Author: Indmedia

Mumbai: Justice N R Borkar of Bombay HC on Tuesday reserved for order a petition filed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi against summons issued to him by a court over a criminal defamation complaint.Gandhi, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, had challenged a Girgaum magistrate’s Aug 28, 2019, order for a process against him on a complaint filed by a BJP politician, M H Shrishrimal. The complaint alleged that Gandhi had defamed PM Minister Narendra Modi in a public speech in Sept 2018 in Rajasthan. In July 2021, the magistrate summoned the Congress MP in a complaint that is…

New Delhi: In an attempt to address plastic waste, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken cognisance of a petition on pollution caused by detachable plastic bottle caps, highlighting a major gap in India’s recycling chain.While PET bottles are routinely collected for recycling, caps often go uncollected and end up as environmental litter, NGT noted on Feb 20. The application pointed out that several countries had shifted to “tethered caps”, attached to the container, to ensure full recovery and processing along with the bottle. Such designs significantly reduce the risk of caps entering the environment as standalone waste, it contended.The applicant…

Bengaluru: Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda Tuesday launched a statewide automatic property mutation system that enables the revenue department to update land ownership records in the Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC) without human intervention. Byre Gowda said the reform marks a major milestone in the department’s transformation drive over the past two-and-a-half years. During a month-long pilot in Mandya, the system enabled 98% of mutation transfers to be processed automatically. Registration of mutation, a core function of the department, earlier required citizens to make several visits to offices and often involved delays and middlemen. “With automatic mutation, citizens…

Three-time chief minister OPS never tried to overshadow his leader; but politics rewards those who act, not those who wait Aspire K SwaminathanTamil Nadu has always admired loyalty in politics. But it has never mistaken loyalty for power for too long.That is why O Panneerselvam’s journey is worth revisiting, not as a sentimental rise-and-fall story, but as a practical lesson in how politics really works once a powerful era ends.OPS rose in a system where trust mattered enormously. He was seen as dependable, disciplined, and safe in moments of uncertainty. That image took him to the top more than once.…

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged a national-level tribute in Delhi for Baji Rout, the 12-year-old martyr who sacrificed his life in 1938 for refusing to ferry British troops. Pradhan highlighted Rout’s enduring symbol of youthful patriotism and national courage, proposing a conference and various events to inspire the nation’s youth. Bhubaneswar: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, requesting a national-level programme in New Delhi to mark the birth centenary of martyr Baji Rout.Pradhan stated that Baji Rout, who was born on Oct 5, 1926, in Dhenkanal’s Nilakanthapur village, was martyred…

Guwahati: In a rare display of judicial sensitivity, the additional sessions judge of the Dhubri sessions court stepped outside the traditional courtroom setting to ensure justice was delivered in a 16-year-old murder case — the oldest pending matter in the court.Two of the accused, Sirajul Haque (A-2) and Moinul Haque@Khuta (A-6), had filed applications on Jan 6 this year pleading that they were paralysed and bedridden. The judge visited the homes of the two accused on Jan 19 to record their statements of defence and acknowledged the assistance of additional public prosecutor Dinesh Choudhury and OC of Dhubri police station.“Without…

Mangaluru: A delegation of the Karnataka Unaided PU College Management Association (KUPMA) recently met primary and secondary education minister Madhu Bangarappa to review the status of requests submitted over the past two years, flag pending issues, and place new demands.Following the meeting, the minister directed the director of school education (pre-university) to coordinate with departmental officials and hold meetings with KUPMA twice a year to discuss pre-university matters.Association office bearers said more than 63% of students in Karnataka study in over 4,000 private unaided pre-university colleges, and that these institutions face operational challenges while delivering quality, value-based education. Among the…

Mysuru: Mysuru city police recently helped a foreign tourist get back her lost cellphone quickly.VV Puram police said the woman lost her mobile inside a park. Soon after receiving a complaint, police attended to it and tracked her phone. The phone was taken by a man who found it inside the park. The phone was later returned to her by the police, and the tourist thanked the police.Mysuru city police are taking tourist-friendly initiatives to ensure the safety of tourists, including foreigners, and improve their travel and stay experiences.Home minister G Parameshwara stressed the need for people-friendly policing and stronger…

Sasaram: Three people, including a youth and two women, were allegedly assaulted by villagers on suspicion of child theft in separate incidents in Rohtas and Kaimur districts in the past 12 hours.Police intervened in both the cases and rescued the victims.In Tilothu block of Rohtas district, a youth was beaten up by local residents on Tuesday after he was suspected of being involved in child lifting. The incident occurred in a marketplace where a mob attacked him. Despite his repeated pleas that he was a trader, the crowd refused to listen and continued to assault him.Upon receiving information, police reached…

Rajkot: Industries in Kutch are pressing for a comprehensive railway master plan and enhancing the train connectivity to the district, citing rapid industrialization, rising population of workers and increasing tourist footfall.The Federation of Kutch Industries Association (FOKIA) representatives made a slew of demands at the recently held meeting of the 36th Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) of Western Railway in MumbaiThe meeting was chaired by Pradeep Kumar, general manager, Western Railway (IRSME). Representing FOKIA, ZRUCC member Bhaven Thakkar sought expeditious implementation of the proposed gauge conversion of the Bhuj–Naliya railway line and the extension of the new broad gauge…