A 100-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field, and India's first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri on Republic Day. Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement, cofounded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. She has been awarded the Padma Shri by the President on the occasion of 76th Republic Day. Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field. Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year-old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques. Born in America and Inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy. She has also been awarded Padma Shri.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane reportedly made derogatory remarks saying, "EVM means, Every Vote against Mullah."
Film folk came to cheer Zahan Kapoor and his Netflix series Black Warrant.
Dr Manmohan Singh's ashes were immersed in the Yamuna river near the Majnu ka Tila gurdwara by members of his family following Sikh rituals.
Ministry of Home Affairs declared Naik's Islamic Research Foundation unlawful last year.
Congress legislators continued their sit-in protest inside the assembly while the party held protests at all district headquarters on Saturday against the suspension of six party MLAs.
Amid demands for allowing Holi celebration on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus, its administration has decided that students can do so "freely" at the Non-Resident Students Centre Hall. The decision came after a controversy erupted when members of a right-wing group accused the university administration of denying permission to Hindu students to organize a 'Holi Milan' function on campus. However, the university administration clarified that the decision to allow Holi celebrations at the NRSC Hall was taken because of an AMU board examination scheduled for March 9. The administration further stated that March 10, 11, and 12 are working days and there will be classes, while March 13 and 14 are holidays, making them suitable for celebrations.
The Indian women's Kho Kho team secured a quarterfinal berth in the Kho Kho World Cup with a dominating 100-16 victory over Iran.
'The startup ecosystem, the government, and the owners of large pools of Indian capital need to actively support the creation of these local champions, not pull down the teams that are trying hard to get there.'
Gursharan Kaur and daughter Daman Singh pay their respects to Dr Singh's mortal remains at the AICC HQ in New Delhi.
Yashasvi Jaiswal took a stunning left-handed catch in the slips to remove Zakir before Ashwin, who smashed a match-defining century in the first innings, produced a three-wicket burst.
The West Indies are well-placed to win the first Test against Bangladesh. They needed only three wickets to complete the formalities at the end of the fourth day at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.
Four people were arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from French Ambassador Thierry Mathou while he was visiting Chandni Chowk market, an official said on Wednesday.
Rodrigues in a statement on Tuesday said, "Zakir Naik is a wanted man under the Indian law. He is charged with money laundering crimes and hate speeches."
A maiden century by Justin Greaves in only his third Test enabled the West Indies take command of the first Test against Bangladesh before declaring on 450 for 9 on the second day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua, on Saturday.
In a statement, the administration said one person is feared to be still trapped under the debris.
'Post COVID, people are much more enthusiastic about going to concerts.' 'The live music scenario has suddenly become very relevant to people's lives.' 'They see that it is cooked on the spot.'
The organisers tried to hide the actual number of people coming to the event by concealing evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of the devotees in nearby fields, the FIR alleged.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday deprecated the practice of announcing freebies prior to elections, and said people were not willing to work as they were getting free ration and money.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Kiran George advanced to the quarterfinals of the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament.
Right-wing organizations, including Bajrang Dal and All India Karni Sena, held a 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ceremony and chanted Hanuman chalisa at a long-abandoned Shiva temple in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. The temple, located in a Muslim-majority locality, was "reopened" by members of these groups. The ceremony took place on Wednesday night amid tight security measures. Local residents, including a former Aligarh Mayor, have voiced concerns over the state of the temple and called for its restoration.
Nine Kashmiris were arrested in a joint operation of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) police in Maharashtra and Military Intelligence, Sothern Command. They were allegedly carrying nine rifles and 58 live cartridges with fake licences. The probe began after reliable information was received about some persons hailing from Jammu and Kashmir taking up jobs as security guards in cities in Maharashtra and carrying weapons with fake licences. Raids led to nine persons being arrested in Ahilyanagar with nine 12-bore rifles and 58 bullets. They hail from Rajouri in Jammu. A case was registered at Tofkhana police station under Arms Act and further probe into the racket is underway.
"When I go to attend international conferences where there is a discussion on road accidents, I try to hide my face," Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday, underlining he had set a target to reduce accidents by 50 per cent when he first took charge as the Road Transport and Highways Minister.
After Islamic evangelist and preacher Zakir Naik showed the inability to go to the Indian embassy in Malaysia for authentication of his credentials for vakalatnama, the UAPA tribunal said, "He is bound to file a vakalatnama in proper format with proper authentication or he may remain physically present on the next date of hearing."
'I have never met anyone so knowledgeable and with so much conviction, so much humility about everything he knew.'
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's former jailer Sunil Sangwan has won the Charkhi Dadri seat in Haryana as Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.
Delhi Police have identified 175 people as suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants during a 12-hour verification drive in outer Delhi. The drive, which began on Saturday, is part of a broader initiative to identify and repatriate individuals living in the national capital without valid legal documents. The police are conducting door-to-door checks and scrutinizing documents to authenticate identities. They are also coordinating with local police in Bangladesh to verify information. The verification drives follow a directive from the Delhi LG Secretariat to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the city.
The monthly Rs 2500 payment for poor women is expected to cost Rs 11,000 crore while the pension scheme of Rs 2000 for every senior citizen will cost around Rs 4100 crore. The Yamuna clean up will cost over Rs 10,000 crore while a similar amount is required to upgrade Delhi's hospitals. Ultimately, the new BJP government will have no choice but to ask the centre for financial support, notes Rashme Sehgal.
Glimpses of how people in Delhi try to beat the heat on a day when the city registered record temperatures.
With such announcements grabbing the voters' attention, critical issues like pollution, especially the smog that chokes Delhi every winter, remain largely unaddressed. Many residents have raised concerns over the lack of concrete action plans to combat air pollution, which continues to pose a severe health risk to Delhiites.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, on Friday.
Mominul Haque was batting on 40 with Mushfiqur Rahim on six at the other end when bad light forced players off the pitch and rain followed soon after.
'There is simply too much to watch, read and absorb.' 'Just online consumption (news, entertainment, social media) in India was 2.5 hours a day in November 2024.' 'Add TV (just under 4 hours), other media, and the figure is closer to 7 to 8 hours a day for over one-third of Indians,' points out Vanita Kohli Khandekar.
Chennai-born Indian-American businesswoman and musician Chandrika Tandon, 71, won a Grammy in the Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album category for her album Triveni, a blend of ancient chants and world music, at the 2025 Grammys.
Udyan Utsav-I 2024 at Amrit Udyan at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be open for the public from February 2 to March 31, except on Mondays.
Scenes from the election campaign in New Delhi, Mainpuri, Bardhaman, Srinagar, Etah, Mumbai and Puri.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticized the BJP for its allegations that elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilize India, saying this "attack-dog" behavior is an embarrassment to India. Tharoor's comments come after the US rejected the BJP's allegations, describing them as "disappointing" and asserting that the US government is a champion of media freedom. The BJP had alleged that the US deep state colluded with the media portal OCCRP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "damage" India's image.
Data from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change reveals that 30 cities recorded an increase in PM10 levels compared to 2017-18 (FY18), indicating deteriorating air quality.
Thackeray also slammed the "Owaisi brothers" (AIMIM leaders) for allegedly ridiculing the names of Hindu gods.
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