Moscow/New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sharing his assessment of his last week’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and New Delhi’s support for all efforts in this regard.”Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has consiste…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Monday signed an agreement to license the indigenously developed India’s first silicon photonics-based high-speed Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG).The agreement signed with Indrarka Quantum Technologies aims for the commercial deployment of the Silicon Photonic QRNG.Developed at the Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS), IIT Madras, this milestone highlights the technology’s …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Opposition parties on Monday accused the ECI of partiality and deviation from its constitutional duty – an allegation that came a day after CEC Gyanesh Kumar ticked off the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for levelling unsubstantiated charges of wrongdoings on the poll body and sought an apology. In a joint statement, the Opposition parties said that the ECI has completely failed in discharging its constitutional duty of ensuring a …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) In a pointed political attack, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has reignited debate over the historic Indus Water Treaty of 1960, branding it one of the “biggest blunders” of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.On his X handle, the BJP senior leader Nadda accused Nehru of compromising India’s water security and national interest by unilaterally ceding 80 per cent of the Indus basin waters to Pakist…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Ministry of Coal has planned to set up 102 first-mile connectivity (FMC) projects by FY30 to modernise coal evacuation in the country, the government said on Monday.Presently, 44 FMC projects having a capacity of 429.5 million tonnes per year (MTY) are operational. An additional 58 projects will be made operational before FY30, Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.FMC projects modernise coal evacuation by replacing…

Raipur, Aug 18 (IANS) In a dignified and historic tribute, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has inaugurated a memorial dedicated to its jawans and officers who laid down their lives in anti-Naxal operations across the Bastar region over the past two decades. The ‘Shaheed Smarak’, constructed by the CRPF’s 188th battalion, was unveiled on August 15, marking Independence Day with a poignant homage to 460 personnel, including 20 officers, who were martyred between 2003 and 2025.The unv…

Chennai, Aug 18 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday extended strong support to National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Vice Presidential nominee, C.P. Radhakrishnan, describing him as the “right choice” for the country’s second-highest constitutional office. Anbumani said Radhakrishnan’s long and distinguished public career, along with his administrative experience, made him uniquely suited for the post.“C.P. Radhakrishnan has served with dignity and…

Kharagpur (West Bengal), Aug 18 (IANS) The world is moving from conventional wars to technology-driven wars of power, and our ability to prepare will decide our future, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said on Monday.Addressing IIT Kharagpur’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations here, Gautam Adani said the wars that we have to fight today are often invisible as they are fought in server farms, and not in trenches.”The weapons are algorithms, not guns. The empires are not built on land – they are bu…

Patna, Aug 18 (IANS) Hundreds of aspirants took to the streets in the capital demanding that the State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) be conducted before the TRE 4 recruitment examination. This marks the second major protest in 15 days over the issue.Candidates from different districts gathered at Patna College, insisting that the government must first conduct STET to ensure transparency and give unemployed teacher aspirants a fair chance.“Without STET, TRE 4 will be an injustice to thousands…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved the Indian Ports Bill 2025, which aims to consolidate laws related to ports, promote integrated port development, facilitate ease of doing business, and ensure optimum utilisation of India’s coastline.The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 12, and now, with the approval of both the Houses of Parliament coming through, it will be sent to the President of India for her assent.The Bill was moved in the Upper House by the Minister…