New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) A controversial remark by former Samajwadi Party MP, ST Hasan, on the recent Uttarkashi cloudburst has sparked sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who have condemned the statement as divisive, baseless, and politically-motivated.Reacting strongly, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said Hasan’s statement was “completely baseless” and an attempt to inject communal undertones into a natural calamity.”What he said is completely baseless. A natural disaster can occur anywhere, and it …

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) In a major move to “clean up” the electoral system, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday delisted 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs), which have failed to fulfil the essential criteria of contesting even a single election for the last six years since 2019 and whose offices could not be physically located at the address mentioned in their registered documents. “After considering all facts and recommendations of CEOs, the Commission has deli…

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 (IANS) The Congress party in Kerala has launched a blistering attack on the state government after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) accused it of breaching a contract to bring football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to the state.AFA’s Head of Marketing, Leandro Peterson, claimed the deal collapsed because the Kerala government failed to meet its contractual obligations — directly contradicting Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman and the event sp…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India’s second largest lender ICICI Bank has raised the monthly minimum average balance requirement for all customer segments, effective August 1.Customers at metro and urban locations who opened their savings accounts on or after August 1 have to maintain Rs 50,000 monthly average balance to avoid penalties, according to the latest notification on the bank’s website.The minimum average balance for older customers remains Rs 10,000.New customers in semi-urban locations …

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) On the occasion of World Sanskrit Day on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings and emphasised the importance of the language in preserving India’s ancient knowledge and culture. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the timeless relevance and global impact of Sanskrit language.“Today, on Shravan Poornima, we mark World Sanskrit Day. Sanskrit is a timeless source of knowledge and expression. Its impact can be found across sectors. This day i…

Kolkata, Aug 9 (IANS) The West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police have made tight security arrangements and have imposed traffic restrictions since early Saturday morning amid the ‘Nabanna Avijan (march to the state secretariat)’ later in the day, on the first anniversary of the R.G. Kar rape and murder tragedy.The main idea is to stop the protestors in their tracks, quite at a distance from the state secretariat located at Mandirtala in Kolkata, adjacent to Howrah District.Kolkata Police said tha…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the annual defence production has soared to an all-time high of Rs 1,50,590 crore in FY 2024-25. The milestone represents a robust 18 per cent growth over the previous fiscal’s output of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, and a staggering 90 per cent increase since FY 2019-20, when the figure was Rs 79,071 crore, the minister informed.Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and other PSUs accounted for nearly 77 per cent of total produc…

Mumbai, Aug 9 (IANS) The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for suddenly remembering the farmers of the country. In the Saamana editorial, the mouthpiece of the party, it said the Prime Minister finds himself cornered both nationally and internationally, so he is now trying to use farmers as a shield to escape the crisis. “PM Modi is in a dilemma as to how to get out of the serious situation created by the 50 per cent ‘tariff bomb’ dropped on India by the US Pres…

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 (IANS) With support pouring in from all quarters for Thiruvananthapuram Medical College whistleblower Dr Harris Chirackal — who alleged he was being “harassed” for exposing corruption and systemic failures in Kerala’s healthcare sector — the state government appears poised to quietly end its investigation against him.The widely respected doctor, who admitted he had to seek psychiatric help due to stress, said State Health Minister Veena George personally visited…

Chennai, Aug 9 (IANS) Kuruvai paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu’s delta region has recorded a substantial increase this year, with the crop being raised over 2,33,163 hectares across five districts, a 56 per cent jump from last year’s coverage of 1,49,184 hectares. Officials credit the impressive rise to the timely release of water from the Mettur reservoir and the early onset of the southwest monsoon.According to figures from the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, the increase spans the…