'We have tags of state animals and birds. However, the invisible world of microbes is doing a lot of things for us in nature, not just for human beings but for the entire life.'
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) has projected the aggregate fiscal deficit of states to rise to 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026-27 (FY27), from an estimated 2.8 per cent in 2025-26 (FY26), citing higher revenue expenditure amid election-related pressures and scheme cost-sharing requirements.
Last time, assembly polls in West Bengal were held in eight phases -- by far the maximum. In Assam, elections were held in two phases, and in a singular phase in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said it would issue whatever orders or clarifications are required in the matter.
India's state-level fiscal rules have improved headline deficits, but the gains are fragile and uneven with major states still grappling with high debt levels, a World Bank report submitted to the 16th Finance Commission (FC) said. According to the report, despite nearly two decades of adoption of fiscal responsibility laws (FRLs), debt levels have not converged.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and 12 states on a PIL challenging the validity of their anti-conversion laws. The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) filed the PIL, seeking a stay on the operation of these laws.
Ajit Pawar, 66, and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Maharashtra's Pune district on Wednesday morning
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are among the first to roll out the digital exercise.
The 16th Finance Commission, led by Arvind Panagariya, has recommended maintaining the states' share in central taxes at 41% for the five-year period starting April 1, 2026. The government has accepted this recommendation, with Rs 1.4 lakh crore allocated to states for FY 2026-27 as Finance Commission Grants.
The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash, were held with full state honors in Baramati. Prominent leaders and thousands of mourners attended the funeral.
In answer to a question posed in Parliament, March 2025, details of India's forest cover, were highlighted, state-wise. Madhya Pradesh, with its enviable 11 national parks and plethora of flora and fauna, is the Indian state that boasts the most forest cover. Arunachal Pradesh, however, has the highest percentage of forest.
All of India gets ready for the mid-winter harvest festival, turning out laddoos, Pongal, Puran Poli and other endless delights.
India's electric passenger vehicle (ePV) market has expanded sharply over the past five years, with registrations rising from just 3,252 units in 2020 to about 170,000 in 2025. Throughout this scale-up, southern states have remained the bedrock of adoption, consistently contributing around one-third of national electric vehicle (EV) registrations - emphasising the region's role as the structural backbone of India's EV transition.
Assam has become the first state in India to directly venture into oil production, following the discovery of hydrocarbons at the Namrup-Borhat block.
Mexico is facing widespread violence and travel advisories after the death of drug lord 'El Mencho,' the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a military operation.
These 8 states emerged as the country's most-travelled destinations for local Indian visitors, according to Ministry Of Tourism's most recent statistics which are from 2024.
The quantum of fraud detected by the bank is more than the 503 crore net profit it reported for the October-December quarter of 2025-2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha, stating that the world is moving towards a new global order and that India has become a prominent voice for the Global South. He highlighted India's growing influence and trade deals.
State debt is rising because revenues are disappointingly weak. Ten states have debt ratios exceeding 30 per cent. In 2023-2024, states were borrowing simply to meet day-to-day expenses, points out Debashis Basu.
Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah joined the BJP, marking a significant political shift ahead of the upcoming Assam assembly polls.
After years of rapid expansion, the Centre's capital spending growth eases as private investment shows early signs of revival, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The same technologies that enable State forces to monitor and strike insurgent camps are now being mirrored by non-State actors with increasing sophistication.
The Bihar government has rejected demands to review its prohibition law, which has been in place for a decade, despite concerns raised by members of the ruling NDA about financial losses to the state.
The court made the remarks while reviewing a petition from Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. regarding free electricity distribution policies.
A former BJP MP in Rajasthan is facing accusations of religious discrimination after allegedly insulting a Muslim woman and taking back a blanket during a distribution event.
Following allegations of foul play, the Maharashtra government has requested a CBI investigation into the plane crash that tragically killed Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, promising a thorough probe into the incident.
The US President had hosted Modi for an official working visit in Washington, DC, on February 13 last year.
He said that TEA will also conduct a meeting to raise awareness among exporters and domestic manufacturers to verify the identity of workers.
A new Pew Research Center study reveals that Hindus and Jews are the most educated religious groups in the United States.
The Ranji Trophy 2026 final between Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir will be played in Hubballi instead of Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium due to ongoing safety and infrastructure upgrades, KSCA confirmed.
The counsel appearing for the arrested protesters argued that they were associated with a political party and had exercised their democratic right to protest peacefully.
Pakistan launched a military operation targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan following a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing that killed Pakistani soldiers. The action comes after repeated calls for the Afghan Taliban to prevent terrorists from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.
After the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "compromised", saying his "betrayal" in the India-US interim trade deal stood exposed.
India has joined over 100 countries and global organizations in condemning Israel's "unilateral" decisions and measures aimed at expanding its "unlawful presence" in the West Bank.
The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections 2024, setting the stage for polls to fill 37 seats across 10 states on March 16.
The Congress high command has intervened to manage discord within the DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu, following controversial remarks by state leaders regarding power-sharing demands.
The West Bengal government has filed FIRs against five state government employees for alleged lapses in electoral roll revisions, following an Election Commission ultimatum. The action comes after the EC directed the state to initiate criminal cases against the accused for adding fictitious names to voter lists.
Neal Katyal, an accomplished Indian-American lawyer, triumphed in a landmark Supreme Court case against Donald Trump's tariffs, championing the Constitution and the rights of American small businesses.
The verdict marks a notable shift from a series of recent wins for Trump at the Supreme Court.
US President Donald Trump announced a new global levy on imported items, resulting in a lower tariff rate for India, following a Supreme Court verdict against his previous sweeping tariffs.
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