Author: Indmedia

Hyderabad: Telangana high court on Wednesday directed the state forest department to submit a detailed report on afforestation work undertaken in connection with the Indian Navy’s extreme low frequency radar project at Damagundam in Vikarabad district. The court said the report must include details of areas identified for planting, the number of saplings planted, their survival rate and other related information. A bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin issued the directions while hearing a PIL filed by the Damagundam forest protection joint action committee. The petition challenges the land allocation for the project and seeks…

Ahmedabad: The 2026-27 budget places technology at the centre of Gujarat’s security strategy, outlining a series of measures that range from artificial intelligence-driven policing to anti-drone defence systems. The state has proposed setting up a data fusion centre and a centre of excellence (CoE) for AI in policing, alongside the purchase of four anti-drone systems, signalling a shift towards tech-enabled law enforcement.In the backdrop of the attack on India’s borders during Operation Sindoor, the govt has proposed a dedicated anti-drone capability. A provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for the purchase of four anti-drone systems designed to detect…

Odisha is poised to become India’s next AI powerhouse with a Rs 20,000 crore sovereign AI hub, creating 5,000 high-skilled jobs, additional chief secretary Vishal Kumar Dev said. The state is integrating AI across healthcare, education, agriculture, disaster management, and governance, aiming for technology-led growth and inclusive digital services for all citizens, especially in rural areas. Bhubaneswar: Pitching Odisha as India’s next big AI destination, state govt on Wednesday said its upcoming sovereign AI hub — backed by a Rs 20,000 crore investment from Sarvam AI and expected to create 5,000 high-skilled jobs — will fundamentally shift the economic trajectory,…

The meeting was chaired by Coimbatore district collector and district election officer Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar. Photo by P Sreedharan COIMBATORE: An inter-state coordination meeting was held in Coimbatore on Wednesday to discuss preparatory measures for the 2026 assembly elections, with a focus on preventing duplicate voter registration in border villages of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.The meeting was chaired by Coimbatore district collector and district election officer Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar. Collectors and police chiefs of Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad and Thrissur districts in Kerala took part in the discussions. Senior police and election officers from both states also attended the meeting, with…

Gurgaon: City on Wednesday witnessed a sharp dip in daytime temperatures with the maximum tumbling by 8.6°C in just 24 hours, even as night temperatures climbed due to persistent cloud cover and scattered rainfall across the district. According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city woke up to overcast skies and gusty winds after light to moderate rainfall in several pockets.IMD’s Chandigarh centre reported that Haryana’s average minimum temperature rose by 2.6°C over the previous day and remained 5.1°C above normal, signalling a warm, moisture-laden spell over the region. In Gurgaon, automated weather stations recorded a minimum…

Mandya: District and sessions judge and chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, JN Subramanya, has called for strict legal action against those practising bonded labour. He asserting that filing criminal cases without leniency is essential to completely eradicate the inhumane system.Speaking after inaugurating an awareness programme on the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, at the ZP in Mandya on Wednesday, the judge observed that the prevalence of bonded labour has gradually declined with improved access to education among rural children.However, he noted that the practice still persists in drought-and flood-prone regions where food insecurity was high, and in…

Ghaziabad: A 32-year-old cyclist was killed after he was mowed down by a truck in the Teela Mod area on Wednesday. Narendra Kumar, who worked as a gardener at the Hindon IAF air base station, was on his way to work when the incident happened.According to the police complaint filed by Kumar’s cousin Devendra, Kumar was cycling to work as usual when an unidentified vehicle struck his cycle from behind around 6am. The vehicle ran him over before fleeing the spot. A passerby from their village in Muradnagar who witnessed the incident recognised Narendra and informed the community.”Within 15-20 minutes,…

Pune: PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Tuesday said that the civic administration is focusing on decongesting 32 key roads in the city by keeping their carriageways free of obstacles, at a time when commuters’ complaints about frequent traffic congestion have reached a crescendo. Ram assured that a plan is taking shape to pursue road resurfacing, continuous repairs of chambers, and completion of missing links on a priority basis by ensuring multi-agency coordination. Pune: Violent Abduction Sparks Protests, Metro Boost, Civic Woes & MoreThe civic chief was addressing a workshop organized by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on ‘Improving Urban Mobility…

Bathinda: An incomplete shopping mall near Bathinda railway station turned out to be the venue of a shootout between police and five men in the early hours of Tuesday. One of the accused sustained a bullet injury in his leg, while the police succeeded in arresting remaining four without a drop of blood being shed.There were a number of complaints about anti-social elements involved in snatchings from passengers coming out of, or going to, the railway station at odd hours. The anti-social elements made the abandoned multi-storey building their shelter after committing crimes, and even used it to take drugs.Chandigarh:…

Lucknow: Actor Sanjay Dutt will launch the ‘Net Zero Sarojininagar’ campaign on Feb 22 at an event in Bangla Bazaar, to be organised under the leadership of MLA Rajeshwar Singh.The initiative aims to strengthen environmental protection, public awareness and civic responsibility in the constituency. As part of the programme, Sanjay Dutt will participate in a grand roadshow across the area, interacting with residents and youth. He will also felicitate “Environment Warriors” for their notable contributions to ecological conservation. Lucknow: Bhagwat Calls Hindustan Hindu Rashtra, Army Aspirant Alleges TTE Assault, LU Student Slapped And MoreThe ‘Net Zero Sarojininagar’ campaign seeks to…