Guwahati, Aug 11 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday, refuted the allegations that the state administration’s ongoing eviction drives are aimed at minority-dominated areas, saying that they specifically target ‘Miya-Muslims’ accused of encroaching on forest and other reserved lands. Addressing reporters in Chirang, Chief Minister Sarma said the operations are focused on removing illegal settlements from forest areas, village grazing reserves and professional grazing reserv…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Delhi government’s flagship Industrial Ideathon 2025 has drawn an unprecedented response from student innovators, with 652 teams registering to compete for Rs 40 lakh worth of prizes and rewards. The Ideathon would be held in four categories and offer a chance to the winners to present solutions before industry stalwarts and government decision-makers.Organised by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) on behalf of the Indust…

Thrissur, Aug 11 (IANS) Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) Aparna Lavakumar has won applause yet again. Her quick thinking, and an act of kindness and compassion on one of Thrissur city’s busiest roads has been widely praised after a video of the incident went viral.She cleared the way for an ambulance carrying a critically ill patient. The video shows a long traffic jam with vehicles at a standstill, when an ambulance with its siren blaring approached from behind.Understanding the urgency of the si…

Varanasi, Aug 11 (IANS) The use of plastic was completely prohibited in Varanasi’s iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Monday. The temple administration had been running a 10-day awareness campaign ahead of the ban, using digital, electronic, and print media to inform devotees and vendors at key points in the temple area, including Godaulia and Maidagin. In preparation, the administration distributed bamboo baskets and metal pots to prasad shops, encouraging eco-friendly alternatives. The move h…

Bengaluru, Aug 11 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 must send out a big message to the world. Speaking at a preparatory meeting for the summit with officials and businessmen, he said, “We are not competing with our neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Bengaluru is being seen as a global IT capital. Our IT Minister is chalking out things to meet those standards.””More than one lakh peo…

Hyderabad, Aug 11 (IANS) Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, on Monday, disapproved the action of Telugu cinema workers to stop film shootings and advised them to amicably resolve the wage hike issue through talks with film producers in the state. The Minister gave the advise when representatives of the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation met him to apprise him of their demand and the crisis triggered by the refusal of the producers to accept them.Venkat Reddy, howe…

Bengaluru, Aug 11 (IANS) K.N. Rajanna, former minister and a close associate of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was asked to tender his resignation over his remarks regarding the alleged election fraud issue, stated on Monday that the Congress high command has misunderstood him, and he will meet the national leaders in Delhi. “I will go to Delhi and meet the high command. I have received information that there seems to be a misunderstanding by the high command regarding the matter. I will go wi…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The total area sown under kharif crops in the ongoing current season has increased by 38.48 lakh hectares to 995.63 lakh hectares, so far this year, compared with the corresponding figure of 957.15 lakh hectares in the same period last year, data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Monday showed.The increase in sown area augurs well for higher production, which, in turn, would increase the incomes of farmers and also help to keep food inflation…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the ambitious ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) Bill held its sitting on Monday under the chairmanship of BJP MP PP Chaudhary. Several distinguished academics and former lawmakers attended the meeting. They shared their insights on the proposed simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.Among the expert witnesses were Prof. G. Gopal Reddy, Chairperson of the Governing Body at Miranda House and former UGC me…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Accelerating naval modernisation, the Indian Navy is preparing for the simultaneous commissioning of two advanced frontline frigates – Udaygiri (F35) and Himgiri (F34) – on August 26 at Visakhapatnam, an official said on Monday. This will be the first time that two major surface combatants from two prestigious Indian Shipyards are being commissioned at the same time, he said.Both ships are the result of an industrial ecosystem spanning over 200 MSMEs, supporting approxim…