Maha local body polls: Conduct election through VVPAT to ensure transparency, demands Cong

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Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday demanded that the voting in the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra be held using the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) to ensure transparency. If voting through VVPAT takes time, then, the Congress said, the elections should be held on a ballot.Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar took strong objection to the statement by the State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare’s statement made on Tuesday that VVPAT m…

Haryana to host Urban Mobility India summit in Gurugram

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Chandigarh, Aug 6 (IANS) Haryana is set to host the prestigious 18th Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference-cum-exhibition in Gurugram from November 7 to 9, government officials said on Wednesday. The preparations for the event were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi here. The conference is a flagship annual event organised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and serves as a globally recognised platform for stakeholders to deliberate on emerging issues,…

481 bottles of IMFL seized in Jamnagar; hunt on for bootleggers

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Jamnagar, Aug 6 (IANS) In a significant catch, Dhrol police in Jamnagar district of Gujarat recovered 481 bottles of Indian‑Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from an abandoned car on the Dhrol–Jodiya road. The total value of the seized contraband goods, including the vehicle, is estimated at Rs 12.46 lakh, police officials shared on Wednesday.Acting on a tip-off about a consignment of liquor being transported illegally, the Dhrol police launched an operation. Upon reaching the location, they discov…

Uttarakhand cloudburst: ITBP rescues over 100, braces for more amid harsh weather

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) In the wake of the devastating cloudburst in the Harshil region of Uttarkashi town of Uttarakhand, which triggered flash floods and widespread destruction, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been at the forefront of rescue and relief operations. Barinderjit Singh, Deputy Inspector General (Operations), ITBP, spoke exclusively to IANS about the ongoing efforts, challenges, and ground realities of the rescue mission being carried out in treacherous weather conditions…

CM Vijayan comes out with 2nd phase of insurance scheme for state govt employees, pensioners

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Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6 (IANS) Ahead of the forthcoming crucial elections — local body (December) and Assembly (April/May 2026) — the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government on Wednesday approved the second phase of the Medisep medical insurance scheme for state government employees and pensioners.There are about one million families which will now avail this new facility.The scheme will see significant enhancements in insurance coverage and treatment options.Under the new phase, basic insura…

Karnataka: Moulvi arrested for raping 5-year-old girl

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Belagavi, Aug 6 (IANS) A 22-year-old Moulvi was arrested by the Karnataka Police in connection with the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl in the state’s Belagavi district, police said on Wednesday. The police said that the incident, which took place in 2023, came to light after the CCTV footage went viral on social media.The police were able to identify the Moulvi and the girl’s parents, leading to the accused’s arrest. A case has been registered at the Muragod police station, and the accused…

Justice for RG Kar victim: Durga Puja committees refuse Mamata govt's Rs 1.10 lakh dole

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Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) Like the previous year, different community Durga Puja committees in West Bengal have refused the annual Durga Puja donation offered by the state government, demanding justice for the R.G. Kar rape and murder victim. Last week, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the enhancement of annual Puja donations to Rs 1,10,000 to each community Puja committee, up from the figure of Rs 85,000 last year, and within a week of that announcement, two such community Durga Puja commit…

Parliament approves Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Parliament on Wednesday passed The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha approving it by voice vote amid the ruckus created in the upper house by the opposition MPs over the Special Intensive Revision issue.The Bill has already been cleared by the Lok Sabha. With both Houses of Parliament already having approved the Bill of Lading Bill, 2025, it will now be sent to the President for her assent to be promulgated as the law.Minister of State for Port…

Union Minister launches book on cutting carbon footprint in handloom sector

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh on Wednesday officially launched the book titled ‘Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Indian Handloom Sector: Methods and Case Studies’, which incorporates simple steps to measure and reduce the carbon footprint in India’s handloom industry. The book has been jointly prepared by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles and Department of Textiles & Fibre Engineering, IIT, Delhi.An official …

'Come via proper channel': EC tells Owaisi, Surjewala as they flag 65 lakh voters being ‘left out’ in Bihar rolls

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday brushed aside claims of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, about the alleged irregularities and imperfections in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and advised them to lodge their complaints, if any, via proper channels.EC’s pointed rebuttal comes on back of charges by the two tall leaders of respective parties, where they called the exclusion of 65 lakh names from d…