Christmas was celebrated across the country on Saturday, but the festivities were low-key for the second year in a row due to Covid, with churches and other events witnessing lower footfalls, people avoiding large get-togethers and the administration in some areas imposing certain curbs.
The apex court pulled up the authorities for not taking appropriate steps to preserve and protect the Taj.
Enthused by rising potato prices after a prolonged slump, Pradeep Sharma was planning to sow the crop on his 15-acre farm near Agra slightly earlier than usual. The delayed departure of the southwest monsoon also prompted his decision, since the good soil moisture would have saved at least one initial irrigation. But the acute shortage of diammonium phosphate (DAP), a crucial nutrient ahead of the sowing season for potatoes, nipped those hopes in the bud. DAP is the second-most used fertiliser in the country after urea.
'Bateshwar is a rare temple where Shiva is depicted in his human form (and not his symbol, the Lingam).'
Besides Surat, which will also be the world's fastest growing city during 2019-35, the other nine cities are Agra, Bengaluru Hyderabad, Nagpur, Tiruppur, Rajkot, Tiruchirappalli, Chennai and Vijayawada.
After covering several kilometres on foot along with their families, the labourers, who reached Charbagh bus station in Lucknow on Saturday and Sunday, said there was no point staying in Delhi as they have exhausted their funds and it would be better for them to return to their homes.
Modi said India has taken an important step forward in protecting its youth population against the disease.
Its proximity to popular tourist destinations like Agra, which attracts 45 per cent of the international passenger traffic at IGI, could be diverted to Jewar.
Shiv Sena member of Legislative Assembly Anil Kadam, who had allegedly abused women staff at a toll booth near Pimpalgaon Baswant on Mumbai-Agra national highway two days ago, submitted his resignation to party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, sources said.
A day-long bandh called by Gujjars in support of their demand for five per cent reservation in government jobs hit vehicular traffic in Dausa district even as Gadia Luhar community joined the stir which entered the fifth day on Friday.
An air ambulance ofIndian Air Force successfully evacuated eight persons, injured in a fire at Kumbh Mela, for emergency medical attention in the national capital.
He said there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state.
A Swiss woman was gang-raped by a group of eight unidentified persons in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Saturday.
Huge crowds gathered to pay respects to the soldiers amid emotional moments, with anti-Pakistan slogans renting the air.
Two persons died and several were injured in Friday's communal clash in Kosi-Kalan town in Mathura district, close to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal.
'It shows that they cannot manage the situation with the forces in their hand.'
Hindu community was facing a "conspiracy" and it should strengthen itself and "set an example", Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria said in Agra at a condolence meeting for a dalit VHP leader, who was shot dead on Thursday.
The apex court also expressed concern over the historic monument being infected by insects and asked the authorities, including ASI, what steps they have taken to prevent this.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (KMS) and Kisan Sena (KS) made a representation, which also included a demand for strengthening the dispute resolution system in case of any trouble in contract farming.
Trump is accompanied by First Lady Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and the top brass of his administration.
The sixth round of talks between the government and farm union leaders, which was scheduled for Wednesday morning, has been cancelled. According to the union leaders, a new 'Delhi chalo' (march to Delhi)' call is being given to all farmers in the north India for December 14, while those in the South will be asked to protest at district headquarters.
'This is against the Constitution and we will oppose it tooth and nail.'
The apex court also expressed anguish over the Uttar Pradesh government failure to come out with a vision document to preserve and protect the Taj Mahal.
Angry after a row over the fare, a bus driver on Wednesday allegedly ran over 17 passengers, soon after they alighted from the vehicle, crushing to death seven of them in Karauli district of Rajasthan. Ten others were injured in the incident, which occurred at College Road on Wednesday morning in Karauli, 160 kms from Jaipur. All the victims were from Agra, Superintendent of Police Omprakash said.
Paramilitary force personnel and state police force will be deployed and drone cameras will be used to ensure security on Friday.
Several experts are of the view that inflationary pressure, including that in food items, may build from October with economic activity gathering steam. However, the price movement in three key items of tomato, onions and potatoes, commonly known as TOP, may give some solace in the months to come. Traders and market watchers said the price movement in all the three will remain within the band sans any unusual spikes.
An alert has been sounded by the Delhi government after the water level of Yamuna river crossed the danger mark, an official said.
Reports from Bundi district said normalcy had been restored and the blockade lifted on the Jaipur-Kota National Highway.
None of the political parties in UP has any effective plans to create jobs.
Indian Mujahideen was planning to send letters "soaked with poison" to their targets to kill them, the Delhi Police has told a court here in its charge sheet filed against six suspected men of the terror outfit in a case of allegedly setting up an illegal arms factory in New Delhi.
There were speculations that the venue for the mega event may be shifted.
Today, the two countries, ruthlessly divided by the Radcliffe line that pierced their very heart, grapple with the political challenges of the present. Yet, when friendships develop there are no borders, observes Payal Singh Mohanka.
Gujjar protesters blocked the Delhi-Mumbai rail route and a key national highway for the fifth day on Monday after negotiations with the government over their demand of five per cent quota were stalled due to disagreement over the meeting venue.
The SP said the protesters also pelted stones, injuring four jawans, adding that police had to lob tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Five boggies of a goods train on Tuesday derailed in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh affecting rail traffic on the Etawah-Kanpur section, a senior railway official said in Etawah.
Uttar Pradesh cops opened fire in Tappal village of Aligarh district on Saturday night on farmers protesting against inadequate compensation given to them for acquisition of their land for building the much talked about 165-km long Yamuna Expressway between Noida and Agra.
Amid a raging row over alleged forced reconversions in Agra, a Hindu organisation has announced its plan to "convert a large number of people" on December 25, which was welcomed by a local Bharatiya Janata Party MP who said people are within their rights to choose their religion.
Nearly 2.6 crore people in 73 constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh are voting on Saturday in the first of the seven phases of high-stake assembly elections
The migrants said that they prefer trucks and tempos to go back to their native places as the trucks drop them close to their villages, while buses drop them only till the state border, from where they have to find another mode of transport to reach home.
Police had clashed with about 3,000 followers of obscure sect Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi which had encroached on 260 acres government land. Twenty-four people, including a superintendent of police and a station house officer, were killed in the violence which took place when police went to evict the sect from the land.
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