A video from Maharashtra's Latur district has gone viral, showing a sarpanch discussing a "rate card" for bribes allegedly demanded by officials to approve government aid for villagers. The sarpanch claimed that Panchayat Samiti members and officials were demanding money for schemes like wells, cattle sheds, and housing. Authorities have sought an explanation from the sarpanch and are investigating the allegations.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that autorickshaw and taxi drivers will be given an opportunity to learn Marathi before any action is taken against them for non-compliance with the language requirement. This move softens the state's earlier stance, which had evoked mixed reactions and concerns about livelihoods.
Girl students at a government residential school in Amravati, Maharashtra, are moving to a new hostel after nearly 600 students left, claiming some girls were "possessed." Officials attributed the strange behaviour to mental stress and local superstitions, including beliefs about spirits and upset deities. The new hostel aims to alleviate overcrowding and provide a better environment.
Nearly 600 tribal students abandoned a government-run hostel in Amravati, Maharashtra, after some girls exhibited strange behaviour, leading to claims of spirit possession. Officials suspect mental stress or selective hysteria, while local beliefs attribute the incidents to angry spirits from a cut 'mahua' tree or an encroached temple. Counselling efforts are underway to bring students back.
Cockroach Janta Party activist Vivek Tiwari's "Sadak Satyagraha" hunger strike in Palghar, Maharashtra, protesting poor road conditions and inadequate infrastructure, has entered its sixth day, drawing support from various political parties.
Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced a drive against auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers lacking a 'working knowledge' of Marathi, with penalties ranging from licence suspension to cancellation, sparking fears among non-Marathi speaking drivers.
The Maharashtra government has issued strict directives to local authorities, mandating an immediate ban on illegal dhabas, eateries, and commercial structures within national highway Right of Way. The order requires demolition of existing encroachments within 60 days, formation of highway safety task forces, and mandates prior clearance from NHAI or PWD for any new licenses in highway safety zones, aiming to enhance commuter safety and clear obstructions.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licences of four Domino's Pizza outlets, including three in Mumbai, and several other chain restaurants like KFC and Pizza Hut, citing alleged violations of food safety and hygiene norms during a special drive.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 14 food business establishments linked to online platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart after a state-wide inspection drive found safety and hygiene violations, officials said on Friday.
The Maharashtra FDA has taken action against Blink Commerce, suspending its food licence due to severe hygiene issues including cockroach infestation. Separately, Reliance Retail is under investigation after a complaint of live larvae in a sweet product, highlighting increased enforcement of food safety standards across the state.
The Gujarat government has imposed a state-wide ban on the production, transportation, and sale of unstandardised analogue paneer, cheese, and butter. Citing public health concerns and the need to protect consumers and the dairy sector, the decision follows detections of substandard artificial dairy products during inspections. Legal action will be taken against violators.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has launched an indefinite statewide strike, protesting the government's decision to allow homoeopaths to register under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and prescribe allopathic medicines after a six-month course.
The Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee to address road repairs, traffic congestion and management issues in the rapidly expanding Chakan industrial belt in Pune district, and set up a mechanism for time-bound redressal of industrial grievances.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has issued a show-cause notice to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, claiming it prima facie amounts to "indirect or surrogate" promotion of prohibited pan masala and tobacco-related products.
The Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to a Pune-based sweets shop. The court criticised the FDA for keeping the shop's license suspended despite a 98 per cent compliance report, calling its policy "strange and perverse."
The Bombay High Court has strongly criticised the Maharashtra FDA for its "shoot first" approach, likening its drastic actions to using a sword to kill a mosquito. The court, hearing a petition from Cadila Pharmaceuticals, directed the FDA to grant companies a hearing before taking severe measures, warning of heavy costs for its arbitrary conduct.
The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has issued notices to two mess facilities at IIT Bombay, ordering them to cease operations due to a lack of necessary permissions and registrations. This action is part of an ongoing state-wide food safety enforcement drive, which has also led to the suspension of licenses for several other restaurants and eateries across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai due to hygiene issues and non-compliance.
The Bombay High Court has ordered resident doctors in Maharashtra to immediately end their strike, which was protesting the registration of homoeopaths under the Maharashtra Medical Council. The court expressed grave concern over patient safety and warned of wage stoppage, leading the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to agree to call off the protest.
The Maharashtra government has approved the deployment of sovereign artificial intelligence solutions from Sarvam AI for its departments, with a two-year outlay of Rs 11.26 crore. This initiative includes the Indus AI workspace for 2,500 users, ensuring government data remains within India, along with citizen outreach agents and speech models for the MahaAI platform.
Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday branded deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar a "gungi gudiya" (mute doll), drawing a sharp rebuttal from the Nationalist Congress Party, which asked if the Opposition party now endorses the infamous slur once hurled at former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
An education baron from Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been arrested in connection with the alleged Shalarth ID scam, which involves creating fake identities of teachers on a government portal and withdrawing salaries in their names.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an immediate stay on the controversial Maharashtra Right to Information (RTI) rules following a backlash from transparency advocates and a hunger strike threat by veteran anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.
Two prominent temples in Madhya Pradesh, the Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur and the Bade Ganesh Temple in Ujjain, observed India's Independence Day on August 11, four days ahead of the national celebration. This unique tradition stems from their adherence to the Hindu calendar, specifically Shravan Krishna Chaturdashi, which corresponded to August 15, 1947, and fell on August 11 this year. Special rituals, flag hoisting, and a Tiranga Yatra marked the early celebrations.
Maharashtra's CET Cell has lodged a police complaint after an audio clip surfaced, allegedly showing a woman offering a 'special' exam centre for the MH-CET engineering entrance test for Rs 12 lakh, promising a high percentile.
Amid cross-voting from both ruling and Opposition ranks, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti on Monday swept 16 of the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats from local authorities' constituencies even as Nashik delivered a surprise defeat to the governing bloc.
'I was fortunate enough to be associated with two of the most important battles fought by the Indian Army, the Battle of Tololing and Battle of Tiger Hill.' 'Sometimes, I think how I survived those battles on Tololing and on Tiger Hill.'
What made Kaun Banega Crorepati special was the simplicity of the game, a clean Q & A format taking pride in delivering knowledge when not testing it. But the strain of advertising, destroying one medium after another, bears down on the latest edition, observes Sukanya Verma.
Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, for a 'maha aarti' following a high court ruling declaring the site a temple. Members of the Muslim community protested peacefully by offering namaz at home wearing black bands.
Like how Butter Chicken and Mango Lassi don't define Indian cuisine, there's more to Maharashtrian food other than its most popular offerings Misal Pav and Puran Poli, says Mayur Sanap.
Meet the man who is on mission mode to enforce hygiene standards in eateries and restaurants.
India's fresh investment plans in Q1FY27 surged 71 per cent to 14.77 trillion, primarily driven by four large nuclear power projects worth 6.5 trillion, according to investment monitoring firm Projects Today. Excluding these nuclear projects, fresh investment plans actually declined 4.27 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
A woman, her paramour, and an accomplice allegedly murdered her husband in Hyderabad for property. The two men then transported his body to Maharashtra and burnt it. The wife initially reported him missing but later confessed to the crime during police investigation.
The Maharashtra government is considering invoking the stringent MCOCA law against those accused in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper leak case. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse informed the assembly that three arrests have been made, and a Special Investigation Team is probing the matter. The government also plans to form a committee to explore online modes for conducting state-level examinations to prevent future leaks.
Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse on Monday said teaching of Marathi language and conduct of examination of the subject have been legally made mandatory in schools of all mediums across the state, and those institutions that fail to comply could face cancellation of recognition.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee of women legislators to amend laws and ensure effective implementation against harassment and religious conversion in the corporate sector. This decision follows an incident at a TCS unit in Nashik involving alleged exploitation and forced conversion, which is currently under SIT investigation. Probes have also been ordered into similar complaints at a Spanish multinational in Pune and a government ITI in Solapur, highlighting a broader issue of workplace misconduct.
A court in Washim, Maharashtra, has sentenced nine police personnel to life imprisonment for the 2011 custodial death of Begya Pawar. The court found them guilty of murder, wrongful confinement, and causing grievous hurt, ruling their actions were "serious and brutal" and not part of public duty. The victim died after being brutally beaten to extort a confession, and the police attempted to cover up the incident with a fabricated FIR.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned of a possible cloudburst-like spell in Nashik on Tuesday and stated that the state machinery is on high alert, with heavy rains expected to continue until July 8. Citizens are urged to avoid unnecessary travel as authorities manage landslides, swollen rivers, and rescue operations.
A recent meeting between veteran politician Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ignited a fierce internal conflict within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, with Shiv Sena-UBT expressing strong disapproval and NCP-SP defending Pawar.
The murder of a commuter on a Mumbai suburban train has sparked a debate in the Maharashtra assembly, with the Opposition demanding answers on passenger safety. Speaker Rahul Narwekar has directed the government to provide a statement on the incident, investigation progress, and safety measures by June 29. The incident involved the fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old during an argument over train doors, with the accused already arrested.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has issued a comprehensive order mandating free drinking water for customers in all food establishments, banning food served in newspapers, and introducing rigorous operational standards. These new regulations aim to improve food safety, hygiene, and transparency across hotels, restaurants, and other food service providers in the state.
