'India enjoys conventional superiority, but nuclear deterrence imposes clear boundaries.'
The Supreme Court of India has transferred a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar to the Patna High Court. The court expressed concern over the state government's handling of bridge collapses, noting that officials were suspended after incidents but reinstated after the public outcry subsided. The court also criticized the state's voluminous response to the PIL, which lacked explanations for the collapses. The Patna High Court will now monitor the state's efforts to ensure structural and safety audits of bridges in Bihar.
'My life has been quite difficult. I felt I could see it in words. I thought if everyone else can write, then I can too.'
'Had Haji Pir and/or Skardu been taken, the message would have gone out not just to General Asim Munir and his cohort in the Pakistan army but to the Pakistani people that every terrorist incident in India would lead to substantial loss of territory in PoK.'
When one thinks of cities, one doesn't usually think of beauty and marvellous sights! However, this incredible collection of entries from this year's National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest prove beauty can be found in even the busiest of places.
Travel photographers take note! The competition is already fierce in the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest, now underway. National Geographic editors have pulled together some of their favourite entries so far from all three categories - Nature, People and Cities. Once the competition closes, a panel of judges, selected by National Geographic Travel, will choose a winner in each of the categories and also name an overall winner. A public vote will also see a people's choice winner named. The photographer scooping the top prize will win $10,000 and have their winning image posted on the Nat Geo Travel Instagram account. The contest is now open and entries can be submitted until May 31, 2018.
National Geographic's Travel Photo Contest is open for entries and has already attracted incredible snaps from across the globe. Week 2 of the contest include images of a newborn lion being carried to safety in the jaws of its mother, a daredevil slackliner in the USA, and a penguin being chased by a fur seal. The international competition runs from 18 March to 3 May, with budding photographers able to enter their work in one of three categories: nature, cities and people.
Seven of the 10 finalists were Indian-Americans.
The Bihar government has formed a state-level task force to monitor actions taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state. Bihar has the second-highest rate of child marriage in India, with 40.8% of women getting married before turning 18. The government is implementing a multipronged strategy to combat child marriage, including stricter enforcement of the law, empowering girls through education, and raising awareness.
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 winner will receive USD 50,000 in college scholarship and lifetime membership of the National Geographic Society.
Bored at work? Tired of the same old life you live? The next 10 images you see will snap you of your boredom and transport you to a world like no other!
'It was the hostility of the Yunus regime that made India careful and wary of dealing with them.' 'They gradually backed off and lowered the noise, but the damage was done.' 'Their true colours had been exposed.'
'The answer is not for me to give. The answer either way has to be heard from the industry itself. Tell us why not if you are not doing it; tell us if you are doing it -- why should this question remain unanswered?'
Bill Aitken came to India nearly 60 years ago. He never returned. An Indian citizen since 1972, he tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih how India changed his life forever.
'The size of the investments is important, but equally crucial is the number of jobs that these proposals create.'
India is trying to add 75,000 medical seats in five years as it also eyes to touch the WHO standard of one doctor for every 1,000 persons.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating a complex network of agents and facilitators in India, Canada, and the US who assist Indians in illegally entering the US through fraudulent admissions to Canadian colleges. Over 8,500 financial transactions are under scrutiny by the ED in a case related to money laundering, stemming from a 2023 Gujarat Police crime branch FIR. The investigation includes international financial companies involved in remittances abroad, with the ED conducting 35 searches in the past year and seizing assets worth Rs 92 lakh. The issue has gained significant attention following the deportation of 104 Indians from the US on Wednesday. The investigation is linked to the tragic death of an Indian family in January 2022, who perished while attempting to cross the Canada-US border illegally. The ED has identified a network of agents and facilitators who manage and facilitate the stay, transportation, visa arrangements, and legal matters of illegal immigrants who gained admission to Canadian colleges through fraudulent means. The investigation has revealed that the fees paid to Canadian colleges were remitted back to individuals' accounts, with around 8,500 transactions identified between September 2021 and August 2024. The ED suspects that approximately 370 individuals have entered the US using this illegal immigration scheme. The agency has recorded statements from parents and guardians of students enrolled in Canadian colleges and continues its investigation.
'While I would never wish for anyone to go through what we are, it has brought out the best in us by making each one of us a better version of ourselves.' 'Being courageous, fighting for freedom, taking the burden of responsibility to help each other...' 'I know hundreds and hundreds of examples where Ukrainians are risking their lives for complete strangers and it is only in moments like this that we truly understand what it means to be human.'
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the involvement of Canadian colleges and Indian entities in a money laundering case linked to the trafficking of Indians into the US from the borders of Canada. The probe stems from the death of an Indian family who died trying to illegally cross the Canada-US border in January 2022. The ED has alleged that accused individuals arranged admissions for Indians in Canadian colleges, but the students never joined the institutions after obtaining student visas. The ED has conducted searches at multiple locations in India and found that two entities were involved in facilitating admissions for Indians in foreign universities on a commission basis. The agency suspects that several Canadian colleges near the Canada-US border are involved in the trafficking racket.
'By March-end, we should have closure of the PNC portfolio. After completion of PNC acquisition.'
India has declared 2025 as the year of defence reforms, aiming to establish integrated theatre commands to enhance synergy among the three armed forces and transform the military into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force. The reforms will also focus on streamlining acquisition procedures, promoting collaboration, and leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.
Naval assets take years to build, and therefore, not only is futuristic force planning essential, but indigenous projects must also be put into the pipeline, technologies developed and contracts for assets signed regularly so that the Indian Navy always remains a future-focussed force, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
In the months immediately following the 2024 tragedy, reporting on the landslide per se had been a straightforward affair. On one side was death and destruction. On the other side, survivors and the business of survival. It was black and white. What direction to take was clear. Rehabilitation in comparison, felt like a complex situation. One that is fraught with shades of grey. As grey as human life, explains Shyam G Menon.
Winners of the 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year.
It would be a challenge to India's policy makers how to deal with Trump so that mutual economic growth remains sustained and mutual understanding on global issues are not hampered, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Discover some of the winners of 2022 World Press Photo Contest.
India has been rejecting China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral part of the country and assigning "invented" names does not alter this reality.
'After his warm and affectionate farewell speech, the Chief of Staff of the formation asked me, "So, now you are off to Coorg to look after your coffee estates?"' For the last time, in Army uniform and much to his surprise, I replied, "Sir, I am not from Kodagu.".'
Shah said the decision was taken to free the nation from colonial imprints as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had an "unparalleled place" in the country's freedom struggle and history.
National Geographic has announced the winning photos of its popular Travel Photographer of the Year 2018 photo contest. The grand prize was awarded to Japanese photographer Reiko Takahashi, who captured an underwater photo of a humpback whale calf's tail. The winning photo, titled "Mermaid," was selected from over 13,000 entries received this year. Describing the moment she captured the scene, she said: "It was a special scene for me, to be able to take a photo of the calf, completely relaxed in gentle waters." Scroll down to see the full selection of winners.
After making the model work in metro cities, players in the quick commerce sector are rapidly expanding their footprint into smaller tier 2 cities and markets beyond that ahead of the festival season.
We present the winning photographs of the prestigious competition.
The leaders also noted the "negative impacts" of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least-developed countries.
The results of the global 2012 National Geographic photography contest are out. The magazine received thousands of entries from across the world in three categories -- people, place and nature. Rediff.com presents the winning photographs. Enjoy!
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (Mospi) has started preparations for the eighth Economic Census (EC), which is expected to be formally launched next year, sources told Business Standard, even as the results of the seventh edition are yet to be made public. "Centre has asked states and Union Territories (UTs) to submit requirements for funds and manpower in a bid to start work on the eighth EC. "The states and UTs are required to set up a dedicated unit to conduct the exercise.
John Abraham talks about being the face of National Geographic Channel (NGC).
'We are developing infrastructure on the mountains and deploying the troops on hill borders in such a way that it is ensuring the safety of the people there.'
As we brace for unprecedented rates of urbanisation, it is crucial to ensure that illegal constructions and unauthorised land use are curbed, asserts Amit Kapoor.
The glitz and glamour of the Indian Premier League is all set to be the subject of a show on the National Geographic channel, which promises to air the unseen 'inside story' of the multi-million dollar Twenty20 event.
