Bhubaneswar, Aug 12 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Tuesday, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the Union Cabinet’s approval regarding the set up of two semiconductor manufacturing units in the state. “I sincerely express my gratitude to Prime Minister @narendramodiji and Union Minister @AshwiniVaishnawji for the Union Cabinet’s approval of the establishment of two semiconductor manufacturing units in Odish…

Kochi, Aug 12 (IANS) Whale strandings along India’s southwest coast have surged tenfold in the past decade, according to a study by the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), raising urgent calls for region-specific conservation strategies in the face of climate change.The analysis, covering data from 2004 to 2023, found that annual whale strandings jumped from just 0.3 per cent between 2003 and 2013 to three per cent during 2014–2023.The increase is attributed to a comb…

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has lent its creative expertise to the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the formal invitation kit marking India’s 79th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2025. This year’s kit pays tribute to the artistic and cultural legacy of eastern India, highlighting the traditional crafts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. Each element has been thoughtfully curated to reflect the region’s rich artisanal traditions a…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) India and Australia held the seventh round of Dialogue on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Export Control in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss developments in the areas of nuclear, chemical, biological disarmament and non-proliferation, outer space security-related matters, conventional weapons, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) in military domain and multilateral export control regimes. For the meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secre…

Jabalpur, Aug 12 (IANS) Creativity and innovation took centre stage as ‘Mega Tinkering Day’ was celebrated across the country on Tuesday, aiming to foster problem-solving abilities, technical skills, and inventive thinking among students. At PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, the event unfolded with special enthusiasm as part of a four-day programme, where students showcased projects developed with the support of the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL). Among the standout creatio…

Amaravati, Aug 12 (IANS) More than 70 per cent voters cast their votes for the by-elections to Pulivendula and Ontimitta Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) in YSR Kadapa district on Tuesday, while alleging large-scale irregularities opposition YSRCP demanded cancellation of the by-poll. The polling, which began at 7 a.m. amid tight security, concluded at 5 p.m. However, the voters standing in queues at polling stations at 5 p.m. were allowed to cast their votes.Barring minor incid…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, has provisionally attached 15 immovable properties worth Rs 8.93 crore belonging to Dr. Amit Bansal and his family, in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the illegal sale of Buprenorphine/Nalaxone (BNX) drugs by 22 private de-addiction centres in Punjab. According to officials, the action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following multiple FIRs filed by Punjab…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Two CPWD engineers and two private persons were arrested by the CBI while the two government employees were taking a bribe of Rs 6 lakh for clearing bills submitted by a firm, an official said on Tuesday. Around Rs 55 lakh cash was recovered during subsequent searches. Jai Prakash, Executive Engineer (Civil), S-Division, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), R.K. Puram, Prabhat Chaurasiya, Assistant Engineer (Civil), S-Division, CPWD, Chanakyapuri, and two private pers…

Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has urged the Congress-led state government on Tuesday to make its stand clear on the issue of internal reservation by August 16 and warned of a large scale protest if the government fails to reciprocate. Former Union Minister and veteran BJP leader A. Narayanaswamy said: “The Congress-led government in Karnataka must announce a clear decision on internal reservation by August 16. If it fails to do so, we will launch a non-cooperation movement against i…

Chennai, Aug 12 (IANS) AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Tuesday urged the BJP’s central leadership to open talks with O. Panneerselvam, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and chief coordinator of the AIADMK Cadres’ Rights Retrieval Committee, to bring him back into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Dhinakaran said there had been no outreach from the BJP so far, but expressed strong confidence that the former Chief Minister would return to the alliance.“We often speak. When we spoke …