Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (IANS) Even before formally taking oath as Kerala’s next Chief Minister, V. D. Satheesan has moved swiftly to send out a vital political message — that the era of intimidating VIP convoys, massive traffic blocks, and fortress-style security may soon become a thing of the past.The incoming Chief Minister’s instructions to police officials on Friday to drastically trim his security arrangements are being widely seen not merely as an administrative decision, but as a…

Gandhinagar, May 15 (IANS) India’s first semi high-speed broad gauge rail corridor equipped with the advanced “Kavach 5.0” train protection system will be developed between Ahmedabad and Dholera in Gujarat after the Union Cabinet approved the Rs 20,667 crore project earlier this week, with railway and state government officials outlining further details on Friday. The Ahmedabad (Sarkhej)–Dholera semi high-speed double-line railway project, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs …

Imphal, May 15 (IANS) After sustained efforts by security forces, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and community leaders, 28 people belonging to different communities in Manipur were safely released on Friday, officials said.The individuals had been detained by different groups in the aftermath of the May 13 violent attack in Manipur, which claimed the lives of three Baptist Church pastors and left four others injured.A senior Manipur government official said that following the May 13 violenc…

Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) The Railways on Friday sanctioned three new projects for West Bengal, where there has been a change of regime following the recently concluded Assembly polls, ending the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule and marking the beginning of the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the state since Independence.According to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, he had received three separate subject letters relating to the projects from Railway Minister Ashwini …

Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) Political parties and farmer groups on Friday staged a protest near Mantralaya in south Mumbai, demanding immediate help for mango and cashew growers from the Konkan region.​ As farmers marched towards Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ official residence, Varsha Bungalow, the protesters were stopped by the police and detained.​State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, who participated in the protests, criticised the government’s “repressive tactics”, saying that…

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday warned the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction against making public statements suggesting that the apex court was delaying the hearing of petitions relating to the Shiv Sena split.A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition challenging the Election Commission of India’s decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde camp as the official Shiv Sena, along with a petition filed by Sunil Prabhu challeng…

Bidar (Karnataka), May 15 (IANS) Former Karnataka Minister P.G.R. Sindya on Friday expressed support for allowing students to wear hijabs in educational institutions, stating that the issue should be viewed as a matter of personal faith and freedom of expression rather than as a controversy linked to education. Sindya is a former close associate of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.Speaking on the ongoing debate over hijabs in schools and colleges, Sindya said the hijab was not a major issue…

Guwahati, May 15 (IANS) India has achieved a major milestone in wildlife conservation with the country’s first-ever satellite tagging of the endangered Ganges Softshell Turtle in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), officials said on Friday.Announcing the achievement on the occasion of Endangered Species Day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the initiative marked a historic step in India’s conservation efforts.Taking to social media, Sarma wrote: “A fir…

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an alleged kingpin in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, as it claimed to have identified the original source of the chemistry question paper leak linked to the national-level medical entrance examination.According to the agency, the accused, identified as Chemistry lecturer P.V. Kulkarni, associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), had access to the confidential question pa…

Bengaluru, May 15 (IANS) The Samarthanam Bengaluru team emerged victorious at the Karnataka Men’s Cricket Tournament for the Blind, clinching the championship title with a commanding 35-run win over JSB Ramanagara in the grand finale. The four-day tournament was hosted by Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled from May 12 to 15, 2026, at Ramu Sports Arena on Varthur-Sarjapur Road.Batting first, Samarthanam Bengaluru played against JSB Ramanagara winning a massive total of 158/5 in 10 overs, led by…