Guwahati, Aug 30 (IANS) The famed Vrindavani Vastra, a 16th-century silk textile created under the guidance of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, will return to Assam on loan from the British Museum in London for an 18-month display in 2027, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday. The Chief Minister said that the agreement followed years of persistent efforts and came with specific conditions laid down by the British Museum.Among them is the requirement of a state-of-the-art m…

Chandigarh, Aug 30 (IANS) With floods affecting 1,018 villages in Punjab, 4,711 people were evacuated and shifted to safer places in Punjab in the past 24 hours, the government said on Saturday. They include 812 residents of Ferozepur, 2,571 from Gurdaspur, four from Moga, 60 from Tarn Taran, 25 from Barnala, and 1,239 from Fazilka.A total of 11,330 have been rescued so far from nine flood-hit districts. These include 2,819 from Ferozepur, 1,052 from Hoshiarpur, 240 from Kapurthala, 4,771 from G…

Ahilyanagar, Aug 30 (IANS) NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that the Union government’s role is important in addressing the reservation issue across the country. The reservation issue must be taken at the national level by amending the Constitution at an appropriate time, the NCP-SP Chief added.”If such reservation issues are to be resolved, ultimately decisions should be taken at the national level. The Central government will have to take a decision on this. If 72 per cent reservatio…

Chennai, Aug 30 (IANS) The Federation of Tamil Nadu Powerloom Associations has called upon the Union government to ease the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on manmade fibre (MMF) from the current 12 per cent to 5 per cent, citing mounting challenges faced by the weaving sector in the wake of steep US tariffs.Federation president L.K.M. Suresh said the powerloom industry, which supports over 20 lakh weavers across six lakh looms in Tamil Nadu and nearly 70 lakh people across India, is reeling under …

Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 30 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Ghazipur district.CM Yogi first reached Varanasi, and from there he left to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected Ghazipur district of the state.After reviewing the situation from the air, the Chief Minister instructed district and divisional officials to ensure that flood-affected families face no inconvenience.He emphasised the timely s…

Alappuzha, Aug 30 (IANS) Alappuzha’s famed Punnamada Lake, on Saturday, turned into a vast amphitheatre of colour, rhythm and excitement as the 71st edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race got underway. From the break of dawn, the backwaters echoed with the chants of oarsmen as the traditional Iruttukutti heats set the tone for the day.This year, 75 boats, including 21 majestic Chundan Vallams or snake boats, are in contention.These slender marvels, stretching between 120 and 140 feet, carry about…

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that political parties in Bihar have submitted only 128 claims and objections so far — 25 seeking inclusion in the voter list and 103 for exclusion.This comes despite repeated allegations from opposition parties of “vote theft” and “voter list manipulation.”In contrast, electors themselves have filed nearly 2.27 lakh claims and objections — 29,872 for inclusion and 1,97,764 for exclusion. Of these, 33,771 …

Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, on Saturday, was sent to jail custody for 12 days by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, officials said. The MLA, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 25 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case, was produced in the court after his six-day ED remand ended.It was learned that Saha broke down in the court after seeing his wife and son.His lawyer Zakir Hussain …

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) JD(U) senior leader K.C. Tyagi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the RJD and its leadership for what he described as a “historic blunder” for participating in the ongoing ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, led by Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to IANS, Tyagi remarked, “The Congress has taken the lead, which is what they wanted, and the RJD seems unaware of it. Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav neve…

Palakkad, Aug 30 (IANS) BJP workers marched to Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil’s office in Kerala’s Palakkad on Friday to protest against the leader who is facing sexual misconduct allegations. The police used water cannons to disperse the BJP workers.Notably, BJP leader C. Krishnakumar has declared that Mamkootathil would not be allowed to attend official or public events in the Palakkad constituency.The protest by the BJP comes at a time when a special investigation team of the Crime Branch wi…