News for 'state department'

Stunning Tableaux Dazzle Republic Day Parade

Stunning Tableaux Dazzle Republic Day Parade

Rediff.com26 Jan 2026

India's 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi featured vibrant tableau, representing the nation's cultural diversity and achievements.

Rajiv Gandhi: 'I Can't Sack People'

Rajiv Gandhi: 'I Can't Sack People'

Rediff.com6 days ago

'When I met the prime minister, he asked me, "Dr Ganguly, what do you do with people in your company who lie to you?"' 'I said, "Prime Minister, we counsel them and give them a gentle warning. If they lie again, they are sacked".' '"This is my problem,'" Rajiv responded. "I can't sack people in government".' A revealing excerpt from former Hindustan Lever Chairman Dr Ashok S Ganguly's We Are Our Future: Reflections On Life.

'I Don't Want To Let Down The Economy...'

'I Don't Want To Let Down The Economy...'

Rediff.com9 Feb 2026

'This Budget has a one-year agenda, which you can call the sprint, and the marathon is towards Viksit Bharat.'

Indian 'dunki' agent indicted for smuggling 'aliens' from Canada to US

Indian 'dunki' agent indicted for smuggling 'aliens' from Canada to US

Rediff.com30 Jan 2026

According to court documents, Shivam directed smuggling operations from January through June 2025, coordinating the illegal transport of individuals across the US-Canada border into Clinton County, New York.

IT dept must share husband's income in maintenance plea: CIC

IT dept must share husband's income in maintenance plea: CIC

Rediff.com27 Jan 2026

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Income Tax Department to disclose 'generic details of the net taxable income/gross income' of an estranged husband to his wife for pursuing maintenance proceedings. The commission stated that such information cannot be denied on privacy grounds in matrimonial disputes.

Budget 2026: 7 new high-speed rail corridors announced

Budget 2026: 7 new high-speed rail corridors announced

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Two dedicated freight corridors -- Eastern and Western -- are in operation covering several states and districts.

Karbi Anglong: 600 Families Affected By Eviction

Karbi Anglong: 600 Families Affected By Eviction

Rediff.com22 Jan 2026

'We have nothing left -- no land, no house. We have lived here for 40 years and have nowhere to go. We will put up temporary sheds and stay here unless the government provides some arrangement.'

Assam CM Sarma to sue Congress leaders over land grab claims

Assam CM Sarma to sue Congress leaders over land grab claims

Rediff.com5 Feb 2026

Assam Congress alleges CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's family grabbed thousands of acres of land, prompting a defamation case announcement. BJP denies claims as baseless.

Gogoi underwent 'some kind of training in Pak': Sarma

Gogoi underwent 'some kind of training in Pak': Sarma

Rediff.com8 Feb 2026

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of having a 'deeper connection' with a Pakistani national and violating FCRA rules, prompting calls for a national probe.

Chinnaswamy Gets Greenlight To Host IPL Games

Chinnaswamy Gets Greenlight To Host IPL Games

Rediff.com17 Jan 2026

KSCA receives government permission to host international and IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium

Is AI Really Boosting India's Economy?

Is AI Really Boosting India's Economy?

Rediff.com12 Feb 2026

'The real risk is not that AI will fail to transform India's economy.'
'The risk is that it already is -- while our measurement systems continue to look the other way,' observes Nishant Sahdev, a theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina.

'Global Uncertainties Are Of A Magnitude We've Never Seen Before'

'Global Uncertainties Are Of A Magnitude We've Never Seen Before'

Rediff.com2 Feb 2026

'Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget.'

Lancet Flags HbA1c Unreliability In Indians

Lancet Flags HbA1c Unreliability In Indians

Rediff.com9 Feb 2026

The Lancet study revealed that the HbA1c test is erroneous in populations with anemia and other hemoglobin-related deficiencies in India.

Ajit Pawar crash: Naidu seeks Maharashtra's help for fast probe

Ajit Pawar crash: Naidu seeks Maharashtra's help for fast probe

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has requested the Maharashtra government's cooperation in the investigation into the plane crash that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation.

New deal will export more American farm products to India: US leaders

New deal will export more American farm products to India: US leaders

Rediff.com3 Feb 2026

Trump announced that India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff on Delhi, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.

US VP JD Vance, Usha Vance are expecting their 4th child

US VP JD Vance, Usha Vance are expecting their 4th child

Rediff.com21 Jan 2026

Usha, 40, and Vance, 41, who met while attending Yale Law School, have three kids -- Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 4.

Kolkata nurses who tested positive for Nipah 'extremely critical'

Kolkata nurses who tested positive for Nipah 'extremely critical'

Rediff.com14 Jan 2026

The two nurses, who tested positive for Nipah virus, have been admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital in Kolkata, a senior state health department official said, while describing their condition as extremely critical on Wednesday.

BJP set to end Thackeray era as Ritu Tawde to become Mumbai mayor

BJP set to end Thackeray era as Ritu Tawde to become Mumbai mayor

Rediff.com7 Feb 2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post.

USA stick with proven core for T20 WC

USA stick with proven core for T20 WC

Rediff.com31 Jan 2026

USA name a largely unchanged squad for the T20 World Cup despite board suspension, retaining the core that beat Pakistan and reached the Super Eight last edition.

PIX: Suryakumar & Co explore wildlife of Chhattisgarh

PIX: Suryakumar & Co explore wildlife of Chhattisgarh

Rediff.com23 Jan 2026

Ahead of T20 game with NZ, skipper Yadav, others go on jungle safari in Chhattisgarh

T20 World Cup: 'Pakistan didn't win, we lost it': Dutch star fumes

T20 World Cup: 'Pakistan didn't win, we lost it': Dutch star fumes

Rediff.com7 Feb 2026

Netherlands pacer Paul van Meekeren believes the team's poor execution in the final overs, rather than Pakistan's victory, led to their T20 World Cup defeat. He highlighted a crucial dropped catch and the failure to capitalize on pressure moments as key factors in the loss.

Winter storm chaos: Over 14,000 flights cancelled across US

Winter storm chaos: Over 14,000 flights cancelled across US

Rediff.com25 Jan 2026

US President Trump has issued emergency declarations for 10 states as authorities continue to prepare for frigid cold which will sweep across the eastern two-thirds of the country.

US lawmakers seek visa ban on Pakistani officials

US lawmakers seek visa ban on Pakistani officials

Rediff.com4 Dec 2025

Forty-two members of the United States Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding immediate sanctions against senior Pakistani officials for what they termed an 'escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan' under the military-backed government of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.

Was Ajit preparing to quit the NDA?: Fadnavis on NCP merger

Was Ajit preparing to quit the NDA?: Fadnavis on NCP merger

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

On reports of the BJP opposing the NCP merger, Fadnavis asserted that his party hasn't opposed anyone.

Pahalgam terror attack victim among 56 awarded by J-K govt

Pahalgam terror attack victim among 56 awarded by J-K govt

Rediff.com26 Jan 2026

Among the 12 media personnel awarded are the PTI Srinagar Bureau Chief, Inayat Jehangir and PTI video journalist, Jammu Somil Abrol. Other awardees in this category include Avtar Krishan Bhat, Vivek Suri, Sunil Ji Bhat, Dinesh Manhotra, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Razia Noor, Ishfaq Gowhar Zargar, Syed Khalid Hussain, Sarosh Kafeel, and Neeta Sharma.

Revealed: How US ensured Jaishankar's security during shutdown

Revealed: How US ensured Jaishankar's security during shutdown

Rediff.com9 Jan 2026

The US Department of State highlighted a mission-defining challenge during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit in November amid the US government shutdown, detailing the security measures taken to ensure his protection.

Nirmala Sitharaman: 'Prime Minister Modi Does Not Tolerate Gaming Of The System'

Nirmala Sitharaman: 'Prime Minister Modi Does Not Tolerate Gaming Of The System'

Rediff.com9 Feb 2026

'Grassroots-level corruption, which disrupts the last-mile work, cannot be ignored in your enthusiasm and drive to get going to complete the project.' 'Like it was in MGNREGA, in some states, it is the case with the Jal Jeevan mission.' 'The last minute levels of corruption can ruin the intent of the project itself.' 'When you see that people can game a particular well-intended and well-crafted project, you need to correct that.'

Congress calls Indo-US trade pact a 'surrender'

Congress calls Indo-US trade pact a 'surrender'

Rediff.com7 Feb 2026

The Congress party has criticized the Indo-US trade agreement, calling it a 'surrender' of India's self-esteem and interests, and a betrayal of Indian farmers and MSMEs.

Consensus in NCP to make Sunetra Pawar deputy CM: Praful Patel

Consensus in NCP to make Sunetra Pawar deputy CM: Praful Patel

Rediff.com30 Jan 2026

Nationalist Congress Party considers Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late Ajit Pawar, for the position of NCP legislature leader, emphasizing the importance of family consent in the decision-making process.

India, US To Issue Joint Statement On Trade Deal

India, US To Issue Joint Statement On Trade Deal

Rediff.com6 Feb 2026

'Based on the joint statement, a formal agreement will be drafted, which may take a month or month-and-a-half to finalise. We aim to sign the formal agreement by mid-March.'

Probe into authenticity of resigned GST official's disability certificate

Probe into authenticity of resigned GST official's disability certificate

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

An investigation has been launched into the authenticity of the disability certificate of Prashant Kumar Singh, who resigned as GST Deputy Commissioner in protest against remarks made against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The probe was initiated following a complaint filed in 2021.

Suryakumar, Samson, Rinku enjoy Pench safari

Suryakumar, Samson, Rinku enjoy Pench safari

Rediff.com19 Jan 2026

India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav along with four other members of the team went on a jungle safari in the Pench Tiger Reserve on Monday ahead of the opening match of the five-game series with New Zealand beginning at Nagpur on January 21.

Minnesota: ICE detains 5-yr-old returning from school

Minnesota: ICE detains 5-yr-old returning from school

Rediff.com23 Jan 2026

Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent said officers asked the boy to knock on his home's door to check if others were inside, a move she criticised as 'using a child as bait'.

Noida techie killed as car plunges into construction-site pit

Noida techie killed as car plunges into construction-site pit

Rediff.com18 Jan 2026

A 27-year-old software engineer died after his car went out of control and fell into a 20-feet-deep water-filled pit that was dug for the basement of an under-construction building in Sector 150 of Greater Noida, police said on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar's funeral today, Amit Shah to attend

Ajit Pawar's funeral today, Amit Shah to attend

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash, will be held with full state honors in Baramati. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend.

Suspected Nipah virus cases detected in Bengal; 2 nurses critical

Suspected Nipah virus cases detected in Bengal; 2 nurses critical

Rediff.com12 Jan 2026

Two suspected cases of Nipah virus have been detected in West Bengal, prompting a national outbreak response team to be deployed. The central government is providing full support to the state.

Teacher among 5 more J-K employees axed over terror links

Teacher among 5 more J-K employees axed over terror links

Rediff.com13 Jan 2026

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha terminated the services of five more government employees for suspected terror links, bringing the total number of employees sacked since 2020 to 85.

She Wore Purple! 9 Times Nirmala Sitharaman Wowed Us!

She Wore Purple! 9 Times Nirmala Sitharaman Wowed Us!

Rediff.com2 Feb 2026

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is well-known for donning saris that speak as powerfully as her budget speech. Each Budget Day, she selects a drape that pays tribute to India's amazing textile heritage and the mastery of its artisans.

Boos, cheers and fireworks mark Milan Olympics opener

Boos, cheers and fireworks mark Milan Olympics opener

Rediff.com7 Feb 2026

The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics commenced with a vibrant opening ceremony, showcasing Italian culture and athletic spirit, while also highlighting global political tensions through crowd reactions and protests.

Techie death: Noida Authority CEO removed, CM Yogi orders SIT probe

Techie death: Noida Authority CEO removed, CM Yogi orders SIT probe

Rediff.com20 Jan 2026

Following the death of a software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site, the Noida Authority has taken action, including terminating an engineer and issuing show-cause notices. An investigation is underway.