Author: Indmedia

Gurgaon: The city’s clean-air action plan will now be monitored through mandatory monthly reporting by all implementing agencies, with MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya on Friday directing departments to submit progress updates by the fifth of every month for onward reporting to Central Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM).The direction was issued at a coordination meeting of agencies involved in air-pollution control, including the traffic police, GMDA and Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), where officials reviewed implementation of measures aimed at cutting particulate pollution (PM10 and PM2.5 levels) by 10% by 2026. Officials from GMCBL, HSVP, PWD and NHAI were also…

Aizawl: Mizoram legislative assembly’s business advisory committee (BAC) may defer the presentation of the state’s annual budget for 2026-2027, originally scheduled for Feb19. CM Lalduhoma, who also holds the finance portfolio, has indicated that he may not be ready to present the budget on the allotted date, assembly speaker Lalbiakzama said.“The house leader has conveyed that preparations are still underway. The BAC may meet again to revise the calendar of the upcoming budget session as desired by the CM,” Lalbiakzama told TOI.Islamabad Suicide Blast, Bangladesh Crisis, RBI’s Fraud Compensation And MoreAssembly secretariat officials confirmed that the BAC will reconvene on…

Belagavi: Women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said the work on solar power project was stopped in Badal Ankalagi village following the illegal cutting of trees. Meanwhile, BJP workers and various farmer organisations staged a protest on the premises of DCF office, seeking action against the culprits involved in tree felling.The minister, on Friday said the cutting of trees for solar power generation under the PM KUSUM scheme was stopped for the time being. A case was registered against a person for burning the trees. The govt land was used for a govt project in coordination with the revenue…

Mangaluru: Parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church, Kinnigoli, have handwritten the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Thirteen parishioners completed the New Testament, and two children wrote the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The parish is about 27km from Mangaluru.The effort began after parish priest Fr Joachim Fernandes urged parishioners during the Gospel Week. “It was last Jan, during Gospel Week, I gave a call to parishioners to handwrite the Holy Bible. It was a voluntary effort. Similar initiatives are quite familiar in Kerala, and I first tried it when I was the parish priest of Kelarai near…

Mysuru: To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya and Mahashivaratri, the Brahma Kumaris will host Shivaratri Mahotsav and a large-scale spiritual exhibition—Jnana Vijnana Divya Darshana Mela, from Feb 8 in front of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on Hunsur Road.Speaking to reporters, Brahma Kumari Lakshmi said the main attraction of the exhibition will be a grand replica of Gujarat’s iconic Sri Somnath Temple. The exhibition will feature a wide range of spiritually enriching and socially relevant segments. These include awareness initiatives against drug abuse, a 5-minute computer-based Mind Spa, and a pictorial gallery promoting harmony in…

Pune: Traffic slowed to a crawl during peak hours on the Pune-Mumbai expressway on Friday, with congestion affecting Pune-bound traffic. Officials attributed the snarls to weekend rush, as well as people travelling to vote in Saturday’s zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections.According to commuters affected, vehicular movement had ground to a halt for a while in the ghat section near Lonavla in the evening. One commuter said, “I was returning from Mumbai in the evening, around 7 pm, and was stuck in a long traffic jam near Amrutanjan bridge.”The commuter said such congestion was becoming a regular feature on the…

Panaji: Two mega events — India Energy Week and World Legends Pro T20 League — held in Goa last month, pushed the fortunes of the tourism industry, said the Trade and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), a body of tourism stakeholders.“Certain segments have done exceptionally well, registering strong growth. Small hotels have had a much better month with a decent rebound,” said TTAG president Jack Sukhija in a statement.Applauding govt for its efforts to bring mega events to the state, Sukhija said, “The major flip to the tourism industry comes from meeting incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), mega events, and…

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh govt secured approval from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for 73 projects amounting to over Rs 713 crore during the financial year 2025-26, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday.Of these, 55 projects worth Rs 512 crore pertained to the public works department, while 18 projects worth Rs 201 crore were related to the jal shakti department.Chairing a meeting with the MLAs from Una, Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts to finalise MLA priority projects for the FY 2026-27, the CM directed the departments to ensure full utilisation of allocated funds and submit…

Lucknow: Despite constitutional recognition and growing awareness, third gender community in India continues to face significant social, economic, and cultural challenges. This was stated by Maa Pavitra, president of Samarpan trust, at international seminar ‘From Margins to Mainstream: The Journey of the Third Gender in India’ at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University on Thursday. Addressing students, faculty and scholars, Maa Pavitra highlighted that discrimination, lack of access to education and employment and societal stigma continue to impede inclusion of third gender individuals in mainstream society. “Many struggle to assert their identity and gain acceptance, making equal opportunities and safe, inclusive…

In a decisive move, Madhepura officials shut down a private clinic amidst troubling claims of inflated fees and neglect that allegedly resulted in a newborn’s tragic death. Subsequently, patients were relocated to the sadar hospital for continued care. Madhepura: Following complaints, the health department on the directive of Madhepura DM Abhishek Ranjan sealed a private clinic here on Friday.Patients already admitted there were shifted to the sadar hospital for further treatment. The patients alleged that the private hospital charged exorbitant money and harassed them.The health department took the action after a complaint by Prakash Mandal and his wife Meera Devi,…