New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras High Court order that had overturned the discharge of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I. Periyasamy, his wife P. Suseela, and their sons, P. Prabhu and P. Senthilkumar, from a disproportionate assets case filed in 2012. The apex court directed the Minister and his family to face trial in the case.A Bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on the petition filed by Periyasamy and his fa…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) There is no proposal to impose transaction charges on unified payments interface (UPI) based digital payments, the government reiterated on Monday.Unified Payment Interface (UPI) transactions are facilitated by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), and its circular (dated 30.08.2019) had permitted the acquiring banks to charge Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) at 0.30 per cent of the transaction value.”However, section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act…

Bengaluru, Aug 18 (IANS) The administrations of seven districts in Karnataka declared a holiday on Monday for schools and colleges in various taluks following heavy and incessant rain. The precautionary measures were taken in Mangaluru, Udupi, Karwar, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Madikeri and Davanagere districts.The rain has been lashing coastal Karnataka and the hilly regions of the state, disrupting normal life. The parched lands of north Karnataka are also receiving heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, the…

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to share the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an official program of the latter scheduled to be held on the northern outskirts of Kolkata on August 22.The Prime Minister will first reach Jessore Road Metro station by road from Kolkata Airport. There, he will inaugurate three new city metro railway routes, namely the Noapara to Jai Hind Airport Station, Ruby to Beliaghata, and Esplanade to Sealdah.An official i…

Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS) Relentless rainfall pounded Mumbai on Monday, throwing the city into disarray with widespread waterlogging, traffic gridlocks, and public service disruptions even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the city, warning of extremely heavy rain over the next 48 hours. The downpour brought several key areas of Mumbai to a standstill, including the Western Express Highway near Vile Parle and the Gandhi Market area in Sion, where waterlogging di…

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) The police on Monday detained the convenor of the Unemployed Teachers’ March to the School Service Commission (SSC) office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area, a day after the police said the organisers of the march were planning to launch a violent movement. Suman Biswas was detained at Adisaptagram station in Hooghly district by officers of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate.According to sources, the personnel of Chinsurah police station searched the house of Suman Biswas i…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Only 1.69 per cent of the Rs 2,000 banknotes were yet to be returned to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from circulation (as on July 31), the Parliament was informed on Monday.As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the total value of Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation, which was Rs 3.56 lakh crore at the close of business on May 19, 2023, has declined to Rs 6,017 crore as on July 31.Before undertaking the exercise of withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes, it was ensured that …

Gold remains a trusted investment and traditional hedge against inflation, especially during economic uncertainties. In…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Ladakh Marathon will return for its 12th edition from September 11 to 14, featuring its largest field in history with over 6,600 runners from 30 countries. Recognised as the world’s highest AIMS-certified (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races) marathon, the event will feature six races ranging from a 5 km community run to two gruelling Ultramarathons, the 72 km Khardung La Challenge and the pinnacle of endurance racing, the 122 km Silk Route Ultra….

Srinagar, Aug 18 (IANS) The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival is all set to reveal the iconic Dal Lake in a new avatar. Jammu and Kashmir’s quest to emerge as a sporting destination will get a major boost when Dal Lake hosts its maiden major national-level Open competition, from August 21-23. More than 400 athletes from 36 states and Union Territories will be taking part in three medal events – rowing, kayaking and canoeing.The Union sports ministry’s endeavor to promote sports …