Author: Indmedia

Social media emerges as the primary source of misinformation (77.4 per cent) compared to mainstream media (23 per cent). Among social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) is the leading platform for spreading fake news (61 per cent), followed closely by Facebook (34 per cent), according to the study Fact-Checking India: Identifying the Spread of Fake News and Policy Recommendations for Combatting Misinformation.The study was jointly conducted by the Institute of Data Science at the Indian School of Business (ISB) and CyberPeace Foundation.The sample size for the content analysis was 500 fake news items collected from fact-checking site AltNews during 2022-2024.…

Last Updated:January 30, 2026, 09:16 ISTAs per the revised orders, the voting for the 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis will now be held on February 7, instead of February 5.The voting for the 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis will now be held on February 7. (PTI File image used for representation)In Maharashtra, the remaining phases of the general elections for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis have been rescheduled to February 7. Initially set for February 5, the polling date was shifted due to the passing of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the subsequent…

Mumbai: Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel registered a first information report (FIR) after a male commuter dressed in a burqa was spotted travelling in the ladies’ compartment of a Central Railway local train on Friday. A video of the incident went viral on social media. The accused is on the run.On Friday afternoon, female commuters travelling in the second-class ladies’ coach of a CSMT-bound fast local sensed something amiss about a co-traveller in a burqa. When confronted, the co-traveller turned out to be a man. The women enquired why he boarded the ladies’ compartment and why he was in a…

Bengaluru: Wildlife rescue — particularly snake rescue — in the city increasingly slipped into an unregulated, profit-driven activity, triggering growing demands to recognise snake rescue as a free public service. Several self-proclaimed rescuers allegedly charge panic-stricken families between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 per call.With no official registry of rescuers, no verified data on snake rescue or relocation, and the absence of a transparent, govt-run mechanism, conservationists warn both human safety and wildlife are being put at risk. In response, a group of conservationists and citizens launched a campaign urging GBA or the forest department to formally declare snake rescue…

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s announcement at a public meeting in Nizamabad on Friday that Mohd Azharuddin will be made an MLC has triggered discussion over the available possibilities to send the minority welfare minister to the Upper House in the state.Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister on Oct 31, 2025 and has to become either an MLC or an MLA before April 30. Supreme Court has posted the hearing to March 19 on whether the nomination of Azharuddin and Prof M Kodandaram as MLCs under the governor’s quota was valid.Sources in Congress said the chief minister and…

Chennai: The state govt will organise a four-day international epigraphy conference in the city from Feb 11 to 14.More than 50 epigraphists from across the country and abroad, including Switzerland, France, and Sri Lanka, will take part in the conference. They will present papers on the latest findings on various themes, including inscriptions on hero stones, trade guilds, oil presses, and sluices. “Tamil Nadu has the highest number of inscriptions so far documented in the entire country. These inscriptions reflect the social, cultural, political, economic, and technological aspects of the people from the early historic to the medieval period,” said…

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has ordered the closure of 16 industrial units in Ahmedabad and Surat over the past four months to combat deteriorating winter air quality. With Ahmedabad set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, authorities have issued closure notices as part of a rigorous push to bring the air quality index (AQI) under control.GPCB is taking a zero-tolerance approach to emissions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, to meet National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) standards.According to senior GPCB officials, nine closure notices were issued in Ahmedabad and seven in Surat…

Berhampur: Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) on Saturday introduced a QR code to collect monthly rents from each stall and vending unit, aimed at hassle-free rent collection.Mayor Sanghamitra Dalei launched the distribution of the QR code to stall owners at a function here. “We hope this online payment mode proves beneficial to both the civic body and vendors,” she said. The vendors will pay rent online by using the unique QR code generated in his/ her name.On launch day, BeMC handed over QR codes at least 10 vendors. “We will provide individual QR code to each vendor and stall owner rented…

Gurgaon: Four NCR cities dominated India’s pollution rankings through Jan, as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) hovered in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range on most days, leaving residents breathing air close to 10 times dirtier than the World Health Organisation’s safer limit.A monthly analysis report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon among the country’s most polluted cities for the month, underlining how winter smog remained stubborn across the NCR region.Gurgaon: Club Remains Shut, FIRs Planned For Waste Dumping, HC Orders Illegal Mining ProbeGurgaon ranked fourth nationally. Here, PM2.5 stayed…

Silchar: Silchar’s 2nd Link Road, connecting Hailakandi Road in the west with Sonai Road in the east, remains neglected despite sanctioned funds and completed project paperwork, raising concerns among residents ahead of the monsoon.Traffic on the arterial stretch has increased over the years, but civic infrastructure has not kept pace. Residents report that even during dry spells, water from clogged or incomplete drains spills onto the road. Several sections lack drainage, while garbage piles line parts of the stretch. With the rainy season nearing, locals fear severe waterlogging and further deterioration.An RTI response shows Rs 90.10 lakh was sanctioned under…