New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) As part of its digital transformation under IT 2.0, India Post has undertaken a massive nationwide rollout of the Advanced Postal Technology (APT) application, the Ministry of Communication said on Wednesday. This transition from the legacy system marks a major step toward delivering faster, smarter, and more customer-centric postal services.Meanwhile, given the scale and complexity of this migration, spanning over 1.64 lakh post offices across urban, rural, and remote ar…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday slammed the Opposition, accusing them of allegedly spreading confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections in the state and stalling Parliament proceedings. His remarks came after the Election Commission of India (ECI) released Bihar’s draft electoral roll following the completion of the first phase of the SIR.The poll body reported that, despite the nois…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The devastating cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district has triggered a wave of grief and concern across political lines, with leaders calling the tragedy a painful reminder of the vulnerability of the hill regions to extreme natural disasters.BJP MP and actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut expressed deep anguish, saying, “Everyone is deeply pained by this incident. Those living in the hills are gripped by fear in the wake of such natural calamities.”BJP…

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday to prevent ‘Nabanna Avijan (march to the state secretariat)’, a call for which has been given by the parents of R. G. Kar rape and murder victim. A resident of Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district, where the state secretariat of Nabanna is housed, filed the PIL at the division bench of Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De, seeking intervention to prevent the said march.The petitione…

Kannur (Kerala), Aug 6 (IANS) Tension flared up at Kannur University on Wednesday during the union elections as a violent clash broke out between SFI (Students’ Federation of India) and UDSF (United Democratic Students’ Front) activists.The confrontations primarily involved the SFI on one side and opposition student groups, including the Muslim Student Federation (MSF) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) on the other.The situation persisted since the polling started, leading to multiple instances …

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) In a stormy session of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the House passed the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024, through a voice vote, despite sustained protests and disruptions from Opposition members demanding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar. The proceedings, which resumed post-adjournment at 2 p.m. with Sandhya Rai in the chair, quickly descended into chaos as Opposition MPs raised slogans and created a ruckus, stalling normal …

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red alert for Uttarkashi and several other Uttarakhand districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall there. The department also predicted light to very light showers in Delhi-NCR over the coming week.Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for parts of western Uttar Pradesh, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at several places.Speaking to IANS, IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava said: “Du…

Kochi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension of toll collection at the Paliyekkara Toll Plaza on the Edappally-Mannuthy National Highway, near here, for four weeks, citing the authorities’ failure to resolve the severe traffic congestion in the region.The Division Bench comprising Justice Muhammad Mustaque and Justice V. Harishankar Menon issued the order while considering a batch of petitions seeking a stay on toll collection until the traffic snarls a…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) As the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls gains momentum, Congress along with other INDIA Bloc leaders, demanded an immediate rollback of the exercise and a full debate in both Houses of Parliament.Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, speaking to IANS, strongly criticised the government’s refusal to allow discussion on what he called a fundamental democratic issue.“I believe the country needs to be concerned that an elected government does not…

Thrissur (Kerala), Aug 6 (IANS) A major tragedy was narrowly averted on Wednesday after the ceiling of an auditorium at Kodaly Government Upper Primary School in Thrissur collapsed — fortunately, on a day when the school was closed due to heavy rains.No students or staff were present at the school due to the holiday.The incident occurred around dawn, when the gypsum board ceiling installed beneath a metal sheet roof crashed inside the auditorium where students typically assemble.The ceiling was…