It, however, conceded that 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol leads to 3-5 per cent lower mileage in vehicles than conventional petrol, but said the blend offers a significantly higher octane rating, superior anti-knock properties, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration, and cleaner engine operation.
July 16 will be the biggest and happiest day of the year in Puri, home to the magnificent Jagannath Temple.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued fresh directions to all state governments, Union Territory administrations, and central ministries, reiterating the rules governing the singing and playing of the National Anthem and the National Song, calling for their strict compliance.
An all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session on Sunday saw the entire opposition staging a symbolic walkout over the invitation to rebel Trinamool Congress MPs and a demand for a discussion on the issues of Ram temple donation 'theft', NEET paper leak and mixing of ethanol in petrol.
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has instructed shipping companies to avoid deploying Indian sailors on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, following recent attacks on two vessels carrying Indian seafarers.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and Grandmaster Nihal Sarin have voiced concerns over the ongoing NEET exam irregularities and student suicides. Bindra called for a transparent and merit-based education system, while Sarin highlighted the immense pressure students face. The protests, supported by activist Sonam Wangchuk, have seen students attempting to march to Parliament.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday deferred the selection of its first chief executive officer (CEO) by a month after receiving 5,200 applications for the post and decided to appoint a secretary in the interim to meet growing administrative requirements.
India has successfully negotiated the protection of its steel export interests under the free trade agreement with the UK, ensuring 85 per cent of its outbound shipments remain outside Britain's steel safeguard measures. This consensus addresses a key sticking point ahead of the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) coming into force on July 15.
Approximately 27 workers are trapped inside an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district following a landslide and suspected gas leak. Rescue operations are underway, but the presence of gas, believed to be methane, is complicating efforts, causing dizziness among rescue personnel. Teams from NDRF, SDRF, and West Bengal are involved in the challenging operation to save the workers.
Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil has criticised the Maharashtra government over farmer suicides and crimes against women, alleging widespread corruption within the ruling alliance.
Three publishers have been remanded to 10-day police custody in Jammu for allegedly publishing and circulating books that glorify separatist leaders. The Counter Intelligence Unit is investigating the matter, which led to the blacklisting of two publishers and the suspension of several education department officials.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday urged its supporters to gather at the Jantar Mantar in large numbers ahead of its proposed 'Sansad Chalo' march on Monday, claiming that there could be a police crackdown on the protest.
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has urged the industry to invest in skilling, capability development, and innovation to counter the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly for Global Capability Centres (GCCs). He noted that while the government has supported GCCs through Budget measures like simplifying transfer pricing and promoting expansion into tier-II/III cities, industry must move beyond low-cost execution to thrive in an an AI-driven landscape. Nageswaran emphasised that AI displaces routine tasks, necessitating a focus on higher-value work and continuous skill enhancement to maintain India's competitive edge.
The Indian central government has reduced its total expenditure by approximately 60,000 crore in FY26, below its revised estimate, to successfully achieve the fiscal deficit target of 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the latest data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
A Joint Committee of Parliament has deferred the adoption of a draft report on a bill proposing the suspension, not permanent removal, of the prime minister, Union ministers, and chief ministers if detained for 30 days on serious criminal charges, opting for more consultations.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is deteriorating on the 18th day of his hunger strike, with his weight dropping significantly and vital signs requiring continuous monitoring. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused the government of 'cruelty' for its refusal to engage in dialogue regarding alleged NEET irregularities, intensifying calls for accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Centre is committed to curbing unnatural demographic growth caused by abnormal factors, such as infiltration, with a ruthless approach and a quadrangular security grid has been created for the purpose, transforming India's approach from reactive to proactive.
From intense gangster epics to tender slice-of-life dramas, these 10 films showcase why Dhanush remains one of Indian cinema's most versatile leading men.
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health has significantly deteriorated on the 16th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, protesting alleged examination irregularities. His blood glucose and weight have dropped, prompting calls from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and political leaders like AAP's Atishi and CPI(M) MPs for government intervention and accountability.
Dinesh Trivedi's experience as a businessperson and his fluency in Bengali are expected to be crucial in strengthening India-Bangladesh relations, particularly in attracting Indian investments to Dhaka.
Amid renewed speculation about political realignments and a potential merger, senior leaders from two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule clarified her party's position on the proposed Delimitation Bill, stating that while a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats across states would be hard to oppose, any final decision would be made after discussions within the INDIA bloc.
The dramatic postponement came while members were voting on the committee's five principal recommendations, making it an unprecedented moment in the functioning of a parliamentary committee.
Former India women's hockey captain Asunta Lakra has written to the Sports Ministry, SAI, and IOA, alleging institutional protection of sexual harassment and intimidation of women athletes within the sport. She claims she faced threats and a smear campaign after raising concerns about an individual, Sudhir Gola, and has accused Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh of threatening her. Singh denies the allegations, linking them to upcoming elections, while Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey has acknowledged Lakra's concerns and promised an amicable resolution.
Poland's Secretary of State, Wladyslaw T Bartoszewski, has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with preventing Russian President Vladimir Putin from using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine in late 2022, highlighting Modi's significant influence on the Russian leader.
India's Central government is likely to see its fertiliser subsidy bill double to a record 3.4 trillion in FY27, up from the Budget estimate of 1.7 trillion, due to surging global fertiliser prices exacerbated by the West Asia war. This significant increase, coupled with revenue losses from excise duty cuts for oil-marketing companies, is straining the government's fiscal space, though capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.
For the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the timing of Rath Yatra is a matter of scriptural injunction rather than convenience.
A derogatory 'cockroach' remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing inadvertently sparked a nationwide student movement, transforming an insult into a powerful symbol of protest that led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Businesses across sectors are positioning themselves to capitalise on the expected surge in demand.
India's eight core infrastructure sectors experienced a significant slowdown in production growth, reaching a seven-month low of 0.5 per cent in May, primarily driven by negative growth in coal, crude oil, and refinery products.
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata next month for an anti-fundamentalism literary event, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city amid violent protests over her writings. The BJP government in West Bengal is projecting this as a reversal of past capitulation to religious fundamentalism.
Canadian police have found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, directly contradicting earlier allegations by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that strained bilateral ties.
India's economy in FY26 saw significant momentum from investment demand, with gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) accelerating to 8.2 per cent, while private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) also grew steadily, according to provisional estimates.
Sanjeev Kapoor, known for popularising Indian cuisine globally, has revealed that he will only allow his friend and acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta to direct his much-anticipated biopic.
Recent protests by CJP supporters attempting to march towards Parliament in Delhi highlight a recurring pattern of public demonstrations in the capital over the past 15 years. The article details several significant protests, including the 2021 farmers' tractor rally, the 2011 Anna Hazare movement, the 2012 Nirbhaya protests, anti-CAA demonstrations, and the 2023 wrestlers' protest, all of which involved attempts to reach central Delhi's high-security zones to press demands.
HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector lender, reported a reduction of 3,343 employees in FY26, bringing its total workforce to 2,11,178, even as its balance sheet expanded by 12 per cent. The bank's MD and CEO, Sashidhar Jagdishan, attributed the headcount reduction to redeploying talent from back-end functions to customer-facing roles due to technology-led efficiencies. The annual report also addressed the challenging resignation of part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty, which raised questions about the bank's governance standards.
'The Ayodhya incident has certainly hurt the faith of all of us, of Ram devotees like us.'
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused Reliance Group, which has a partial Meta stake, of lobbying for a ban on Telegram in India and sabotaging its access for users outside India through BGP hijacking. A senior telecom industry source dismissed these claims as 'fake news,' stating Durov confused Reliance Communications with Reliance Industries Ltd. The allegations come as the Indian government has ordered Google and Apple to delist Telegram temporarily and disable its message-editing feature in India due to concerns over paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination.
Indian boxing icon Vijender Singh is planning to establish a boxing academy in his ancestral village of Kaluwas, Bhiwani, and has sought financial assistance from the Sports Ministry.
'Exploration should be made easier and companies should be given operational flexibility.'
India has launched its first hydrogen-powered train, the 'Namo Green Rail', from Jind, Haryana, marking a significant step towards sustainable railway mobility. The 10-coach train, which emits only water vapour, is currently operating on the Jind-Sonipat route and represents a major technological advancement for the country's transport sector.
