New Delhi, Aug 7 ( IANS) At least 50 civilians, eight jawans and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) are still missing after a cloudburst triggered flash flood and landslides in Dharali in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district early this week. After the cloudburst in the Dharali region near Harsil on August 5, the area remains largely inaccessible, with key road links at Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, Harsil, and Dharali severely damaged.Besides, around 180–200 tourists were stranded in Gangotri.T…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) India is celebrating the 11th National Handloom Day on Thursday, recognising the country’s rich weaving traditions and the skilled artisans who keep them alive. The celebration honours the historic ‘Swadeshi Movement’ launched on August 7, 1905, which promoted indigenous industries, especially handlooms, as a form of resistance to British rule. In commemoration of the ‘Swadeshi Movement’, the Government of India declared August 7 as National Handloom Day in 2015.The eve…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by Justice Yashwant Varma – who faces an impeachment threat following the cash-discovery episode – challenging the findings of the three-member in-house inquiry committee that recommended his removal under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.In his writ petition, Justice Varma, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, had sought to quash the communication forwarded by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna t…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday said that all political parties taken together including the Opposition – RJD and Congress, have filed zero ‘claims and objections’ for inclusion or exclusion in the electoral draft rolls, a week after its publication. However, 5,015 people have directly submitted objections with the poll panel.‘No objection’ to the draft rolls by parties assumes importance as a week has already passed after the August 1 publication for r…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The sixth round of India-US negotiations to reach an interim trade deal, currently slated for August 25, will be important as US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 per cent tariffs on India, raising the total tariffs to 50 per cent effective from August 27, a Morgan Stanley report said on Thursday.The report stated that it will “closely monitor export growth and domestic demand data for spillover impact, along with any incremental policy response”.In FY…

Bhopal, Aug 7 (IANS) In a sweeping gesture of empowerment and festive goodwill, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday will transfer an amount of Rs 1,500 each to the bank accounts of more than 1.26 crore women under the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana, marking the 27th instalment of the scheme and a special Rakshabandhan bonus.In a state-level event, to be held in Narsinghgarh of Rajgarh district, the Chief Minister will initiate a direct benefit transfer of Rs 1,859 crore to eli…

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday strongly criticised State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare’s decision to not use VVPATs in the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra, calling the move “suspicious” and a threat to democratic transparency.In a sharply worded editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana, the Thackeray faction asserted that if the voting process is delayed due to the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs, as cited by the SEC, the…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) On the 84th death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday paid heartfelt tributes to the literary titan, lauding his immense contribution to India’s cultural and national identity. HM Shah said Tagore’s timeless works instilled self-esteem, cultural consciousness, and the spirit of independence in the nation during its freedom struggle. Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the Union Home Minister wrote, “Respectful tributes …

Srinagar, Aug 7 (IANS) The anti-terrorist operation in the Akhal forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered the seventh day on Thursday as the GOC-n-C of the Army’s northern command reviewed the counter-terrorism grid in south Kashmir districts.The security operation in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam district started last week after joint forces began a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the region following intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists th…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Congress party on Thursday paid rich tributes to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his 84th death anniversary, honouring the legendary poet, author and philosopher for his timeless contributions to India’s cultural and intellectual heritage. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge shared a heartfelt tribute on social media platform ‘X’ and said: “Nothing is worse than one section of the populace enslaving the opinions of another through force and against the…