A heated exchange occurred in the Supreme Court between senior advocate S Muralidhar and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta over Mehta's use of the term "Naxalites" during a hearing on the national song Vande Mataram. Muralidhar strongly objected to the remark, demanding its withdrawal, while Mehta defended his statement, referring to an ideology rather than individuals. The bench intervened, emphasising decorum and constitutional issues.
A woman Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district during an anti-Naxalite operation.
The Supreme Court has indicated that individuals with a conscientious objection should not face criminal consequences for declining to sing Vande Mataram, while asking the Centre to consider a 1986 judgment protecting similar rights concerning the national anthem.
Eleven Naxalites, including five senior operatives with a combined bounty of Rs 68 lakh, have surrendered to police and CRPF forces in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, marking a significant blow to Left Wing Extremism in the region.
'There was a huge cultural gap. I could not understand the slang, the Mumbai lingo, and would often feel left out during conversations. Since I had studied in the Hindi medium till then, I could not understand English,' says Anup Raaj, an alumnus of IIT-B and founder of InstaPreps AI, a confidence-building platform for students, and coaching institute 7Classes.
Mallojula Venugopal Rao, a former Naxal commander known as Bhupathi, has joined Gondwana University's 'Ekal' programme in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. He will work as a coordinator to help tribal villagers secure their legal rights, including those under the PESA and Forest Rights Acts, marking a significant shift from his past as a feared Maoist strategist.
A Naxalite was arrested in Bihar's Nawada district, and a cache of arms, including an AK-47 rifle, was recovered from his possession.
A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, just two days before the Centre's deadline to eliminate Maoism from the country.
Surrendered Naxalites in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district are learning new skills such as sewing and driving as part of their reintegration into mainstream society, with the support of the local police.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "dimagi naxal" remark by stating he is "proud to be a dimagi naxal". Modi had warned against "dimagi naxals" who manipulate policies and promote violence, despite the success in curbing armed Naxalism. Chidambaram's comment came after Modi's Independence Day speech where he highlighted the threat posed by ideological supporters of Naxalism.
Fifteen Naxalites, including a Special Zonal Committee-level member, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district, marking a significant development in the state's efforts to combat Naxalism.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cautioned the nation about "intellectual Naxals" who he claims are embedded in the system, manipulating policies and posing a threat to society. Speaking on Independence Day, Modi urged citizens to identify and isolate these ideological supporters of Naxalism, highlighting their historical influence in power corridors and their role in promoting violence and anarchy.
Fifteen Naxalites, including a veteran ultra with a significant bounty, surrendered in Chhattisgarh, effectively dismantling the Maoist movement in the Raipur-Sambalpur region.
The Supreme Court has refused to stay contempt proceedings initiated by the Bombay High Court against a judicial officer for an "unwarranted outburst" in court. The apex court observed that a judicial officer cannot shout at judges and deemed the officer's conduct as "gross indiscipline," advising him to tender an unconditional apology to the High Court. The High Court had initiated proceedings after the officer allegedly blamed the court administration in a high-pitched tone during a hearing on fast-track court posts.
Some see in the CJP the potential of weakening the Opposition. Hence the BJP/RSS's 'softly softly catchee monkey' approach, with co-option being the ultimate aim, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
From guns to handlooms. From forest trails to a public runway. Women who had once been associated with that conflict walked into the spotlight wearing Bastar's traditional textiles.
All's well with the State; it's the citizens who have to really buck up, was the sum and substance of Mohan Bhagwat's message to Gen Z.
Brigadier Basant Kumar Ponwar (Retd), a distinguished veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the visionary behind India's modern jungle warfare strategies against Maoist insurgency, has passed away at 77. His extensive career spanned over five decades, contributing significantly to national defence through both the Indian Army and police forces, including founding the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College.
Arms and explosives, along with manufacturing equipment, were recovered from a forested area along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border during an anti-Naxal operation.
A Pune court has granted bail to NCP (SP) office-bearer Mahadev Balgude, ruling that criticism of the government or chief minister does not constitute "waging war" against the nation. The court emphasised every citizen's right to comment on and criticise government actions, noting that the charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 152 were debatable.
Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and, within hours, were named the saffron party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal, underlining both their political rehabilitation and the party's calibrated shift in inducting leaders from the erstwhile ruling dispensation.
Explore Bollywood's fascination with wild, untamed settings, from the comedic antics of Welcome To The Jungle to the intense dramas and romances set amidst lush forests, showcasing how these natural backdrops shape diverse cinematic narratives.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against a man from Bihar for allegedly smuggling arms from Nagaland and supplying them to Naxals.
Wreaths were laid on the mortal remains of three of the four police personnel killed in an explosion in a gunpowder dump of Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
Long before Alpha, Bollywood had been retelling the Ramayana in modern settings, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so subtly.
Gadchiroli police recovered and destroyed items used in the manufacture of weapons, secretly buried by Maoists in a forest area.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma announces the complete elimination of armed Naxals in the state, attributing the success to strategic planning and security operations. He highlights the rehabilitation efforts for remaining cadres and future plans for security camps.
A woman Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
Police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district have recovered a cache of explosives, weapons, and equipment allegedly hidden by Maoists in a forested hill area.
Police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district have recovered a cache of explosives, weapons, and equipment allegedly hidden by Maoists in a forested hill area.
Odisha Police have declared an end to the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) threat in the state, announcing the closure of the Maoist surrender window and a shift in focus to eliminating remaining insurgents in Kandhamal district.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has expressed the state government's desire for the Tata Group to return to Singur, viewing it as an economic necessity and a signal that West Bengal is open for business. The move aims to reverse the negative perception created when the Nano project was forced out of the state.
The Naxalites, 10 of whom are women, turned themselves in before senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the launch of a tech-enabled 'smart border' project to secure India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The project aims to stop infiltration and combat demographic changes.
Once the might of the Indian establishment turned completely against the Maoists, there was no way they could survive -- either in Gadchiroli or anywhere else, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
The Madhya Pradesh government promoted 60 police personnel for their role in anti-Naxal operations, celebrating the state's success in eradicating Maoist influence.
Combat units of the Chhattisgarh police's District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Bastar Fighters were mobilised from different directions in the area on February 7, the official said.
Three District Reserve Guard personnel were killed and another injured in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district while attempting to neutralise it.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the use of foreign debit cards by a global Christian mission to withdraw crores of rupees in Naxal violence-hit regions of India. Searches were conducted in multiple states, and foreign debit cards, cash, and digital devices were seized.