Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) After the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged the presence of E. coli bacteria and other contaminants in drinking water samples collected from eight railway stations across the country in 2022–23 and 2023–24, Eastern Railway (ER) has said that things have improved since then. Madhupur in Jharkhand was one of the stations where E. coli was found in drinking water.“ER has always placed the safety, health, and convenience of its passengers at the forefront of …

Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS) Indian banks have stepped up their efforts to attract FCNR(B) deposits by offering higher interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suddenly cut short the deadline for its dollar-rupee swap window to August 31, from September 30.The swap facility, announced in June to boost the inflow of dollars amid a weakening rupee, was originally available until the end of September, but the RBI abruptly shortened this by a month due to the “encouraging response” to the f…

Guwahati, Aug 18 (IANS) Hundreds of residents living around Assam’s Kaziranga National Park took to the streets in Kaliabor on Tuesday, backing the state government’s proposal to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the national park from the default 10-km limit to one km in the proposed areas. The protesters took out a march from Kuthari to Bagori, carrying placards and raising slogans against Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi and Raijor Dal Chief Akhil Gogoi over their reported opposition to the pr…

Sangli, Aug 18 (IANS) In a shocking incident reported from Maharashtra’s Sangli, a woman and her husband lost their lives after being attacked by a neighbour following dispute over dumping of garbage at the doorstep, police said on Tuesday.According to officials, a quarrel had broken out between neighbours in the Kupwad area of ​​Sangli over garbage being dumped at a doorstep. The dispute escalated to the point where a man, identified as Farid Abdul Shaikh, allegedly launched a fatal attack …

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18 (IANS) The BJP’s Yuva Morcha on Tuesday stepped up its campaign against the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), demanding the dissolution of its present governing body and a comprehensive probe into appointments made by the commission over the past decade.Yuva Morcha state President V. Manuprasad said the organisation would intensify its agitation as long as the existing PSC governing body, including members facing allegations of corruption and of cheating job aspi…

Jaipur, Aug 18 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth around Rs 3,500 crore across the state and flagged off 71 PM e-buses to promote clean, affordable and sustainable public transport. Addressing a gathering at HCM RIPA in Jaipur, Sharma said the initiatives reflect the “Double Engine” government’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and will contrib…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Recent state assembly elections in India have recorded voter turnout figures that exceed those of most leading democracies worldwide, according to a comparative chart released by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The data shows several Indian states ranking among the highest globally, reflecting strong public participation in the electoral process. West Bengal registered the highest turnout at 93.70 per cent, followed by Puducherry at 91.19 per cent, Assam at 88.33…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) In fresh trouble for former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, the Goa government has moved the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of his current punishment of 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague. The Goa government is expected to push for harsher, exemplary punishment for the former editor, a lawyer said on Tuesday.On August 6, the Bombay High Court had sentenced Tejpal to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment, hours after set…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) India’s top men’s singles player Lakshya Sen recovered from an early setback to launch his BWF World Championships 2026 campaign with a 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 victory over Austria’s Collins Filimon in the men’s singles Round of 64 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. The Indian, seeded 14th, who needed 45 minutes to complete the comeback, found another gear after dropping the opening game and thereafter barely allowed his opponent into the contest.The opening g…

London, Aug 18 (IANS) Indian batter Mahipal Lomror has been signed by English club Surrey for the final six Rothesay County Championship matches of the 2026 season, with the county side bringing in the Rajasthan captain to bolster their batting and spin-bowling options for the run-in.The 26-year-old man, who has a great deal of first-class experience, is moving to Surrey as the team readies itself to play red-ball cricket again with Nottinghamshire’s visit on Thursday. He has played 63 first-cla…