The endless wait to get valid currency notes was also taking a toll on people waiting for hours in long queues as there were reports of many elderly people collapsing out of fatigue.
'Gurmeet Ram Rahim's political clout inhibited the chief minister, affected the bureaucracy and restricted the police.'
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 24 hours.
Germany announced their arrival at the FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday by handing out a near-record 10-0 thrashing to Ivory Coast.
Delhi is a year-round health hazard that visitors shun like the plague, says Sunil Sethi.
'The death penalty exists in India for murderers. Is it a deterrent and does it stop murders?'
Major General B S Raju, the head of Victor Force that performs counter-insurgency operations in five districts of south Kashmir, says a great deal of political sagacity is needed to ensure that a lasting solution to the decades-long separatist problem is found.
'What kind of world player are you trying to be?'
With the state police pursuing only notorious criminals, petty thugs continue to prey on victims.
With no signs of improvement in the situation in Kashmir, community schools are the only hope for students in the valley.
Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar journeys through villages and towns, districts and cities for a reality check.
Vroom! Indonesia president a hit on social media after motorbike stunt
Rediff.com brings you a glance of all the action from the week gone by.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
There is not much bank employees can do, but some words of encouragement from the management would have helped. Stretched working hours and the tense atmosphere is taking a toll on their health.
The TomTom Traffic Index compares travel time during non-congested hours with travel times in peak hours experienced by passenger vehicles.
Ama Tsogspa believes that any issue related to the community is their concern and responds to it organically.
Congruence on terrorism, current disquiet on immigration, short-term visa would top the wish list.
'The previous (Congress) government at least did not veto provisions of the cattle laws.' 'The BJP is actively weakening the provisions.' 'The BJP government tried to export goats from Nagpur for slaughter to the Middle East.' 'The whole country was aghast and offended. We are a country of Ahimsa.' 'The BJP has incentivised the butcher industry so meat export has gone up, live animal export has gone up, leather export is on the rise, smuggling has gone up.'
From linking innovation with supply of inputs to providing contract farming, the private sector can help agriculture move to the next stage of development.
In her keynote address at the 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit, she said that despite the soaring rate of female entrepreneurs, women still face steep obstacles to starting, owning, and growing their businesses.
'If India is to emerge as a superpower, we must utilise our huge agricultural potential and not, as in past centuries, merely exploit our farmers,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
As pollution reaching alarming levels in Delhi, Veer Arjun Singh guides you how to protect yourself.
A confident, assertive single woman is finding her way into popular advertising narratives.
We present some of the best photographs clicked across the globe in the month of May.
The IMD attributed the projection to a weakening of El Nio and the Indian Ocean Dipole turning positive.
'The whole country supports the government. The exceptions are only two -- those who thrived on black money and those who are inimical to Indian interests,' argues Major General Mrinal Suman.
A year ago, Greece's bankers thought they were on the cusp of a new era.
'Gau rakshaks portray themselves to be bigger than the chief minister and Prime Minister Modi.' 'We have lost business of Rs 4,000 crore in UP alone since the BJP manifesto was released.'
Here's a glimpse of all that happened around the world last week, in 16 images
Delhi woke up to the season's worst air quality as smoke from Diwali fireworks, coupled with moisture and nearly stagnant wind movement, shrouded the city in a thick cover of smog with respirable pollutants reaching perilous levels.
'In 2013, Modi said his government would be of Dalits and OBCs.' 'During his tenure, the highest number of atrocities have taken place.' 'What they want is that this Ambedkar Constitution must not be practised in India in the future.'
'Did the government learn any lesson from the disasters of 2008, 1987, 1975?' 'Certainly not!' 'They are making people believe that the 2017 flood was unexpected, so no preventive effort towards reducing the loss of human lives was to be expected from the government,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
Universal basic income or social security? Economist Nitin Desai feels we need a blueprint for universal health care and pensions to help the vulnerable section.
'Temperature and wind can be predicted more easily than rainfall.' 'Rainfall, as common experience suggests, is very spotty.' 'The last bit of physics required that tells us whether it is going to rain or not is very hard.' Professor Roddam Narasimha, the eminent scientist, explains the monsoon, climate change and global warming, in a fascinating conversation with Shivanand Kanavi.
Success eluded them on the European and the PGA Tour but Indian golfers enjoyed a decent run in Asia, with rising talents Rashid Khan and Anirban Lahiri sharing four titles between them even as some seasoned veterans struggled in a mixed year for the sport.
'As of now, it seems like they want to tread the Vajpayee line, but the central government has to create trust.' 'It has to be vibrant and unambiguous.'
Here's your weekly digest of the craziest stories from around the world.
'Maybe, India will never be reformed and maybe India will continue to have a quagmire for the rest of history.'
'He can do wonders if only he dons the mantle of the leader, mentor and path-setter of the nation and for all its people, instead of remaining content with being a mere PM belonging to one of the many political parties,' says B S Raghavan.
