Six-month air quality report card reveals alarming pollution levels across West Bengal: Study

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Kolkata, Aug 7 (IANS) The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said on Thursday that an air quality report card has revealed alarming pollution levels in West Bengal in the last six months. The half-yearly report card of air quality, a copy of which is available with IANS, which is based on data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has revealed sustained and hazardous levels of air pollution in all cities in West Bengal, with Asansol being the most polluted city.The dat…

High Court stays Punjab’s land pooling policy

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Chandigarh, Aug 7 (IANS) In a setback to the AAP government in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the implementation of the land pooling policy and gave the state four weeks. “We will stay the policy and give you time to address the concerns,” the Bench of Justice Anupinder Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda observed, before parting with the case. At the onset, the High Court reiterated its concerns regarding the lack of provision for the rehabilitation of landless…

Tripura Minister hands over tricolour to BSF jawans under 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign

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Agartala, Aug 7 (IANS) As part of the nationwide ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, Tripura Agriculture and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, on Thursday, handed over the national flag to the Border Security Force (BSF). Nath, second-in-command of the Tripura Cabinet after Chief Minister Manik Saha, visited the 104th Battalion of the BSF stationed at the bordering Mohanpur in west Tripura district. The Minister joined the BSF troops in a heartfelt celebration of patriotism, honouring their commitment to …

NIA arrests two Haryana residents after extensive searches in US ‘Dunki Immigration’ case

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested two accused, both residents of Haryana, in the case of human trafficking of illegal immigrations to the U.S via the infamous ‘Dunki route’.The accused, Ravi Kumar and Gopal Singh, were taken into custody during extensive searches at four locations in Haryana and Punjab in the case RC-10/2025/NIA/DLI. While two locations were searched in Karnal district of Haryana, NIA teams converged on one location each in …

NCERT introduces chapters on war heroes Manekshaw, Usman & Sharma

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) In a significant move to foster patriotism and impart lessons on bravery and sacrifice, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced chapters on three legendary Indian war heroes, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, and Major Somnath Sharma, in its new academic curriculum. These additions are part of a broader initiative to integrate the legacy of the National War Memorial into school education.The lives of these mili…

India’s income roadmap: Gujarat emerges frontrunner; MP improves as southern, western states consolidate earnings dominance

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Gujarat has emerged as the frontrunner among India’s large states, recording a per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) — a proxy for average income — of Rs 1.96 lakh. Karnataka followed closely at Rs 1.92 lakh, trailed by Haryana at Rs 1.83 lakh and Tamil Nadu at Rs 1.80 lakh. Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu each contribute between 8 and 9 per cent to the national GDP. Yet, Maharashtra’s per capita income growth has lagged behind its peers over the past decade,…

Temple tantri asked to decide on opening of Vault B of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

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Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 7 (IANS) After a gap of nearly five years, the contentious issue of opening Vault B of Kerala’s famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple has resurfaced.The matter came up for discussion at a joint meeting of the temple’s administrative and advisory committees held in the state capital on Thursday.The issue was brought up by the state government’s nominee, who pointed out that since the Supreme Court’s 2020 order, no decision had been made regarding the opening of Vault B.The…

BJP leaders writes to ECI, claims constitutional violations by Mamata Banerjee

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The BJP delegation consisting of Amit Malviya, Om Pathak and Samik Bhattacharya on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding what they claim are constitutional violations by the West Bengal government, alleging a lack of adherence to electoral provisions. The letter, addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners, highlighted the importance of correcting and authenticating electoral rolls, a constitutional responsibi…

Sambit Patra hits back at Rahul Gandhi: ‘We never threatened the Election Commission’

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra strongly responded to the allegations made by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who had accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP. Patra objected to Gandhi’s remarks and highlighted one in particular: “If there is no response to my press conference, there will be serious consequences.”Addressing a press conference, Patra said, “Today we saw Rahul Gandhi’s press briefing, and this…

Cash row: SC rejects Justice Varma's plea against in-house panel findings (Lead)

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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a writ petition filed by High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma – who faces an impeachment threat following the cash discovery episode – challenging the in-house enquiry that led to a report recommending his removal from office.In a detailed judgment, a Bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and A.G. Masih framed several key questions, including: the maintainability of Justice Varma’s petition, the legal sanction of the in…