Male central government employees are entitled to 15 days under service rules and provisions in the private sector depends on the company's policy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Lok Sabha members to vote for the women's reservation bill, emphasising the need to empower women and rectify decades of political inaction.
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, following arguments from various lawyers and the Election Commission of India.
Shah has firmly stated that providing reservation to Muslims based on religion is unconstitutional, while also confirming that a caste census will proceed alongside the population enumeration.
The second season of the Russo Brothers' espionage series Citadel, falls short of its global ambitions due to muddled writing and a lack of compelling narrative depth, complains Sukanya Verma.
NDA leaders have defended proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, arguing women have waited long enough for reservation, while opposition parties allege the process could undermine India's federal and democratic structure, particularly impacting southern states.
A bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies by increasing the lower house's strength to 850 is slated for introduction in Parliament. The bill seeks to amend Article 81 of the Constitution and utilise 2011 Census data for redrawing constituencies.
A Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and increasing Lok Sabha seats was defeated in Parliament, marking a setback for the government's efforts to empower women in politics.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government's handling of the women's quota bill, accusing them of political maneuvering and neglecting the rights of OBCs.
'At the first sign of real trouble, that money will move. There will be a run.'
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
The BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi concluded without a joint statement due to disagreements over the West Asia conflict, with Iran blaming the UAE for the lack of consensus. India, as the host, issued a chair's statement highlighting the differing views.
Indian racer Kush Maini completed his first official Formula 1 test of the season with BWT Alpine F1 Team at the Circuit Zandvoort, driving the Alpine A521 as part of the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticises the Congress and its allies for the defeat of the Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent women's quota in legislative bodies before the 2029 Parliamentary polls.
The Congress party has accused the government of using women's reservation as a pretext to push through delimitation, arguing that the women's quota law should be implemented immediately based on the current Lok Sabha strength.
The Punjab Police has reportedly withdrawn the security cover for Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh after he switched from AAP to BJP. This follows protests by AAP workers outside the residences of Singh and other defectors.
Iran has submitted its latest proposal aimed at advancing negotiations to end the ongoing West Asia conflict with the US, days after the Islamic Republic submitted a fresh proposal through regional intermediaries to cease its military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which is likely to get rejected by Washington.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
Petrol and diesel prices have been increased by Rs 3 per litre each, marking the first hike in over four years, as state-run fuel retailers pass on some of the impact from surging global crude prices, which have been exacerbated by the Iran war.
Flows from overseas Indians into Non-Resident Indian (NRI) deposit schemes have fallen by 24.17 per cent to approximately $11.04 billion between April 2025 and February 2026, down from $14.56 billion in the previous year, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun a six-day tour of the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy to strengthen bilateral relations amid geopolitical challenges. The trip will focus on energy security, trade, and technological cooperation.
The Indian rupee plummeted to an all-time low of 95.80 against the US dollar, settling at 95.66, driven by elevated crude oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, despite potential RBI intervention and import curbs on gold.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis is impacting lifestyles worldwide, from reduced gold purchases in India to energy conservation in Europe and Japan, as governments urge citizens to adapt to the global energy shock.
Pakistan's skewed foreign reserves got a major boost after Saudi Arabia pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits while extending its existing $5 billion facility for a further three years.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has stated his willingness to undergo a narco analysis test to help establish the truth in the sexual abuse case registered against him under the POCSO Act. He maintains his innocence and alleges the case is an attempt to defame him.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP government's record on women's safety, alleging increased crimes and discrimination.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has claimed victory for the state after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Stalin criticised the Centre's handling of the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation process, accusing the BJP of prioritising political gain over fairness and consultation.
Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction during post-poll violence in West Bengal and sought judicial intervention to protect citizens.
The total reserves increased to $701.3 billion on the back of a rise in foreign currency assets which increased by $9.6 billion to $560 billion during the reported week.
An adult tiger with a radio collar was found dead in the Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India, prompting concerns about the safety and management of the reserve. The death, attributed to a territorial fight, has led to allegations of negligence and calls for investigation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' during a campaign stop, alleging it was a staged event for cameras. She also accused the BJP of aiding Independents from the minority community and criticised the Election Commission over voter roll revisions.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
Virat Kohli praises Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues for their performances in women's cricket, highlighting Rodrigues' World Cup semi-final knock as particularly special. He also acknowledges the impact of the Women's Premier League (WPL) on the rising standards of Indian women's cricket.
Reliance Industries Ltd reported a 12.5 per cent fall in its March quarter net profit, primarily impacted by the global energy crisis affecting its oil and chemicals business, while its consumer-facing Jio Platforms unit saw a 13 per cent increase in profit after tax.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The measures announced by it risk backfiring, disrupting the foreign exchange market, and intensifying the very pressures they seek to contain, with broader consequences for the economy points out Rajeswari Sengupta.
An irate woman confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan during a BJP demonstration in Mumbai, blaming him for the traffic chaos caused by the protest over the women's reservation bill. The incident, captured on video, has sparked criticism of the BJP's protest tactics.
India's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is projected to maintain an annual run-rate of approximately $200 billion, evenly split between domestic, inbound, and outbound transactions, despite global geopolitical turbulence, according to Rajesh Singhi, global co-head, M&A Advisory, Standard Chartered Bank.
Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women's quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.
Kane Williamson and Kyle Jamieson return to New Zealand's Test squad for tours of Ireland and England, with Jamieson back after a long injury layoff.
