Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6 (IANS) Ahead of the forthcoming crucial elections — local body (December) and Assembly (April/May 2026) — the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government on Wednesday approved the second phase of the Medisep medical insurance scheme for state government employees and pensioners.There are about one million families which will now avail this new facility.The scheme will see significant enhancements in insurance coverage and treatment options.Under the new phase, basic insura…

Belagavi, Aug 6 (IANS) A 22-year-old Moulvi was arrested by the Karnataka Police in connection with the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl in the state’s Belagavi district, police said on Wednesday. The police said that the incident, which took place in 2023, came to light after the CCTV footage went viral on social media.The police were able to identify the Moulvi and the girl’s parents, leading to the accused’s arrest. A case has been registered at the Muragod police station, and the accused…

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) Like the previous year, different community Durga Puja committees in West Bengal have refused the annual Durga Puja donation offered by the state government, demanding justice for the R.G. Kar rape and murder victim. Last week, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the enhancement of annual Puja donations to Rs 1,10,000 to each community Puja committee, up from the figure of Rs 85,000 last year, and within a week of that announcement, two such community Durga Puja commit…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Parliament on Wednesday passed The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha approving it by voice vote amid the ruckus created in the upper house by the opposition MPs over the Special Intensive Revision issue.The Bill has already been cleared by the Lok Sabha. With both Houses of Parliament already having approved the Bill of Lading Bill, 2025, it will now be sent to the President for her assent to be promulgated as the law.Minister of State for Port…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh on Wednesday officially launched the book titled ‘Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Indian Handloom Sector: Methods and Case Studies’, which incorporates simple steps to measure and reduce the carbon footprint in India’s handloom industry. The book has been jointly prepared by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles and Department of Textiles & Fibre Engineering, IIT, Delhi.An official …

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday brushed aside claims of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, about the alleged irregularities and imperfections in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and advised them to lodge their complaints, if any, via proper channels.EC’s pointed rebuttal comes on back of charges by the two tall leaders of respective parties, where they called the exclusion of 65 lakh names from d…

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) The parents of R.G. Kar rape and murder victim, on Wednesday, left for New Delhi for two days to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Praveen Sood to express their grievances on the progress of investigation by the central agency in the tragedy on their deceased daughter. “We are going to New Delhi to meet the CBI Director and our counsel in the Supreme Court, Karuna Nandi. There is a high possibility that we might have t…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called for Presidential assent on two Bills passed by Telangana legislature for 42 per cent reservation for backward classes.Rahul Gandhi expressed the hope that the President of India Droupadi Murmu will give her assent to the Bills.“The Telangana Government and Congress sat on a dharna in Delhi today, demanding that the President assent to the law reserving 42 per cent fo…

Bhubaneswar, Aug 6 (IANS) In a bid to bring visual uniformity and a distinct identity to public infrastructure, the Odisha government, on Wednesday, issued a notification mandating a uniform saffron-themed colour code for all government buildings across the state. As per the notification issued by the Works Department on July 30, 2025, the new colour scheme will be implemented henceforth for all new government buildings, and will also be applicable during periodical repair and renovation of exis…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed development works, welfare schemes and future projects. The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister of the state’s progress, emphasising that with the Central government’s policies and support, the state has been achieving remarkable milestones across various sectors. An official statement quoting the Chief Minister said that under the leadership…