25 Workers Trapped After Massive Avalanche Near Badrinath

CHAMOLI, Feb 28: As many as 25 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers are still trapped after an avalanche hit Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, officials said today. The incident took place near the border village of Mana, about five kilometres from the Badrinath temple.

There were a total of 57 workers of which 22 managed to escape the avalanche. 10 BRO workers have been so far rescued and being treated.

Around 65 Indian Army and ITBP personnel are involved in the rescue operation.

57 road construction workers were stationed in the BRO camp at the time of the incident, informed Deepam Seth, Uttarakhand's Director General of Police.

5-Year-Old Raped, Bitten, Head Slammed Against Wall By Teen Neighbour In Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL, Feb 27: A five-year-old in Madhya Pradesh is battling for her life after a horrific sexual assault. Doctors at Gwalior's Kamala Raja Hospital said she needed 28 stitches in her private parts, and an operation for colostomy. The accused is a 17-year-old who has been arrested and is being tried as a juvenile, the police said.

The police said the accused, apparently drunk at the time, had slammed her head against a wall several times and then brutalised her. Apart from the head injuries, her body and private parts bore multiple cuts and scratches and bite marks.

The child, whom doctors stabilised after a two-hour operation, is still critical. Though she is conscious, she has not spoken since the assault, which took place five days ago.

The child, a resident of Shivpuri, had gone missing on February 23. She was found almost two hours later on the terrace of a house in the neighbourhood, unconscious and covered in blood.

Her family has called for death sentence of the accused. "He should be shot openly on the road," her mother said.

Angry locals, backed by political parties, have held protests and demonstrations in the area.

The unprecedented brutality has wiped out political barriers. Leaders of the Congress and the BJP have asked for a fast-track court and the death penalty for the accused. The leaders have submitted a memorandum to the district administration.

Pune Woman Raped Inside Bus Parked Just 100 Metres From Police Station

PUNE, Feb 26: A 26-year-old woman was raped inside a bus early Tuesday morning - while it was parked in the middle of Pune's busy Swargate Bus Stand and around 100 metres from a police station.

The accused has been named as Dattatraya Ramdas - he was identified through a CCTV feed - but has not yet been arrested. The police have formed eight special teams, and deployed a canine sniffer unit, to track him down. Ramdas, 36, already has a criminal record.

The bus in which the young woman - a domestic worker travelling to her home village of Phaltan in Satara district - was raped has been vandalised, the police also said.

According to the police, the crime took place sometime between 5.45am and 6.30am.

A preliminary scan of CCTV footage shows the alleged rapist talking to the woman, who said Ramdas addressed her as 'didi', or 'sister'. According to the woman, he asked after her destination and told her the parked vehicle - in which there were no lights - would take her there.

The woman said the man led her to the bus and, when she hesitated, pointing out the lights were not on, he told her the other passengers were sleeping and that was why it was dark.

She said that when she entered the bus, he jumped in, locked the door, and raped her.

After that she boarded a second bus - on which her friend was travelling - and said she had been raped. The friend immediately told the woman to report the matter to the cops.

The police said they had equally immediately filed a complaint and accessed the CCTV footage, which jumpstarted their investigation, which will include inquiries into how and why the bus depot management allowed this to happen in their premises and on their bus.

The bus stand is one of the largest run by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar called the incident "extremely unfortunate, distressing, infuriating". Pawar added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken note of it and passed on necessary instructions to the police.

Predictably, the rape has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition, which has blamed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - who also controls the Home Department - for failing to control rising crime in the Pune region.

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal claimed incidents of rape were on rise in the state and referenced the horrific Nirbhaya incident in Delhi in 2012. He also slammed the BJP-led government in the state for focusing on 'freebies' for women at the cost of their safety.

'Ready For Another Language War': MK Stalin Convenes All-Party Meet

CHENNAI, Feb 25: Amid the ongoing Hindi imposition row, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said the state was "ready" for "another language war" and also announced convening an all-party meet on March 5 to discuss the Lok Sabha delimitation issue.

Tamil Nadu was facing the "threat" of losing 8 seats as the state has successfully implemented the family planning programme that led to population control, he said while addressing reporters after chairing a Cabinet meet at the Secretariat here.

About 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission of India have been invited for the all-party meeting, he said and appealed for unity, overcoming political differences.

Responding, BJP state president K Annamalai said Stalin was now trying to "shift the narrative" with the "imaginary fear" regarding delimitation as people of the state had rejected his argument on the three-language policy. He indicated that the BJP may not attend the all-party meet.

Asked if the March 5 meeting will discuss the three-language policy, a bone of contention between the NDA-led Centre and the Tamil Nadu government in light of the National Education Policy (NEP), Stalin said that to raise voice in the Parliament on issues like NEP, central funds and NEET, adequate number of MPs was required.

"Because, in the name of delimitation, a sword is hanging over southern states," he said.

The state was leading in all development indices, but now faced the "threat" of losing out on the Lok Sabha seats post delimitation as the process would be based on the state's population.

"Tamil Nadu succeeded in population control through the family planning programme. Just because population is less, there is a situation of the Lok Sabha seats being cut down (in TN). We stand to lose 8 seats and as a result, we would be having only 31 MPs, and not the 39 (present number)," he added.

"Our representation (in Parliament) will reduce, Tamil Nadu's voice is being stifled. This is a matter of Tamil Nadu's rights. All leaders and political parties should jointly speak across party lines on the issue," the CM added.

Responding to a query if the Centre was "sowing the seeds for another language war," in light of the alleged Hindi imposition, Stalin replied, "Yes, certainly. We are ready for it." The ruling DMK has been opposed to the three-language policy and has been insisting Tamil Nadu was content with Tamil and English, and has accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of "imposing Hindi," a charge denied by the union government.

The "language war" refers to the DMK's anti-Hindi agitation in 1965, when the Dravidian party successfully campaigned against the alleged imposition of the language on the Tamil people.

In a copy of the invitation for the all-party meeting uploaded on his 'X' page, Stalin highlighted the various issues the state was facing, including central fund allocation.

Under such circumstances, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu going down will only further impact the state and it was the need of the hour to put up a show of unity in the interest of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the need for such an all-party meeting, the CM added.

USAID Funded 7 Projects In India Worth $750 Million In FY24: Finance Ministry Report

NEW DELHi, Feb 23: The latest annual report of the Finance Ministry said USAID funded seven projects worth $750 million in 2023-24. "Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of $750 million (approximately) are being implemented by the USAID in partnership with the government of India," the Finance Ministry annual report for 2023-24 said.

For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of $97 million (about Rs 825 crore) has been made by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the seven projects, it said.

The Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry which is the nodal department for bilateral funding arrangements has also shared the details of projects funded in 2023-24 in the report.

During the year, no funding was made for enhancing voter turnout, but to projects related to agriculture and food security programmes; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); renewable energy; disaster management and health.

It said funds were committed for sustainable forests and climate adaptation programme, and energy efficiency technology commercialization and innovation project.

The US' bilateral development assistance to India started in 1951 and it is mainly administered through USAID. Since its commencement, USAID has provided economic assistance of over $17 billion to India in various sectors for over 555 projects.

Political controversy erupted earlier this month after the Elon Musk-led DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) said it cancelled a $21 million grant to India to boost "voter turnout".

US President Donald Trump repeatedly said USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated $21 million in funding to India for 'voter turnout'.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration is "concerning" and that the government is looking into it.

The USAID was allowed in India "in good faith, to do good faith activities", and suggestions are being made out of America that "there are activities which are in bad faith," Mr Jaishankar had said.

The Congress party on Sunday alleged the BJP was indulging in "anti-national work" by spreading "fake news from America". The party said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Jaishankar will have to answer as to why the government is silent when President Trump and Elon Musk are "insulting" India repeatedly.

"BJP is a procession of liars and illiterates. The news about $21 million, on which the BJP and their bootlickers were jumping on, turned out to be fake. The $21 million in 2022 was not for 'voter turnout' in India, but for Bangladesh," Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said.

Congress demands white paper on USAID funding

NEW DELHI, Feb 22: The political row over the reported $21 million USAID funding for voter turnout in India continued into Saturday, with the Congress citing a U.S. media report and doubling down on its demand of a white paper on the USAID funding as well as funding by other such agencies in India. The party also added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must “talk to his friend, U.S. President Trump and strongly refute the allegation.”

Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a statement, said that while the BJP and its allies are “desperately tying themselves in knots to somehow prove their allegation of “Deep State and ‘Foreign Intervention’ with regards to “$21 million USAID funds narrative’,” several Indian news media outlets have fact checked the claim as untrue. He also went on to cite a report by Washington Post which “found no evidence that $21 million was due to be spent for voter turnout in India or for any other purpose.”

'USAID Was Allowed Here In Good Faith': S Jaishankar On Voter Turnout Fund

NEW DELHI, Feb 22: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised concerns over information from the US that millions of dollars were sent to India, allegedly to influence elections in India.

US President Donald Trump first raised the issue of alleged funding of $21 million for "voter turnout" in India, after he took over from former President Joe Biden.

"Your security can be threatened without you leaving your house because the thought processes, the influences, the narratives, your morale, your sense of what is right and wrong, are all influenced by your phone, what you read every day, the pictures you see," Jaishankar said at the Delhi University Literature Festival.

"... I think some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people and obviously that is concerning," the External Affairs Minister said.

"It would suggest that there are activities which have a certain objective out there, to push a narrative or a viewpoint. As a government we are looking into it because such organisations have an obligation to report. And my sense is, the facts will come out," Jaishankar said, alluding to the announcement by President Trump that the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) posted a list of cancelled US taxpayer-funded initiatives with a mention of $21 million earmarked for "voter turnout in India."

"Now, I read saying so-and-so dealt with USAID or so-and-so. Look, it's not a question of do you deal with USAID or not. USAID was allowed - has been here historically. But USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities. Suggestions are being made out of America that there are activities which are in bad faith. So, it surely warrants a look," he said.

"And if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities," Jaishankar said.

The External Affairs Minister's comments come on a day the BJP sought an investigation into the alleged US funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India and "kickbacks". The BJP alleged the money was used to sustain "deep state assets" in India.

President Trump on Thursday also repeated his questioning of the US government's allocation of the $21 million, calling it a "kickback scheme".

The Enforcement Directorate and other security and financial agencies have started preliminary steps to identify Indian entities and individuals who served as conduits for receiving the now-scrapped USAID's $21 million to influence voter turnout.

Non-profits, social workers, media firms, and business entities are under the ED's scanner over alleged violation of anti-money laundering laws in a transnational conspiracy, sources said.

Won't Accept Education Policy Even If Centre Offers Rs 10,000 Crore: MK Stalin

CHENNAI, Feb 22: MK Stalin has said he is firm on his stance of not implementing the National Education Policy in Tamil Nadu even if the Centre offered to provide Rs 10,000 crore in funds to the state.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has said the opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) is not merely over the "imposition of Hindi" but there are several other factors that would have serious consequences on the future of students and the social justice system.

Addressing a Parent-Teachers Association event in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore, Stalin said, "We are not opposed to any language but will remain firm in opposing its imposition. We are not opposing the NEP only for the attempt to thrust Hindi but for several other reasons as well. The NEP is regressive. It will drive students away from schools."

Apart from 'denying' financial aid to SC/ST and BC students, which is now being provided, the NEP proposed public exams for third, fifth, and eighth standards, besides introducing a common entrance test for admissions to arts and science colleges, the Chief Minister claimed.

The row over the implementation of the policy in Tamil Nadu and the three-language formula in NEP has escalated and Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, complaining that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had threatened to withhold Rs 2,000 crore for a centrally sponsored initiative, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, unless Tamil Nadu implemented the NEP.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan seeks to integrate vocational education with general academic education by linking it to the NEP.

"The Centre says Tamil Nadu will get Rs 2,000 crore if the state implements the NEP. I wish to say that we will not agree to the NEP even if the Centre offers Rs 10,000 crore. I will not allow the NEP and commit the sin of pushing Tamil Nadu backwards by 2,000 years," Stalin said today.

Stalin earlier said "The policy was brought to nurture Hindi and not education. It's camouflaged in the name of education policy as it would be opposed if done directly."

'Toppled those who took me lightly': Eknath Shinde amid rift rumors with Fadnavis

MUMBAI, Feb 21: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said nobody should take him lightly, and made a veiled reference to the toppling of the MVA government amid talk of a growing rift with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Eknath Shinde, while speaking to the reporters, warned, "Do not take me lightly;I have already said this to those who have taken me lightly. I am a normal party worker, but I am a worker of Bala Saheb, and everyone should take me with this understanding."

He continued, "When you took it lightly in 2022, the horse turned around, and I changed the government; we brought the government of the wishes of the common people."

"In 2022, I toppled the cart of those who took me lightly, and we brought in a new government that stayed in the people’s hearts,” Shinde said, apparently referring to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. In my first speech in the VidhanSabha, I said that Devendra Fadnavis ji would get more than 200 seats, and we got 232 seats. That is why do not take me lightly; those who want to understand this hint, they should understand it, and I will continue doing my work," Shinde added, asserting his political influence and commitment to serving the people of Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, both Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis have denied that there is discord, but recent developments suggested there are simmering tensions. Eknath Shinde has also stayed away from several meetings convened by Fadnavis, including the Nashik Regional Development Authority meeting to discuss preparations for the 2027 Kumbh Mela in the north Maharashtra city.

He held a separate meeting in Nashik where BJP minister Girish Mahajan was absent. After Fadnavis held a review meeting of the Industries department, Shinde held another meeting recently.

The industries department is headed by Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant. The buzz about the relations being under growing strain became louder when the Home department, headed by Fadnavis, downgraded or took away the police security of 20 Shiv Sena MLAs. They had been given security cover after the Sena split in 2022.

In another related development, the Mumbai police have arrested two persons from Buldhana in connection with an email threatening to bomb the car of the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.

The accused were identified as Mangesh Achyutrao Wayal (35) and Abhay Gajanan Shingane (22). Both are residents of Deulgaon Mahi Buldhana and were apprehended from Buldhana's Deulgaon district in Maharashtra.

Suspended After Row, 6 Rajasthan Congress MLAs To Spend Night In Assembly

JAIPUR, Feb 21: The Rajasthan Assembly witnessed an uproar on Friday after a BJP minister, in an apparent jibe at Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, referred to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as "aapki dadi" (your grandmother).

Amid slogan-shouting and a demand for an apology by Congress MLAs, many of whom trooped into the well of the House, the Assembly was adjourned thrice and six Congress MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session.

The suspended MLAs have decided to spend the night in the well of the House and arrangements are being made for their bedding and dinner.

While answering a question on hostels for working women, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot pointed to the members of the opposition and said, "In the 2023-24 budget also, like always, you named the scheme after your 'dadi'".

Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully strongly objected to the minister's statement and asked whether he was referring to former PM Indira Gandhi. Jully demanded that the statement be struck from the record as several Congress MLAs began sloganeering and heading towards the well.

Laxmangarh MLA and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara went towards the Assembly Secretary's table and demanded an apology from the minister. The marshals of the Assembly and Congress MLAs also came face to face even as the opposition's allegations were countered strongly by BJP MLAs and ministers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel insisted that there was nothing unparliamentary about the word 'dadi'.

The House was initially adjourned for half an hour, then till 2 pm and again till 4 pm. When proceedings resumed, government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg said the opposition had crossed limits.

"The speed and intention with which they moved towards the chair and the incident of reaching close to the Speaker is definitely condemnable and not a pardonable crime. Therefore, I request that as a result of the indecent and condemnable conduct of the opposition members in the House, the following members should be suspended for the remaining period of the current budget session... Govind Singh Dotasara, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Jakir Hussain, Hakim Ali and Sanjay Kumar," he said.

The proposal was passed by a voice vote and Speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the house until Monday, after which Congress MLAs began a protest in the well of the Assembly.

Man Who Filed Case Against KCR Killed, Wife Says He Was Offered Rs 10 Lakh

HYDERABAD, Feb 20: The family of a man who had moved court accusing former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) of corruption in the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, alleged he was threatened and offered Rs 10 lakh to settle the case, days before he was found murdered on Wednesday.

N Sarala, wife of N Rajalingamurthy, who was stabbed to death by unidentified people on the outskirts of his village in Jayshankar Bhupalpally district, alleged the followers of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) former MLA Gandra Venkatramana Reddy, who is close to KCR's son and party's working president KT Rama Rao, carried out the attack.

"KTR's follower is Venkatramana Reddy. His follower is Haribabu. He got this done (murder). Around 10 days ago, my husband was threatened and offered Rs 10 lakh to withdraw the complaint in the corruption case against KCR," Sarala, who was a former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) councillor before moving to the Congress, said.

"Mr Reddy got my husband killed in the middle of the road because he filed a case in the Kaleshwaram case, fearing they may lose. I want justice. What will happen to my two children?" she added.

Rajalingamurthy's murder, which took place a day before a high court hearing in the corruption case, has triggered a massive political row, with the ruling Congress blaming the BRS. Police, however, said the victim was targeted over some land disputes.

In October 2023, Rajalingamurthy filed a private complaint in the court, seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against KCR, who was then the Chief Minister, and others after some piers of the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram project "sank". He alleged irregularities in the construction of the project.

KCR, along with his nephew and former minister T Harish Rao, subsequently approached the Telangana High Court, which in December last year suspended an order passed by the principal district sessions judge in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, allowing a petition against them.

An inquiry commission constituted by the current Congress government on the alleged irregularities is expected to submit its report next month.

Reddy, a former BRS MLA from Bhupalpally, dismissed the accusations against him. "Neither did I threaten nor did I offer Rs 10 lakh to anyone. The case is already in court. This is not going to change, whether Rajalingamurthy is alive or not. He was involved in land disputes. That is why he must have been targeted," he said.

The BRS also ruled out any possible role of its party leaders in the murder. It said neither Ms Sarala's complaint nor the FIR has named KTR or Mr Reddy.

Congress spokesperson Addanki Dayakar, however, alleged BRS' role in the murder. "There is a clear link. He (victim) was not just a complainant, he was also to give evidence about the irregularities in the Kaleshwaram case," he said.

Rekha Gupta Sworn In As Delhi Chief Minister

NEW DELHI, Feb 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party's Rekha Gupta was sworn in Thursday afternoon as Chief Minister of Delhi in a grand oath-taking ceremony at the city's Ramlila Maidan.

Ms Gupta becomes the BJP's fourth Delhi Chief Minister and its second woman leader to hold the post. She is also the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following from the BJP's Sushma Swaraj, the Congress' Sheila Dikshit, and the AAP's Atishi, her immediate predecessor.

Later, the portfolis of the ministers of the new Delhi government were announced after a cabinet meeting this evening. The ministries have been divided up between the Chief Minister and her six cabinet colleagues and it is Rekha Gupta, along with Parvesh Verma, who are doing the heavy lifting.

The key portfolio of water has gone to Verma, the son of former Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma. He has also got the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which is tasked with the cleanup of the Yamuna river, and Kapil Mishra has got the law department.

Ms Gupta will be handling at least 10 portfolios -- and any others that are yet to be distributed, the government said.

The heaviest one in her basket is finance. While earlier there were expectations that she would be handling home, that department has gone Ashish Sood, who will be handling seven departments.

The Chief Minister's other responsibilities include Revenue, General Administration, Information and Public Relations, Vigilance, Land and Building, and Women and Child Development portfolios.

A former vice-president of the BJP's Delhi unit, Sood's other big responsibilities include two portfolios that have been in focus since the days of Aam Aadmi Party government - Education, which was a flagship sector of AAP and the power department, because of AAP's massive power subsidy.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the BJP's Sikh face in Delhi, has been handed Food and Supplies, Forest and Environment and Industries. As the industries minister, he is expected to chip in with the Yamuna clean-up, given the effluents from industries have a huge role in the pollution of river.

Kapil Misra, who first became a minister in Arvind Kejriwal's government, then quit and joined the BJP, is now back in the Delhi cabinet. Besides the law and justice department, he will be in charge of Labour, Art and Culture, Language and Tourism portfolios.

Ravinder Singh is in charge of Social Welfare, SC and ST Welfare, Cooperative and Elections portfolios.

Rekha Gupta Named Delhi's New Chief Minister

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Rekha Gupta, first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, will be the next Chief Minister of Delhi. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party's legislature party this evening. Ms Gupta succeeds Aam Aadmi Party's Atishi after the BJP ended the 10-year-rule of Arvind Kejriwal's party in the recently concluded assembly election.

The formal announcement came from the X handle of the Delhi BJP. "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Rekha Gupta ji on being elected the leader of the Delhi BJP Legislative Party. We have full faith that the state will progress under your leadership," read a rough translation of their Hindi post.

"I thank BJP, and I am grateful for the blessings of all of you... I am committed to taking Delhi to new heights," Ms Gupta told the media before proceeding to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form government.

Ms Gupta started her political journey as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, becoming the president and general secretary of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU).

She has served as the general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi, a member of the party's national executive committee, and then councillor from North Pitampura in 2007. Later she served as the mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Congress' Major Reshuffle In Key States After Delhi Drubbing, Haryana Loss

NEW DELHI, Feb 18: The Congress effected a major reshuffle of its office-bearers on Friday, appointing former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as general secretary incharge of Punjab and party MP Syed Naseer Hussain as general secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The party appointed new incharges in several states. The new appointments were made by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Former general secretary BK Hariprasad has been appointed incharge of Haryana, Krishna Allavaru of Bihar, Rajani Patil of Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh and Harish Chaudhary of Madhya Pradesh. Bihar will go the polls next year.

Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu will be incharge of Odisha, K Raju of Jharkhand, Meenakshi Natarajan of Telangana and Girish Chodankar of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Party leader Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka will be incharge of Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland.

The party has relived Dipak Babaria, Mohan Prakash, Bharatsinh Solanki, Rajeev Shukla, Ajoy Kumar and Devender Yadav of their responsibilities.

The other general secretaries will continue to serve in their designated capacities, party release said.

Syed Naseer Hussain has been relieved from his role attached to the Congress president. Most of new incharges are senior leaders with organisational experience.

The reshuffle has taken place after a string of poor results faced by the Congress.

The party bungled its prospects in Haryana, won a few seats in Maharashtra assembly polls and again failed to open its account in Delhi, third time in a row.

Gyanesh Kumar appointed next chief election commissioner

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: Gyanesh Kumar has been named as the new chief election commissioner, Union law ministry announced on Monday. He will replace Rajiv Kumar, who will demit office on Tuesday after attaining the age of 65.

Chief election commissioners have a tenure of six years or until they turn 65, whichever is earlier. Kumar became the first CEC to be appointed under new law on appointment of election commissioners.

Gyanesh Kumar's name was picked by a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

The committee met earlier this evening at the Prime Minister's Office in South Block. It recommended the name from among the candidates shortlisted by a search committee.

Earlier today, Congress suggested that the government adjourn the meeting to select the chief election commissioner until the Supreme Court hears a petition on the constitution of the selection panel on February 19.

US Plane With 3rd Batch Of Illegal Indian Immigrants Lands In Amritsar

AMRITSAR, Feb 16: A plane with 112 Indians, who were deported from the United States for illegally residing in the country, landed in Amritsar on Sunday night, the third such arrival in a span of 10 days as part of the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on such immigrants.

The flight C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force landed at the Amritsar International Airport at around 10.03 pm, according to sources.

Of the total deportees, 31 are from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The families of some of them reached the airport to receive them.

The deportees will be allowed to head to their homes after completion of all formalities, including immigration, verification and background checks. Arrangements have been made for the transportation of deportees to their destination, the sources said.

The first round of deportation had taken place on February 5, when a US military plane transported 104 Indians to Amritsar. A second plane carrying 116 Indians landed on Saturday.

During the first round of deportation, the people were shackled and restrained throughout the flight, only to be freed upon arrival in India - a move that triggered a political storm in India, and led to an uproar in both Houses of Parliament during the then ongoing Budget session. Similar allegations of ill-treatment were also made by those who returned on Saturday.

The US Embassy in India said "enforcing our nation's immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States". "It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens," an embassy spokesperson said.

India is the third source of undocumented immigrants in the US after Mexico and El Salvador.

18 people dead, 10 injured at New Delhi railway station stampede

NEW DELHI, Feb 15: A stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, leaving 18 people dead and 10 others injured, it was reported quoting the chief casualty medical officer of the LJNP hospital.

The incident occurred on platforms 14 and 15 of the railway station. The stampede occurred after two trains to Prayagraj got cancelled, resulting in chaos on the platform.

The incident occurred around 9:55 pm, prompting an emergency response. Authorities immediately dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site to assist in the relief efforts, said DFS chief Atul Garg.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, said that the stampede-like situation had been caused by an influx of passengers from delayed trains.

He stated, “When Prayagraj Express was standing at platform no. 14, lots of public were present at the platform. Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani were delayed, and passengers of these trains were also present at platform no. 12,13 and 14. As per the information, 1500 general tickets were sold - that’s why the crowd became uncontrollable.”

US Plane Carrying 2nd Batch Of 119 Indian Immigrants Lands In Amritsar

NEW DELHI, Fen 15: A plane carrying 119 Indians arrived from the United States at Punjab's Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such arrival in a span of 10 days, as part of the Donald Trump administration's crackdown and decision to deport illegal immigrants.

The first round of deportation had taken place on February 5, when a US military plane transported 104 Indians to Amritsar. A third plane with 157 deportees is expected to land in India on Sunday.

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force landed at the Amritsar International Airport close to 11:40 pm on Saturday.

Of the total deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The families of some of them reached the airport to receive them.

President's rule imposed in Manipur days after Biren Singh resigns as CM

IMPHAL, Feb 13: President's rule has been imposed in Manipur on Thursday, four days after chief minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post. Singh resigned after nearly 21 months after ethnic violence in Manipur that resulted in the deaths of over 250 and displaced several thousands.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said President Droupadi Murmu is of the opinion that "a situation has arisen in which the government of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution".

"Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I – assume to myself as President of India all functions of the Government of the State of Manipur and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that State," the notification said.

The assembly has also been put under suspended animation.

Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the state capital, Imphal, on February 9, a day before the state assembly was scheduled to convene for the budget session, which was scrapped.

'Are We Not Creating Class Of Parasites?' Supreme Court's Big Remark On Freebies

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Making strong observations on the practice of political parties announcing freebies ahead of elections, the Supreme Court has said people are "not willing to work" because of them and wondered whether a "class of parasites" was being created in the country.

Hearing a matter on the right to shelter of homeless persons in urban areas, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih said people were getting ration and money without working.

"Rather than promoting them to be a part of the mainstream of the society by contributing to the development of the nation, are we not creating a class of parasites?" the bench asked.

Pulling no punches, Justice Gavai referred to the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme in Maharashtra - under which women in the age group of 21-65 with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh get Rs 1,500 per month - and similar programmes run by ruling parties in other states and said, "Unfortunately, because of these freebies, which just on the anvil of elections are declared, like 'Ladki Bahin' and other schemes, people are not willing to work... They are getting free ration and money without doing any work."

"We quite appreciate your concern for them but would it not be better to make them a part of the mainstream of society and permit them to contribute to the development of the nation?" the bench asked.

When Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, said there was hardly anybody in the country who did not want to work if they got work, he was interrupted by Justice Gavai, who went on to cite an example.

"You must be having only one-sided knowledge. I come from an agricultural family. Because of the freebies in Maharashtra which they announced just prior to elections, agriculturists are not getting labourers," he said.

The bench noted that everybody, including Attorney General R Venkataramani, was on the same page that providing shelter to the homeless merited attention but asked, "At the same time, should it not be balanced?"

Venkataramani said the Centre was finalising the urban poverty alleviation mission, which would tackle issues like providing shelter to the urban homeless. The bench asked the Attorney General for a timeline and also said the Centre should gather information from all states so that the issue could be considered on a pan-India basis.

The matter will now be heard after six weeks.

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has spoken out against freebies. In December, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Manmohan was surprised when it was informed by the Centre that 81 crore people are being given free or subsidised ration under the National Food Security Act of 2013.

On migrant workers who have been receiving free ration since the Covid pandemic, the bench had said, "For how long can freebies be given? Why don't we work to create job opportunities, employment and capacity building for these migrant workers?"

The Supreme Court's observations came on a day when the Delhi High Court refused to hear a petition filed by a former judge against freebies promised by the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and BJP ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections on February 5.

In his complaint, Justice SN Dhingra said such promises made by parties amounted to corrupt practices under the Representation of People Act and sought directions to the Election Commission to declare them "unconstitutional". The high court asked the former judge to approach the Supreme Court after it was told that a similar case was already pending before it.

'Labourers In India Not Willing To Work': L&T Chairman

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyan is at the centre of another row, this time concerning the reluctance of workers to relocate owing to availability of government welfare schemes. This comes week after his 90-hour work week remark led to a widespread debate about work-life balance.

Subrahmanyan, while speaking at the CII's Mystic South Global Linkages Summit 2025 in Chennai on Tuesday, said it is difficult to get workers for the construction industry as they are reluctant to travel from their hometown due to a preference for comfort. He said that schemes like MGNREGA, direct benefit transfers and JAN DHAN accounts likely affect labour mobilisation.

"Labour is not willing to move for opportunities. Maybe their local economy is doing well, maybe it is due to the various government schemes," he said. He added that shortage of labour would impact the building of India's infrastructure.

Subrahmanyan also said India faces the peculiar problem of migration, with L&T requiring 4 lakh workers, but recruiting 16 lakh people owing to attrition. He also raised the need to revise wages for workers in sync with inflation, pointing out that the Middle East draws workers as it draws three to 3.5 times the salary they draw in India.

'Don't Delete Data': Supreme Court To Poll Body On EVM Petition

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: What is the Standard Operating Procedure for Electronic Voting Machines after polls are over, the Supreme Court asked today in response to a petition that sought data from the machines not be deleted even after the counting of votes is over. For now, do not delete any data from EVM nor reload any data, said a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna.

The Election Commission has to provide information to the court about the process of burning EVM memory and microcontroller after elections

"This is not adversarial," said the Chief Justice. "If the losing candidate wants clarification, the engineer can give clarification that there has been no tampering," he added.

The top court was told that engineers of BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) had loaded dummy symbol and data in the EVMs and data of the original machine was cleared.

CJI Khanna questioned the poll body why the data was cleared and ordered that it ensure that EVM data is not deleted.

The court's comments came while it was hearing a petition by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), Haryana, and a group of Congress leaders. The petitions sought that the court directs the Commission to formulate policy for checking original burnt memory/microcontroller of EVM components.

The petition has also demanded that the burnt memory and microcontroller of EVM be verified by engineers to prove that EVM has not been tampered with.

The next hearing will be held on March 17.

2 Soldiers Killed In Action As Terrorists Set Off Bomb In J&K

JAMMU, Feb 11: Two soldiers were killed in action in a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor sector today, the Indian Army said.

The army's White Knight Corps in a post on X confirmed the casualties.

"White Knight Corps salutes and pays tribute to the supreme sacrifice of two gallant soldiers," the army said.

The IED attack came while the soldiers were on a "fence patrol" along the Line of Control (LoC).

"Own troops are dominating the area and search operations are underway," the army said.

300-km Traffic Jam To Maha Kumbh? Vehicles Reportedly Stuck For 48 Hours

PRAYAGRAJ, Feb 10: Thousands of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh are stranded on highways due to massive traffic jams, reportedly spanning hundreds of kilometers, on routes leading to Prayagraj. Reports suggest the queue of stranded vehicles stretches up to 300 km.

Days after Basant Panchmi's Amrit Snan, there were assumptions that the crowds may drop. However, it now looks like just the opposite, as thousands of people continue to head to Prayagraj for the holy dip.

Finding it difficult to manage the traffic, the police in several districts of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh have stopped vehicle movement on a route to Prayagraj. "It's impossible to go towards Prayagraj today as there is a traffic jam of 200-300 kilometres," reports quoted the police as saying.

The jams were caused by the weekend rush, said Inspector General of Police (Rewa zone) Saket Prakash Pandey. He said the situation is likely to ease in a couple of days and vehicles are being allowed only in coordination with the Prayagraj administration.

"It is being claimed that vehicles are stuck for 48 hours. It is taking almost 10-12 hours to cover just 50 km," said a man stuck in traffic.

A jam of up to 25 km was reported on routes leading to Prayagraj from Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur. Even inside the city hosting the mega Kumbh festival, a jam of about seven kilometers was witnessed.

The Prayagraj Sangam railway station has been shut to avoid any untoward incident.

"Since the passengers were facing difficulty in getting out of the station due to heavy crowd outside Prayagraj Sangam station, it was decided to close it in view of the heavy crowd of devotees," said Railways officer Kuldeep Tiwari.

A single direction traffic system is in place at the Prayagraj Junction station for now.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Kuldeep Singh said the jam was due to a very high number of vehicles trying to reach the Mela site. "The number of vehicles is very high. The passengers are trying to come as close as possible to the Maha Kumbh Mela area. Due to this, there is a long jam," he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the traffic congestion in Prayagraj, claiming that it has also led to a shortage of essential commodities in the city.

Officials suggest over 46 lakh devotees have taken a dip in the holy Sangam today. A total of about 44 crore pilgrims have taken dip since the Maha Kumbh began last month, authorities said.

Rocket Ammunition Found During Searches In Punjab's Patiala

PATIALA, Feb 10: At least seven rocket ammunition have been found during searches in Punjab's Patiala this afternoon, triggering panic among residents.

The ammunition was found in a garbage dump on Rajpura Road in Patiala after police received information about suspicious materials, a senior cop said.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that a scrap dealer had left these here as it is a garbage dump,” Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh told reporters.

The police, however, are not ruling out anything, he said.

"We have also called an army team for further investigation," he said.

In December 2022, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack was carried out at a police station in Tarn Taran district, about 200 kilometres from Patiala, seven months after an RPG was fired at the Punjab Police's intelligence headquarters located in Mohali.

Biren Singh Quits As Chief Minister 2 Years After Manipur Violence Began

IMPHAL, Feb 9: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned today - two years after ethnic violence broke out in the state -- to quell dissidence in the state BJP against his leadership as his government faces the possibility of a Congress no-confidence motion and floor test.

The Chief Minister handed his resignation to the Governor this evening. The Congress said the "belated" resignation was a vindication of its demand.

With the resignation of the Chief Minister, The budget session of the Manipur Assembly that was to begin from tomorrow, has been cancelled, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has said.

While the BJP has the numbers despite the withdrawal of support by Conrad Sangma's National Peoples' Party, there was a possibility that the MLAs who sought a change in leadership, would have disregarded a party whip in case of a floor test.

To avert that possibility, the Chief Minister stepped down after conferring with the Central leadership.

Singh had gone to Delhi this morning where he met party chief JP Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah.

Citing the ethnic violence that broke out in May 2023, around 12 MLAs have been strongly pushing for a change in leadership, and there are around six fence sitters, party sources said. The sources also added that the Speaker and the chief minister have had "differences".

Some of the rebels have even met Amit Shah with their demands.

With the Congress threat of a no-confidence motion in the assembly session that begins tomorrow, sources said there was a possibility that they would have skipped a floor test.

Sources also said the BJP, given its string of successes in the Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi assembly elections, did not want a crisis that could overshadow the positive political narrative.

Manipur BJP chief A Sharda Devi told reporters that the Chief Minister's decision was made to protect the integrity of the state and keeping in mind public welfare. "Since 2017, Biren Singh has been working tirelessly for the development of Manipur. His resignation reflects his deep commitment to safeguarding the state's integrity," she said. She also said it is not decided yet who will succeed Mr Singh.

Congress's Rahul Gandhi posted a sharp comment on X. "The resignation of CM Biren Singh shows that mounting public pressure, the SC investigation and the no-confidence motion by the Congress have forced a reckoning," the post read.
"For nearly two years, BJP's CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of India in Manipur.

"The Congress was all set to move a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers in the Manipur Assembly tomorrow. Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned," read a post on X from Jairam Ramesh.

"This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023, when Manipur erupted. The CM's resignation was belated. The people of Manipur now await a visit by our Frequent Flier PM who is off to France and the USA now - and who has found neither the time nor the inclination to go to Manipur these past twenty months," he added.

The clamour against Biren Singh grew after a person from the Kuki community went to the Supreme Court alleging the Chief Minister had instigated the violence in the state. His complaint was based on leaked audio tapes purportedly of the Chief Minister.

Non-profit private forensic laboratory Truth Labs has confirmed that 93 per cent of the audio tapes matched Singh's voice.

The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory on the leaked audio tapes.

BJP to Form Government In Delhi; Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia Lose Seats

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the government in Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and minister Saurabh Bharadwaj have faced defeat. The Congress has failed to make any impact struggling to secure a single seat.

The BJP has comfortably secured a majority by winning 48 seats while the AAP managed to emerge victorious in 22. There are 70 seats in the Delhi legislative assembly and a party or coalition needs to win 36 seats to rule.

In Milkipur by polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has won while the DMK is ahead in the Erode seat in Tamil Nadu.

104 Indians deported from US land in Amritsar

AMRITSAR, Feb 5: As many as 104 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the United States landed in a US military C-17 transport aircraft at Punjab's Amritsar airport on Wednesday. Of these, 30 are from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

This was the first such deportation to India under US President Donald Trump's massive crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The US military aircraft, which took off from Texas's San Antonio and landed at Amritsar's Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport around 1:55 pm.

The administration conducted initial questioning of those deported and made arrangements to send them back to their respective homes.

It was said that no family members of the deportees reached the airport to receive them.

Sources said that after thorough verification of their documents and credentials, along with a medical examination, the deportees will be taken to their respective states and hometowns.

They further said that the concerned state governments arranged for special buses to bring the deportees home, and have also deployed local police personnel in the bus for their security.

Those Indian migrants who hail from Maharashtra and Gujarat will be sent to their homes by air, sources said.

Notably, several people from Punjab, who entered the American soil through "donkey routes" or other illegal ways by sending lakhs or rupees, are now facing deportation.

Delhi Records 57.89% Voter Turnout In Assembly Polls

NEW DELHI, Feb 5: Delhi recorded a 57.89 per cent voter turnout in the assembly polls on Wednesday amid charges of malpractices including money distribution and fake voting by both AAP and BJP who are engaged in an intense battle to decide who rules the national capital.

The turnout is about five percentage points lower than the 2020 assembly polls (62.59 per cent) when the Arvind Kejriwal-led party won 62 seat of the 70 seats, while the BJP got eight and the Congress zero.

Long queues of voters were witnessed outside polling stations in different constituencies since early morning, and there were people still waiting after the scheduled time of close at 6 pm.

Exit poll results started coming in soon afterwards, with several of them predicting a victory for the BJP over the ruling AAP, while the Congress was projected to suffer yet another rout.

According to Delhi Chief Electoral officer, 57.89 per cent votes -- there are 1.56 crore eligible voters -- were polled by 5 pm. The percentage will go up as officials update the figures from all the 13,766 stations.

"All 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi went to polls today in a peaceful and festive atmosphere. Voters were delighted with the seamless polling process and facilities at the polling stations," an official statement of ECI said. "All voters in the queue after formal closing hours of polling i.e. 6 pm are allowed to cast their vote," the statement said.

A total of 699 candidates are engaged in a keen battle that would decided whether the AAP comes to power in Delhi for a third consecutive term or the BJP gets a chance to form a government in the national capital after 27 years. The Congress also made all-out effort to regain its foothold in the city politics.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal were among the early voters.

After casting his vote at a polling booth in Moti Bagh, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said everyone has worked very hard for the smooth conduct of polls.

During the day, the Aam Aadmi Party and BJP indulged in an intense blame game, accusing each other of voting malpractices in different constituencies.

Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said around noon that the polling process was going on "smoothly". Some EVMs were replaced during mock polls and actual voting also, the CEO said.

High drama unfolded in Seelampur when a BJP leader alleged that some people wearing burqas were attempting fraudulent voting. However, police denied any fake voting in the area. In Kasturba Nagar, police sources said two men allegedly attempted to vote fraudulently. They have been apprehended and were being interrogated, they said.

Following allegations of fake voting by the BJP in Seelampur, AAP workers resorted to sloganeering. The Delhi Police, however, dismissed the charges of fake voting, and said there was enough security deployment in the area including personnel from the paramilitary forces.

In Delhi's Majnu-ka-Tilla, Pakistani Hindu refugees, who got Indian citizenship following implementation of Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, cast their votes for the first time in India.

At least six exit polls predicted a BJP victory, while two said the AAP would retain power. Two other polls showed a close contest between them, with an edge for the BJP.

AAP national spokesperson Reena Gupta rejected the exit poll results, saying the party will again form the government in Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal will become the chief minister fourth time in a row.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva asserted that party's victory will be more spectacular then what the exit polls showed.

After casting his vote along with his family members, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the people of Delhi to exercise their franchise for "good schools, hospitals and development of the city".

Arvind Kejriwal, who is contesting from the New Delhi seat for the fourth time in a row, is pitted against the BJP's Parvesh Verma and Congress' Sandeep Dikshit, in a keen contest.

"My parents have health issues but they were very excited about voting since morning," Arvind Kejriwal told reporters. His wife Sunita Kejriwal and son Pulkit Kejriwal also accompanied him to the polling station.

The BJP is making an aggressive push to reclaim Delhi after over 25 years, with its campaign focusing on issues like corruption, governance failures, and law and order.

In Budget, Big Income Tax Relief For Middle Class

NEW DELHI, Feb 1: There will be no income tax payable up to Rs 12 lakh - i.e., up to Rs 12.75 lakh including standard deductions - under the new regime, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Saturday as she read out the Union Budget 2025.

In an announcement accompanied by loud cheers and enthusiastic thumping of desks by BJP MPs, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she also announced revisions to the tax slabs (again, applicable to the new regime only).

Under the revised slabs, tax on income up to Rs 4 lakh is nil.

Between Rs 4 and Rs 8 lakh the tax will be five per cent.

Between Rs 8 and Rs 12 lakh it will be 10 per cent.

Between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 16 lakh it will be 15 per cent.

Between Rs 16 lakh and Rs 20 lakh it will be 20 per cent.

Between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 24 lakh it will be 25 per cent.

Above Rs 24 lakh it will be 30 per cent.

All of this, Ms Sitharaman said, will "substantially reduce tax burden on middle class and leave more money in their hands". It will also boost household consumption, savings, and investment, she said.

In other tax-related announcements, Ms Sitharaman also said TDS, or tax deduction at source, rates will be rationalised, and the limit for tax deduction for senior citizens will be doubled to Rs 1 lakh.

Further, she also proposed doubling the deadline to file updated returns to four years.

The big-ticket announcement on personal income tax by the Finance Minister followed confirmation of a new direct tax code - to simplify compliance for individual taxpayers - will be introduced next week.

Among the biggest expected changes are the scrapping of the concept of financial year (FY) and accounting year (AY), which often led to confusion. It may also introduce taxes - possibly at five per cent - on income from insurance policies from the Life Insurance Corporation.

These were not taxed under the 1961 law.

Also, taxes on dividend income (now at slab rates) may be standardised at 15 per cent. But perhaps most significant is that this new code will not offer an option between the old and new regimes.

Government To Develop 50 Tourism Sites In Partnership With States

NEW DELHI, Feb 1: The government has announced plans to develop the country's top 50 tourist destinations in collaboration with state governments, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget for 2025-26 on Saturday.

The initiative aims to enhance India's tourism sector by improving infrastructure, accessibility, and facilities at key locations across the country. Additionally, to support small-scale tourism businesses, the government will extend Mudra loans to homestays, making it easier for individuals to offer lodging services to domestic and international travellers.

In a push for medical tourism, Sitharaman highlighted that the private sector would play a crucial role in its promotion. India has emerged as a major destination for medical treatments due to its affordable and high-quality healthcare services. The government plans to strengthen this sector further, making it a key contributor to the country's tourism economy.

Places associated with the life and teachings of Lord Buddha will receive special focus under the tourism development plan. This move aligns with India's broader efforts to attract more international visitors.

Apart from tourism, the Finance Minister also announced financial support for the Western Kosi Canal project in Bihar's Mithilanchal region. The project is expected to benefit 50,000 hectares of agricultural land, improving irrigation facilities and boosting the rural economy.