Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced six new schemes and increased the subsidised Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan limit to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 5 lakh, targeting everything from unemployment to crop productivity enhancement across the country. Presenting her eighth budget speech in Parliament, Sitharaman positioned agriculture as "the first engine of growth" and unveiled the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, a flagship program targeting 100 agri-districts grappling with low productivity, moderate crop intensity, and below-average credit parameters.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has appealed to devotees from nearby areas to postpone their visit to Ayodhya for 15-20 days, citing the large number of devotees flocking to the town since January 26. The trust said this will allow devotees from distant places to have an easier darshan experience. The appeal comes as Ayodhya has witnessed a footfall of around 40 lakh devotees since Monday, choking the roads and bylanes leading to the Ram Temple with huge traffic snarls.
The Indian Coast Guard has rescued 12 crew members of a merchant vessel from the country which sank in the north Arabian Sea during its voyage from Porbandar in Gujarat to Bandar Abbas port in Iran, officials said on Thursday.
Sara visits a temple... Taapsee plays hide and seek... Malaika basks in the sun...
'He needs to see results while he is in office.'
Your ultimate guide to helicopter rides in India this Valentine's Day
Several Indian immigrants, including 30 from Punjab, were deported from the US after being apprehended at the border. They had paid hefty sums to travel agents who promised them a better life in America, only to be met with illegal crossings and harsh detention conditions. Their dreams are now shattered, leaving them with heavy debts and a bleak future.
'There was a kind of disagreement with Subhashji after Meri Jung and unfortunately for me, I did not get to work with him again after that.'
Four siblings from Gorakhpur have run away from home to set up a tea and snacks stall at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The siblings, who are all students, were inspired by a video they saw of people making good profits at the Kumbh. They borrowed money from a friend and pawned their belongings to start the stall.
The US is currently Earth's most powerful country and a certain latitude of understanding -- a world view -- is popularly expected from its leadership. From a country identified with freedom, constitution, debate, democracy and the likes of Abraham Lincoln even as it had the most powerful military around, the US, following Trump's actions, seemed repositioned as militarily powerful with other qualities secondary, observes Shyam G Menon.
Aryan Dadiala, 21, who set a World record in November 2022 in Goa, finishing 32 km open water sea swimming in 5 hours 36 minutes, is the first Asian swimmer to swim the Sea of Galilee.
Hollywood's biggest night was high on glitz and glamour but lacked the edge and excitement of the movies it was celebrating, observes Sukanya Verma.
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jokingly suggested a law that forces Jasprit Bumrah to bowl 'left-handed or off one step' against the home team.
'Modi's intention was to create goodwill that will allow India to be seen by Trump as more than just a bad tariff problem.' 'He succeeded brilliantly on that count but none of these wins are unfortunately permanent.' 'Modi will have to do this again and again if Trump's grievances are to be durably assuaged.'
There's clearly no limit to how dramatic a wedding can be.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) expects a USD 10.3 billion revenue boost from increased oil and gas production, achieved through a partnership with UK's BP in the Mumbai High field.
Both the brother and sister duo are commanding their warships under the Western Command.
'Does 99 percent guarantee character and capacity for an independent awareness of life or does it make you -- barring exceptions -- a compliant careerist beholden to governments and corporations?' 'What kind of political and social choices would such minds make?' asks Shyam G Menon.
The obsession for migrating to the US is visible mostly in Majha and Doaba regions of Punjab, he further said.
Modi also met the construction workers who worked meticulously amid harsh conditions to complete the tunnel.
Three crew members were killed after a helicopter of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) crashed and caught fire at an airport on the outskirts of Gujarat's Porbandar city, police said.
A couple of days before outgoing United States President Joe Biden issued 'a full and unconditional pardon' to Hunter Biden, POTUS and son were spotted in Nantucket for his final Thanksgiving holiday as leader of the free world.
While she works hard, Sara Tendulkar also knows how to have fun!
'Trump's aggressive stance towards China and preference for military posturing could shift the Quad's balance towards overt militarisation.'
'By his words, actions, and body language during their joint press appearance wanted to convey his personal respect and, more broadly, his desire to work closely with India.'
In a year bookended by intractable conflicts and geopolitical fragmentation, India focused on ramping up military prowess by broadly firming up defence procurement worth Rs 4.22 lakh crore even as Indian and Chinese militaries completed pulling back their troops from border face-off points in eastern Ladakh.
Nitish Reddy's remarkable maiden Test century on Day 3 in the fourth Test against Australia helped India keep the first innings deficit to 105 runs, which could have been in excess of 200 after the visitors were reduced to 221 for 7 in reply to the hosts' 474 at one stage.
The first Naval Commanders Conference of 2024 commenced on March 5, 2024 in Goa. Held against the backdrop of evolving geopolitical dynamics, regional challenges and the current volatile maritime security situation in the region, the conference plays a pivotal role in shaping the future course of the Indian Navy.
Swami Shivanand Saraswati, known as the world's 'oldest saint', claims to be 129 years old and has been attending the Kumbh Mela for 100 years.
Following the preliminary investigations into the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 in which 38 passengers were killed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, it was revealed that a Russian missile was responsible for the crash, Euronews reported on Thursday, citing sources from the Azerbaijani government.
'These people got caught in Pakistan, and jailed for a year-and-a-half, their release was delayed due to various political factors that were happening during 2017, 2018 and 2019.'
Ever since the Quad started taking shape in 2007, China has been saying that the four-member grouping will be bound to fail. But much to the chagrin of Beijing, it picked up pace in the recent years emerging as a premier strategic group especially challenging China's assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.
'The value of a human being is being lost. That's my biggest worry.'
Richard Verma, the highest-ranking Indian-American official in the State Department, has expressed optimism about the future of US-India ties and emphasized the need to base the relationship on shared values rather than mere transactional dealings. Verma, who previously served as America's Ambassador to India, stressed the importance of the Quad in defending the international order, highlighting its shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
'The US is strongly placed to expand its crude supplies to India.'
Indian Hotels reported strong consolidated revenue growth of 29 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in the third quarter of the current financial year (Q3FY25), led by revenue per available room, or RevPAR, growth of 15 per cent. The average room rate, or ARR, was up 13 per cent and occupancy improved 120 basis points (bps) Y-o-Y on a standalone business. Like-for-like revenue growth was 15 per cent Y-o-Y, while TajSats (airline catering) grew by 18 per cent Y-o-Y.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for enhancing trade and investment ties between their countries and committed to further deepening their engagement in the Indo-Pacific. They discussed a full spectrum of bilateral relations, including key global and regional issues, and stressed the urgent need for reform in the United Nations Security Council. The leaders also underscored their commitment to ensuring the global AI sector can drive positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
The 133-feet Thiruvalluvar statue was recently maintained by the Tamil Nadu government with chemical coating for saving the granite monument from the sea's salt wind in Kanyakumari.
United States President-elect Donald Trump's plan to overhaul the government with a new department headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk and Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will be a biggest threat for China as it has to compete with far more efficient US political system, a policy advisor to the Chinese government said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances