West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh asserted that eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja is not controversial, countering Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri's call for vegetarianism. Ghosh highlighted Bengal's traditions, including goat sacrifice as prasad, and criticised attempts to dictate food choices or government involvement in community pujas. He also touched upon a controversy regarding an 11-handed Durga idol.
A three-day 'AI Champions for Digital Governance' programme has commenced in New Delhi, hosted by ITDC, SCOPE, and LBSNAA. The initiative aims to train senior leadership and operational teams in applying artificial intelligence within public sector organisations, aligning with the IndiaAI Mission. Experts highlighted AI's role in improving efficiency, productivity, and public service delivery, while also emphasising responsible adoption and data quality. The programme seeks to build an AI-ready nation and contribute to India's vision of future-ready governance systems.
A three-day 'AI Champions for Digital Governance' programme has commenced in New Delhi, hosted by ITDC, SCOPE, and LBSNAA. The initiative aims to train senior leadership and operational teams in applying artificial intelligence within public sector organisations, aligning with the IndiaAI Mission. Experts highlighted AI's role in improving efficiency, productivity, and public service delivery, while also emphasising responsible adoption and data quality. The programme seeks to build an AI-ready nation and contribute to India's vision of future-ready governance systems.
A meeting to review India's Commonwealth Games preparations included discussions on advancing the country's bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, with Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi participating online.
Priests see red over the Rs 2,390 crore project to overhaul infrastructure around one of Bihar's most significant pilgrimage site, particularly for those performing pind daan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Mukhwa temple in Uttarakhand, the winter abode of Goddess Ganga, and offered prayers. The visit is expected to boost winter pilgrimage and tourism in the state. Modi also flagged off a trek and bike rally and addressed a public meeting in Harshil. This comes a day after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two major ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib worth over Rs 6,000 crore.
The tragedy struck the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Mela on Saturday evening, when about 19 people were riding the swing before it suddenly tilted and then crashed onto the ground.
Once a quiet riverside ritual, Dev Deepawali has evolved into UP's largest soft-power spectacle -- merging faith, art, enterprise into a global cultural brand that reflects state's growing confidence.
The Indian Navy has inducted a traditionally-built stitched ship, named INSV Kaundinya, at the Karwar naval base in Karnataka. The ship is a recreation of a fifth-century vessel and is named after Kaundinya, a legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. The ship is a tangible symbol of India's long-standing maritime traditions and its induction marks a culmination of a project celebrating India's rich shipbuilding heritage. The INSV Kaundinya will embark on a trans-oceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman later this year.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release its preliminary report this week on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in the deaths of at least 260 people. The investigation is ongoing, with the help of foreign experts, and the black box and voice recorder data are being analyzed.
'These beach shacks were meant to protect the employment of local Goans who in turn would showcase Goan cuisine and culture on the beaches of Goa.'
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's sudden resignation after only a year in office has thrown Japan into political turmoil, raising doubts about how the country will handle economic and regional challenges, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Comedian Kunal Kamra continues to face backlash for his jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. The Legislative Council admitted a breach of privilege notice against him, while a state minister demanded his arrest. The controversy stems from Kamra's stand-up performance where he made satirical remarks about Shinde, leading to protests and vandalism by Shiv Sena supporters. The comedian has been summoned by the police and faces legal trouble, with even Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw justifying the action, emphasizing the need to uphold legal safeguards. Amid the controversy, Kamra lashed out at the mainstream media, calling it a "miscommunication arm" of the ruling party.
Its economy dependent on tourist arrivals, the hill state is looking at a summer of discontent. Not that the rest of the year promises to be any different. Ashwani Sharma reports from Shimla.
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
West Bengal is home to 43,000 Durga Pujas, and the business around it is a major economic driver.
The gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he said.
The opposition parties will meet on Monday morning to evolve their strategy in both Houses of Parliament after protests by them on the Hindenburg-Adani issue overshadowed most of the first half of the Budget session.
The BJP workers of Fort Kochi staged a protest at a ground where 'Papanji' structure was being built after the photo of 'Papanji' was shared on social media platforms saying it resembled that of Modi's face.
Among the new entrants to the Union cabinet, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been given the agriculture and rural development portfolios, Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda the health portfolio and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar the power portfolio.
Questions that the state had come to recognise over time but consistently delayed treating seriously because doing so requires an overhaul of perspective and lifestyle, notes Shyam G Menon.
Narayan said that Sri Ram temple should be built using 19 acres of space which belong to the Department of Muzrai at Ramadevarabetta.
'And Joshimath has already shown the dangers ahead.' 'We have to acknowledge that our mountains are still young babies.' 'You don't put an extra load on the back of a growing child!'
The Centre has constituted a five-member expert committee to study various alternatives available to it to decide on a new capital for Andhra Pradesh.
India and Saudi Arabia on Monday decided to expedite implementation of the $50 billion West Coast refinery project, and identified energy, defence, semiconductor and space as areas for intensified cooperation during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
The Lower House of Parliament took up the Demands for Grants and Appropriation Bills after two adjournments as the ruling and Opposition MPs engaged in a matching duet over demands for an apology by Rahul Gandhi and the Adani issue.
While the responses of the candidates were predictable, depending on which side they belonged to, an interesting point slipped through when Rahul Shewale cited the Dharavi Redevelopment Project as a scheme that would add to Mumbai's importance. No big infrastructural project in Mumbai, he said, could be successful without the Centre's nod.
'The people of Tamil Nadu in particular Chennai know about the double standards of the BJP. Nothing will work for them here.'
India and Saudi Arabia on Monday called on states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries and prevent access to weapons, including missiles and drones, to commit acts of terror.
Citing the examples of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction works have been carried out in recent years, Modi attributed the "years of neglect" to a "slave mentality".
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Lakshadweep Research Collective said it along with 60 other signatories from the scientific community have written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention to withdraw the "incautious draft" Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation of 2021.
The country's largest airline IndiGo and Air India have asked passengers to reach Delhi airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departures.
First Rajya Sabha approved the Rs 45 lakh-crore spending proposed in the Budget, followed by the nod to the Finance Bill that contains tax proposals.
Aaditya, son of Shiv Sena president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, dubbed the searches by the I-T department on Kanal as 'invasion by Delhi' ahead of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
It is now mandated that a state party can submit only two nominations per year for World Heritage Sites, of which one site has to be a natural site, and has put an annual limitation of 45 nominations per year.
Ten-time Everest summiteer Tendi Sherpa tells Rediff.com contributor Anusha Subramanian why he cancelled his international climbing assignments to be with his community in the worst affected districts of earthquake hit Nepal.
A committee, which was constituted by the government to investigate the matter, had found the documents submitted by Yadav to be fake.
A parliamentary committee, which examined the prevailing bus licencing system in Delhi in wake of the gangrape cum murder incident, has decided to summon Commissioner of Police Neeraj Kumar and transport ministry officials of the Centre and the state soon.
The passengers included 10 foreigners, according to the state-run Nepal Television.
