose it will serve," Khurshid said. Gandhiji continues to live in the hearts of the people of India, and his name cannot be erased, he said. "We are hurt, but no one can diminish it, no one can erase it. The public will give the answer to this." The former external affairs minister said Gandhiji's name was not just ..

Like Brahmaputra, growth flows uninterrupted under double-engine govt: PM

Addressing a gathering, PM Modi said modern, world-class airport facilities open up new possibilities and opportunities for any state and they become pillars of a state's growing self-confidence

Young doctors free to go abroad, but can't blame lack of facilities: Nadda

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday said young doctors can no longer complain about a lack of facilities or infrastructure in the country, urging them to utilise the institutions and resources available instead of blaming deficiencies while opting to go abroad. Addressing the 21st convocation ceremony of King George's Medical University (KGMU) here, Nadda said those who wish to go overseas are free to do so, but should not say that facilities or infrastructure are lacking in India. "Institutions are here, facilities are here and infrastructure is also here. Make use of them," he said. Asserting that the country's medical education landscape has transformed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union health minister said the number of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the country has gone up to 23. "Earlier, when meritorious students went abroad and were asked why they were going to London, they complained about the lack of facilities," he ...

Goa club fire: Police initiate blue corner notice against absconding owner

Surinder Kumar Khosla is the owner of the property on which the unauthorised structure housing the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane was functioning

Akhilesh calls for bulldozer action on codeine mafias, even if linked to SP

Escalating the war of words over allegations linked to the illegal codeine cough syrup trade, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday hit back at Yogi Adityanath with a poetic riposte, a day after the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister targeted him through a couplet. Addressing a press conference at the SP headquarters here, Yadav accused the government of trying to divert attention by circulating photographs and making political allegations instead of acting against the guilty. He called for 'bulldozer action' against all those involved, irrespective of political affiliation, noting that the issue concerns not just Uttar Pradesh but also the prime minister's parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. Referring to Adityanath's poetic remark on Friday, Yadav said he was not a poet himself, but party veteran Uday Pratap, seated beside him, was a well-known literary figure. Quoting from one of his works and targeting the chief minister, Yadav recited: "Apna chehra na ponchha gaya ..

New nuclear energy Bill puts profit over safety, alleges Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday described the government's nuclear energy bill as a "dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion" without adequate safeguards and asserted that the pursuit of capital cannot be allowed to override the requirements of public safety, environmental protection and victim justice. Participating in a debate on the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor claimed that the proposed legislation is ridden with exceptions, heavy on discretion and largely indifferent to public welfare. "I am not sure whether it is a nuclear bill or an unclear bill," he said. The former Union minister said the SHANTI Bill represents a "dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion" with inadequate safeguards. "We cannot allow the pursuit of capital to override the non-negotiable requirements of public safety, environmental protection and victim justice," he asserted. "The name SHANTI m

Quality higher education vital to India's growth over next 20 years: CEA

Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Wednesday said that quality, relevance and adaptability of higher education will play a key role in transforming India's demographic dividend into growth accelerator in next 20 years. Speaking at the CII Global Higher Education Summit here, he said, states hold the key to the next phase of higher education reform in India. He stressed on addressing shortage of teachers urgently through mechanisms such as professors of practice and also improving the quality of education. Other key priorities for states include a shift from control to stewardship, moving from input-based to outcome-based regulation, adopting an entrepreneurial approach in public administration, and financing institutions based on differentiated roles and outcomes. "India is at a demographic and economic inflection point. Over the next two decades, millions of young Indians will enter the working age population. Whether this demographic dividend becomes a growth ...

Severe air pollution dents Delhi retail trade, footfall falls: CTI

Rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR has begun to severely impact retail trade in the national capital, with a sharp decline in market footfall, traders' body Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said on Wednesday. Brijesh Goyal, chaiman of CTI, said, "As the air quality in Delhi slipped into the 'severe' category and it got widespread coverage across television, newspapers and social media, people are increasingly cautious about stepping out, resulting in shoppers are avoiding markets. This has led to a visible slowdown in business activity." According to the CTI, while nearly three to four lakh people from the National Capital Region (NCR) earlier visited Delhi markets daily for shopping, the number has now dropped to around one lakh due to worsening pollution levels. Goyal said the organisation has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, expressing concern over air pollution and its adverse impact on trade. With Christmas and New Year approaching, markets usually witn

'No prima facie case made out against ex-CM Palaniswami,' TN govt tells HC

Giving a clean chit to AIADMK top leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that there was no prima facie case made out against him in respect of allegations of corruption in the construction of 11 medical colleges in the state during his tenure as chief minister. Advocate general P S Raman made the submission when a Public Interest Litigation petition in this regard came up for hearing before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan. Raman submitted that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption conducted a detailed inquiry and found that there was no prima facie case made out against Palaniswami as regards the allegations of corruption. A report was submitted to the Vigilance Commissioner, who in turn submitted it to the state government. The State government accepted the report and dropped the proceedings against Palaniswami, he said. The bench adjourned the matter to be ..

Odisha unveils Pharma, MedTech Policy 2025, eyes ₹25,000 crore investment

The Odisha government on Tuesday unveiled Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Policy-2025, aiming to attract investment of Rs 25,000 crore and create 1 lakh jobs by 2030. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the new policy here at the Odisha Pharma Summit-2025 in the presence of Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and senior government officers. Speaking on the occasion, Industries Department's Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma said India imports about 85 per cent of medical devices from other countries, and there is a huge opportunity for this sector. As a lot of units of pharmaceutical and medical devices are expected to come up in the next five years, Odisha must make an attempt to become a part of this endeavour, Sharma said. Under the policy, the state offers a 50 per cent subsidy on concessional land cost for units employing more than 200 Odisha-domiciled skilled staff. The government also offered a 30 per cent capital subsidy on eligible plant and machinery

Don't understand obsession with changing names: Priyanka on 'G RaM G' row

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the VB-G RaM G Bill weakened the right to income guaranteed under MGNREGA and also drew attention to persistent delays in wage payments under the existing scheme

Delhi chokes under severe smog as AQI touches 498, visibility drops

A sharp drop in visibility and haze-obscured skyline marked another low for Delhi on Monday as its AQI touched 498 in the morning and settled at 427 by the evening, with air quality in the hazardous "severe" zone. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 monitoring stations across the city recorded "severe" air quality, while 12 stations reported "very poor" levels. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality among the 40 stations, with an AQI of 475. Notably, CPCB does not register an AQI value beyond 500. As per the CBCP, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory, 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe". Data from the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi indicated that PM2.5 concentration stood at 154.96 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 levels were recorded at 260.9 micrograms per cubic metre. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs,

Goa nightclub fire: HC turns civil suit into PIL, seeks accountability

The Goa bench of Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons, into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) observing "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". The HC also asked the state government to file a reply on permissions granted to the ill-fated nightclub. The petition was filed by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, owners of the land on which the nightclub stood. Converting it into a PIL, the division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Prithviraj Chavan said "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". It observed that the local panchayat had failed to take suo motu cognisance of the club and had taken no action despite complaints. Commercial operations were going in the structure despite it being served a demolition order, the HC bench pointed out. Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing Amonkar and Divkar, was made amicus .

Congress leader's letter exposes 'Team Rahul vs Team Priyanka' rift: BJP

In a post on X, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla cited the letter and said the Congress's internal tensions were "out in the open now"

Naxion Energy plans ₹200 crore expansion, new plant in Hyderabad by 2026

Naxion Energy, a sodium-ion battery company, plans to invest Rs 200 crore by the end of December 2026 to enhance its manufacturing capabilities, including establishing a new facility here. The company also plans to expand its workforce by 50 per cent as part of this initiative. Headquartered in Hyderabad, Naxion Energy has a manufacturing facility in Coimbatore and develops high-performance sodium-ion battery packs for mobility and energy storage applications. As part of its India-wide expansion, the company is setting up a new manufacturing plant in Hyderabad, which is expected to be operational next year, to meet growing demand from OEMs and enterprise customers, Naxion Energy India CEO Abishek Reddy told reporters on Thursday. "Our plans include setting up both an assembly plant and a cell manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, which will be Naxion Energy's second manufacturing plant," he said. Earlier in the day, Naxion Energy announced the launch of its sodium-ion-based energy

Workplace ICC can hear POSH complaints against outsiders: Supreme Court

The court said the purpose of the POSH Act would be diluted if women were forced to approach the ICC of every respondent's organisation for incidents involving third parties

ED, ATS raid several locations in Thane over suspected terror links

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted joint raids on Thursday at Padgha in Thane district in connection with suspected terror funding, officials said. The raids were underway at Padgha in the Bhiwandi area since the early hours of Thursday, an official said. The action was based on some earlier operations conducted by the ATS at Borivali village in Padgha, he said. Residences of several suspects were being searched, and the ED was conducting enquiries about suspicious money transactions, the official said, adding that the ATS was assisting the federal agency sleuths. In June this year, the ATS, along with the Thane rural police, conducted a massive search at the residences of 22 persons, including Saquib Nachan, a former office-bearer of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and other suspected members and sympathisers of the banned outfit, at Borivali in Padgha. The ATS had seized 19 mobile phones and incriminating material and

How IndiGo rose to dominance and hit its biggest crisis in two decades

IndiGo's two-decade ascent to market leadership has met a major setback, as planning lapses and new crew rules exposed vulnerabilities in the airline's lean operating model

SpiceJet plans to add 100 daily flights to boost winter operations

Domestic carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday said it is planning to introduce up to 100 additional daily flights during the current winter schedule. The airline said it is looking to ramp up its flight operations amid the growing demand across key routes this winter, and also to ensure adequate capacity in the market. The statement came a day after the government announced a 10 per cent cut in IndiGo's winter schedule in a bid to help the crisis-hit airline stabilise its operations and lead to reduced cancellations following the large-scale disruptions that started on December 1. "As part of this (ramping up operations) effort, we plan to introduce up to 100 additional daily flights during the current winter schedule, subject to regulatory approvals," SpiceJet said in a statement. Under the current winter schedule, SpiceJet has been allowed to operate 1,568 flights per week or 224 per day, which was 20.89 per cent higher compared to 1,297 flights per week, operated by the carrier during

India offers most affordable train fares, says Rail Minister Vaishnaw

Rail ticket prices are most affordable in India as compared to neighbouring and developed countries, and the Indian Railways gave Rs 60,000 crore subsidy last year to keep the ticket prices low, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. Replying to a question by Congress member M K Vishnu Prasad in the Lok Sabha on whether the government plans to restore the rail ticket discount to senior citizens as it was before Covid, Vaishnaw said the prices of tickets in India are about five or 10 per cent of the prices in developed countries. "Even compared to neighbouring countries, the ticket is kept at a very, very affordable price," the minister said during the Question Hour. Last year, the Indian Railways gave about Rs 60,000 crore subsidy so that the passenger transport can remain affordable, he said. "Even compared to our neighbouring countries, India is providing the most affordable transportation to our citizens or passengers," Vaishnaw said.