As counting of votes for the Gujarat assembly polls is underway, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Hardik Patel predicted that his party will win over 130 seats, the most by the party till date in the Gujarat, and expressed optimism that the BJP will undoubtedly form the government for the seventh time in the state.
A group of retired forest officers has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the immediate scrapping of the 10,000-acre safari project in Haryana's Aravallis, arguing that it will harm the environment and wildlife. They highlight the "alarming destruction" of the Aravallis due to mining, quarrying, real estate development, and deforestation, and warn that the project could disturb aquifers crucial for water-starved districts. The retired officers also emphasize the importance of protecting the Aravallis, which is the only significant forest cover in Haryana, for its role in restoring humidity and rainfall in the region.
The Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party unit is upbeat and confident of forming the next government in the state with all the exit polls predicting a big mandate for the saffron outfit.
Overall profitability in the agriculture sector is expected to be marginally higher at the pan-India level in the 2024-25 kharif season, driven largely by higher production and low input cost, but offset by the declining price of some produce, according to a report released by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd on Wednesday. The report said that region-wise farm profitability in the northern belt was expected to be relatively better than in the southern belt, while the eastern and western belts presented a mixed bag.
Vijay said the TVK respected all languages but would not give up its self respect for another language.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday slammed ally Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray's MP Sanjay Raut for his remarks on Haryana poll outcome, stressing that accusations against Congress won't be tolerated.
That AAP managed a sizeable vote share in Gujarat is creditable. The BJP can no longer ignore AAP's growing presence in its strongest bastion, explains Ramesh Menon, long-time observer of Gujarat politics.
Yogendra Yadav, a founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), believes the party's defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls is a setback for the entire opposition and raises questions about its future. He attributed the loss to factors like the liquor scam, the 'Sheesh Mahal' row, and the constant fights between the Delhi LG and the AAP government.
The Indian government has advised states to intensify surveillance for respiratory illnesses, including influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illnesses (SARI), following the detection of five human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases in the country. The decision comes amidst reports of a surge in HMPV cases in China. The Union Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava, chaired a virtual meeting with states and union territories to discuss the situation and public health measures. While there is no cause for public concern, the government is emphasizing the importance of preventive measures such as handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding close contact with those showing symptoms.
Descendants of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose claim they have documentary evidence to prove that the Renkoji temple authorities in Japan have always been willing to hand over the 'ashes' believed to be his, refuting perceptions of roadblocks to their repatriation. They assert that successive Indian governments have shown little interest in retrieving the remains and conducting DNA tests, despite numerous appeals from the family. The article highlights the conflicting reports and controversies surrounding Netaji's death and the ongoing mystery surrounding his remains.
Dinesh Karthik may have spent his career in M S Dhoni's shadow, but his contributions to Indian cricket, especially in the IPL, deserve a legacy all his own, asserts Sudhir Bisht.
"Today there is a government in the country which cannot compromise even on one inch of the country's borders," the prime minister added.
'Muslims know they cannot defeat the BJP, why then come in its firing range?' 'And they know, ultimately it is the BJP MLA who is going to get elected and only he or she can do their work.' 'The BJP may do a different kind of politics for Muslims, but when they sit in the chair they work for Muslims too.'
Dozens of Indian immigrants, mostly from Punjab, were deported from the United States after attempting to enter the country illegally. They were returned to India in shackles, having spent lakhs of rupees on the journey. Many of the deportees said they were duped by travel agents who promised them a better life in the US. Their families had sold land, borrowed money, and mortgaged their properties to finance the trip. The deportees are now facing a bleak future, having lost their money and their dreams of a better life in the US.
The BJP is not taking the AAP challenge lightly. Amit Shah has cautioned party insiders to ensure that AAP does not cross a vote share of 24%. He has always seen AAP as a much more significant challenge than the Congress, observes Ramesh Menon, author, Modi Demystified: The Making Of A Prime Minister.
Jaspal Singh, one of 104 Indians deported from the US on Wednesday, claims he and other deportees were handcuffed and had their legs chained during the flight. Singh, who hails from Punjab, says he was captured by US Border Patrol after crossing the border illegally in January. He blames a travel agent for deceiving him, claiming he was promised a legal route to the US. The deportation comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington for talks with President Donald Trump.
The Gujarat government on Saturday transferred the state's controversial Director General of Police P C Pande, who had come under cloud during the post-Godhra communal riots in 2002, apparently to preempt such a move by the Election Commission, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. S S Khandwawala, who belongs to the minority community, was appointed as the new DGP. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner O P Mathur has also been shifted and replaced by H K Saikia.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and six-time Asian champion Shiva Thapa secured impressive victories in their respective boxing bouts at the 38th National Games in Dehradun.
'Joined fellow NDA MPs at a screening of The Sabarmati Report. I commend the makers of the film for their effort.'
The Gujarat Titans coach has been issued a show cause notice by the Cavelossim Village Panchayat for allegedly constricting a road and felling trees in a No Development Zone.
India has reported 59 cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) and two deaths due to co-morbidities between January 6 and 29, according to Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav. The virus primarily affects young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, leading to respiratory illnesses. The government has taken measures to monitor and control the spread of HMPV cases and create public awareness.
Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Saturday began his counter-fast against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's three-day fast in Ahmedabad. Vaghela began his fast on Saturday morning to protest the BJP-led Gujarat government's policies and approach towards the common man. In the exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Krishna Shah, he takes on the Modi-led government in the state.
The Gujarat government, which sought a probe into the role of activist Teesta Setalvad's NGO, is now targeting her main funding source, the US-based NGO, Ford Foundation.
This means the AAP leaders will have to appear before the trial court when it fixes the date of the next hearing.
Patel was handed over to the Gujarat police late Thursday afternoon after its request for his custody was granted by the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Srinagar, an official said.
The Gujarat Assembly on Friday passed a resolution requesting the Centre to take strict action against BBC for tarnishing the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its documentary on the 2002 riots in the state.
The state government ordered an inquiry into the programme organised at Kalorex Future School, located in Ghatlodia area of the city, on September 29.
'I am entering politics because I have seen the sufferings of the people of Gujarat'
The government has slashed allocation of natural gas used for LPG production, and diverted the low-priced fuel to city gas retailers like Indraprastha Gas Ltd and Adani-Total Gas Ltd to meet a part of their requirement for CNG/piped cooking gas supplies, according an official order. The government had in October and November last year cut supplies of low-priced natural gas coming from old fields such as Mumbai High and Bassein fields in the Bay of Bengal, to city gas retailers by as much as 40 per cent in view of limited output.
Hemant Shivsaran lists the number of projects the Modi government has announced since August to woo Gujarat voters.
Here's your ultimate concert guide to the Music of the Spheres World Tour at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on January 25 and 26.
The Indian government has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools it governs. This means that students in these classes who do not pass the year-end exams will be allowed to fail. The decision comes after the amendment to the Right to Education Act (RTE) in 2019, which has already led to 18 states and union territories doing away with the 'no-detention policy' for the two classes. The new policy will be implemented in over 3,000 schools run by the central government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navaodyala Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilise the country and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world.
Thousands of police personnel and CCTV cameras were deployed and traffic regulated across states on Tuesday to ensure public safety and prevent any untoward incident as the country geared up to welcome 2025.
Over 100 Indian immigrants, including 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, and several from other states, were deported from the US after undertaking perilous journeys filled with extortion and hardship. The returnees landed in Amritsar in a US military plane and are now back home, facing huge debts and emotional trauma. Many of them were lured by promises of a better life in the US but fell victim to human trafficking and extortion rings. The families of the deportees are demanding strict action against the travel agents who facilitated their illegal journeys.
Maharashtra fell behind Gujarat in attracting foreign investment during the MVA's tenure but in the next two years the present government would take Maharashtra ahead, said Fadnavis.
'Without his vision and foresight, his willingness to take a risk that no one else was willing to take, his deep and abiding love for India, the Indian automobile industry could not have become the powerhouse that it has become.'
Better living conditions must be an integral part of all political campaigns. But this will only happen if the public pressures the political class to understand the irreversibility of climate change and make the environment a crucial part of their manifestos.
'Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka were competing for the Foxconn-Vedanta semiconductor manufacturing plant'
