'In a courtroom, the judge can directly assess the witness's demeanour, which is crucial'
Also, as part of the IDY celebrations, entry to all ASI sites will be "free of cost" for the public on June 21, the ministry of culture said in a statement on Friday.
The immediate challenge for the Centre and the home ministry is to ensure the conduct of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of its statehood.
Opening up the corner office is fine, but will the government be able to attract talent without giving a market-rate salary?, asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The empty cartridges found at Pahalgam and those after test firing by the recovered guns were matched by the forensic lab, Shah said. The ballistic report is with him, he added.
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi government and police seeking detailed reports on the status of investigation into the alleged vandalisation of a south Delhi church.
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking his release from detention under the National Security Act. Wangchuk was detained following protests in Ladakh. The plea challenges his detention and alleges violations of due process.
The convoy of West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, was allegedly attacked by TMC workers during a protest in Cooch Behar. Bulletproof glasses of Adhikari's vehicle were smashed. TMC denies involvement, calling it a 'well-scripted drama'.
Opposition parties allege the Modi government is attempting to turn India into a 'dictatorship' with the introduction of three Bills that seek to provide for removal of the prime minister, chief ministers and ministers arrested on serious charges, and vowed to oppose it 'tooth and nail'.
The new Delhi government has appointed six cabinet ministers, including Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the recent assembly polls. The ministers, all BJP MLAs, will be administered the oath of office on Thursday afternoon. The new ministers will take oath along with CM-designate Rekha Gupta in a grand ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries at Ramlila Maidan later in the day.
India will conduct nationwide civil defense mock drills on Wednesday, including air-raid warning sirens and training civilians to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack." The drills come amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed all states and union territories to participate in the exercise, which will be conducted up to the village level.
Hitting back, Greenpeace India on Thursday said it will move court against Tamil Nadu government's notice threatening cancellation of its registration and alleged that the "perversely framed and maliciously designed" charges were levelled at the behest of Union home ministry.
The Supreme Court of India has ordered a progressive reduction in the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) over the next two years, citing concerns over the delayed promotions of cadre officers. The court's decision aims to address the long-standing grievances of CAPF officers who feel their promotional prospects are hampered by the presence of IPS officers in higher ranks. The ruling also mandates a cadre review of the CAPFs to be completed within six months, addressing the issue of stagnation in the service hierarchy. The court's decision acknowledges the valuable contributions of CAPF officers while also recognizing the need to balance their promotional prospects with the operational requirements of the forces.
How to conduct the mock exercise with active public participation of people was discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. Top civil and police officers of the country participated in the meeting, official sources said.
Kumar, who played a key role in implementing decisions following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir during his stint in the Union home ministry, took charge as an election commissioner on March 15, 2024.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is set to receive government approval for 16 new battalions, comprising around 17,000 personnel, and two forward headquarters for its western and eastern commands. The move aims to strengthen security along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, respectively. The new battalions and headquarters are part of a larger plan to address evolving security dynamics and challenges in the border regions.
The decision comes amid an assessment of potential security threats and follows standard protocol based on inputs from central security agencies.
The process of identification of victims by matching the DNA samples is currently underway, and the bodies will be handed over to their relatives once the process is complete.
The alleged incident occurred at the bakery where the victims worked.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says India achieved all objectives of Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that escalating the situation to war with Pakistan was not the aim. He highlighted India's fight against cross-border terrorism and the successful exposure of Pakistan's air defense system.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) board has approved liberalised part withdrawals for subscribers, allowing up to 100 per cent EPF withdrawal, and rolled out the 'Vishwas Scheme' to reduce litigation through rationalised penal damages.
If the threat from the 'Maovadis' (Maoists) is fading, the danger now lies with the 'MoUvadis' -- those who might exploit the resource-rich Abujhmad region through corporate or State-backed projects.
CAG warns most states of fiscal imprudence as March spending overshoots limits, with key departments exhausting large portions of budgets in the last month of FY24.
'Non-BJP state governments and their leaders, navigating today's political landscape, know well they have no clue what awaits around the corner.' 'The chances of charges pressed and oneself getting parked in custody play out on an uneven playing field,' points out Shyam G Menon.
The Election Commission of India has initiated the process to hold the vice presidential election following Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation. The electoral college is being constituted, and the election schedule will be announced soon.
The government on Thursday told an all-party meeting that the Pahalgam attack was carried out to vitiate the atmosphere at a time when the economy of Jammu and Kashmir was on the upswing and tourism was booming. Briefing reporters after the meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said all parties said they were with the government and against terror. The party leaders were briefed by Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Union Home Ministry officials on the steps being taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, Rijiju said. Home Minister Amit Shah, present in the meeting, interjected wherever required as officials briefed MPs, according to sources. At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed and scores injured when terrorists shot them in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
The Uttar Pradesh government is yet to respond to the Centre's call seeking details concerning the deaths of children at relief camps for the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots despite four requests for the same.
The Indian government has informed the Lok Sabha that it does not maintain data on casualties and injured victims from the Maha Kumbh stampede, as "public order" and "police" are state subjects. The Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, stated that state governments are responsible for crowd management, disaster prevention, and providing assistance to victims. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority and the Bureau of Police Research and Development have issued guidelines on crowd management and crowd control.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and Union Territory of Ladakh regarding the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. Wangchuk's wife filed a plea seeking his release. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 14.
Rejecting the Centre's charge that the Odisha government has failed to contain left-wing extremism, the state's director general of police on Tuesday claimed that Naxal violence had declined in 2011 compared to the year before. "The Naxal situation in most parts of the state had been controlled while it was a cause of concern for the state government in areas bordering Chattishgarh," Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj wrote to Union Home Secretary R K Singh.
The top court said the secretary may collate necessary information by corresponding directly with the secretary of the home department of respective states and UTs within three weeks and compile it state-wise.
The Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. The drills will include operationalising air raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil defence, and rehearsing evacuation plans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding high-level meetings as India considers countermeasures against the April 22 attack that killed 26 civilians.
A form carrying questions as part of the NPR exercise will be finalised soon, ministry officials said. The information available on the website of the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, however, says the NPR database would contain demographic as well as biometric details.
The AFSPA, often criticised as a draconian law, gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary.
Former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, Kerala BJP leader C Sadanandan Master and Delhi-based historian Meenakshi Jain have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Some pro-Kashmir resistance handles on social media have claimed that the citizens who were injured in the Pahalgam terrorist attacks were not 'ordinary', but connected with internal security and counter-intelligence agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
X calls the home ministry's Sahyog portal a 'censorship portal', stating it usurps judicial functions.
IMD data shows in the 24 hours between September 1 and 2, Haryana received 806 per cent more rainfall than normal, Punjab 759 per cent, Himachal Pradesh 510 per cent, Delhi 740 per cent, Chandigarh a staggering 1,638 per cent, and Rajasthan 193 per cent.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the security situation in Manipur for the second consecutive day, directing officials to focus on restoring peace and order in the state. The situation has been volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of bodies of women and children. Shah also ordered the deployment of 5,000 paramilitary troops to assist the state government in handling the situation.
The Left government in Kerala has granted sanction to the state police to seek Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) from the United States in the probe into a Facebook post allegedly made from the account of former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, following the twin bomb blasts at a Jehovah's Witnesses convention in Kalamassery that killed eight people on 29 October 2023.
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