The Supreme Court has ruled that women Short Service Commission officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who were unfairly denied Permanent Commission, are entitled to full pensionary benefits.
The government has released a set of FAQs to address concerns and clarify the details surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to provide 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures.
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.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the government's decision to link women's reservation with the expansion of Parliament, calling delimitation a 'political demonetisation'. He argued that women's reservation should be implemented immediately based on existing parliamentary strength.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of betraying women by obstructing the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aimed to reserve 33 per cent of seats in Parliament and state assemblies for women. Modi asserted that women in West Bengal would punish the TMC in the upcoming assembly elections.
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 BJP has released its election manifesto for West Bengal, promising a hardline stance on infiltration, financial assistance for women and unemployed youth, and the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees.
The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21, following reports of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the second phase of the assembly elections.
Courts cannot be the only hope for those fighting hate speech. Countering its effects on the ground takes more effort. With our political parties unwilling to put in that amount of effort, it's left to citizens to do so, points out Jyoti Punwani.
Rahul Gandhi playfully remarked on his and PM Modi's lack of 'the wife issue' during a Lok Sabha debate, highlighting the influence of women in everyone's lives.
The TMC has intensified its attack on the BJP, alleging a 'larger conspiracy' involving central agencies ahead of the second phase of West Bengal polls on April 29, while also questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
Rahul Gandhi accuses the government of using the women's reservation bill as a smokescreen to manipulate India's electoral map and diminish representation for certain states.
The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Hopefully, the BJP will realise that it's the right time for parivartan (change) in its polarising poll strategies after achieving the impossible-looking goal of winning West Bengal, argues Sheela Bhatt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the ruling TMC in West Bengal, alleging corruption and appeasement politics, while promoting the BJP's development agenda ahead of the assembly elections.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party, the TMC, will fight this move at every step.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Delhi and Gurugram authorities regarding separate incidents of alleged assault and a construction site collapse, respectively, seeking detailed reports within two weeks.
Rashtra Sevika Samiti emphasizes the importance of guiding International Women's Day with Indian cultural values, focusing on social awareness, mindset change, and women's empowerment through unity and family values.
The Ganjam district administration in Odisha has launched a free coaching centre in Berhampur for aspirants preparing for the UPSC and OPSC examinations. Two more centres are planned for Bhanjanagar and Chhatrapur.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin celebrated the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, emphasising the unity of the south and the triumph of democracy. The bill aimed to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase Lok Sabha seats. Stalin criticised the bill as weakening the balance of the union and asserted Tamil Nadu's commitment to justice, dignity, and federalism.
What lessons opposition parties need to learn post defeat of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal elections? The election saw spectacular victor of BJP which rose from 3 seats in 2016 to 206 seats in 2026 assembly elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party will fight this move at every step.
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah announces Bharat Taxi, a cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, has reached 2.13 million users and 231,000 drivers. The platform operates on a zero-commission model, prioritising driver welfare and expansion into Tier 2 and 3 cities.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces a significant setback as several of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including key figures like Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, resign from the party, with some reportedly joining the BJP.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, promising to tackle corruption and illegal immigration if the BJP comes to power. He criticised the current TMC government and outlined the BJP's plans for the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed rallies in West Bengal, promising to address infiltration issues, resolve the Gorkha issue, and tackle corruption if the BJP wins the upcoming elections.
'I cannot imagine that any NSA before Ajit Doval would have given us this kind of time and this kind of engagement. They would have offered slogans, or nothing at all. That, too, tells you something.'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, attacking Mamata Banerjee's TMC and promising development if the BJP wins the state elections. He accused Banerjee of appeasement politics and vowed to prevent the construction of a Babri Masjid-like structure in Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of manipulating voter rolls to divide the state, alleging a conspiracy to deprive Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. She claims the Election Commission is complicit in deleting lakhs of names from voter lists.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP's manifesto for West Bengal, promising a Uniform Civil Code, a Bengali chief minister, and improved governance.
A 27-year-old physiotherapist was attacked by her brother-in-law, disguised in women's clothing, in Delhi's Rohini area. The accused, identified as Jai Prakash Yadav, was arrested and faces charges of attempted murder.
A space designated or reserved for communal Eid day prayers, year after year is called an Eidgah or an Idgah and many an Indian city has a landmark, historic Eidgah.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, alleging manipulation of voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. She also questioned the abrupt resignation of Governor C V Ananda Bose and accused the BJP of anti-women policies and spreading misinformation.
Swati Maliwal will replace Barkha Shukla as the next chief of the Delhi commission for women.
'Many have contributed in terms of gold and silver. Ladies in big numbers have contributed their home belongings and gold.' 'Some have donated their cars too.'
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accuses the TMC of objecting to the omission of names from electoral rolls due to fears of losing the 'infiltrator' vote bank in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances