Browsing: India

Panaji: The coastal state of Goa will witness a rare phenomenon of a microblue moon on May 31, where the moon will appear slightly smaller than the usual full moon, a sight which happens only twice or thrice in a century.A blue moon is the second full moon appearing in a calendar month, and a micro moon is an astronomical phenomenon where the moon appears slightly smaller than a usual full moon.This is the exact opposite of a Supermoon, where the full moon appears at the farthest point of the moon’s monthly orbit at a point called Apogee.This phenomenon has…

Chandigarh: The UT administration has proposed allowing fragmentation only in industrial plots measuring 4 kanal and above, according to a draft issued Friday inviting public suggestions and objections.The administration is set to come up with a detailed framework for fragmentation under the proposed amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP)-2031, aimed at ensuring regulated and sustainable development. A detailed clarification has been prepared to guide the process and prevent misuse.As per the proposal, no fragmentation will be permitted for plots with a width of less than 60 feet. For plots of 4 kanal and above, a maximum of three subdivisions…

Event Lutf-e-Lucknow Khana aur Gaana hosted by Lucknow Bioscope Lucknow: Bringing together music and food, the event Lutf-e-Lucknow Khana aur Gaana’ (joy of Lucknow, music and cuisine) reflected the cultural traditions of the city. It was hosted by Lucknow Bioscope, Sanatkada Heritage and Naimatkhana on Saturday.The evening featured ‘Akhtari se Begum Akhtar’, a storytelling performance by Askari Naqvi and Zeeshan Abbas. Based on writings by Saleem Kidwai and S M Mehdi, the performance focused on the life and music of Begum Akhtar.Ghazals ‘Wo jo hum mein tum mein qaraar tha’ and ‘Mere Humnafas’ were rendered and stories from her life…

Patna: State mines and geology minister Pramod Kumar Chandravanshi on Saturday said Bihar is set to witness large-scale mining operations for a dozen critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs) within the next couple of years in seven districts of south Bihar.“This has become possible as their last-stage detailed exploration, called G1 exploration in mining parlance, is set to begin shortly under the Centre’s supervision,” Chandravanshi told this newspaper on Saturday.The districts identified for the proposed mining operations are Rohtas (glauconite), Gaya (nickel, chromium and magnetite iron ore), Jehanabad (magnetite), Gaya-Aurangabad (tin, tungsten and REEs), Bhagalpur (fine clay, REEs and…

Jaipur: Jaipur’s Danish-assisted pilot project for 24×7 water supply has been put on hold, with the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) discontinuing round-the-clock distribution in nine trial localities and reverting them to scheduled supply amid rising summer demand and limited water availability. PHED officials said continuous water supply has been stopped in all nine District Metered Areas (DMAs) where the pilot project had been running since June 2025. Water is now being distributed at fixed timings, similar to the rest of the city. According to department officials, water consumption has increased by 10-12% over the past two weeks due to…

Nagpur: With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange again launching an indefinite hunger strike from Antarwati Sarati village in Jalna, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the Mahayuti govt remained committed to addressing the concerns of the Maratha community while ensuring that the interests of OBC community were not compromised.Speaking to the media here, Fadnavis said any decision on reservation would have to withstand constitutional and judicial scrutiny, underscoring the legal complexities surrounding one of Maharashtra’s most sensitive political issues. “The govt has always been positive on this issue. Whenever difficulties arose, we took decisions in a transparent manner. The…

Rajkot: A cyberfraud suspect with a criminal record was booked by Junagadh’s special operations group, for a multi-state scam involving at least Rs 39 lakh, unravelling a web of ‘rented bank accounts’, sim cards and mobile phones used to siphon off victims’ money.A complaint was filed at Junagadh City B Division police station on Saturday against 28-year-old Kevin Dekiwadiya, who was earlier booked for cyberfraud. Kevin had been absconding in connection with a cyberfraud case registered at Sheel police station. He had been apprehended by police in Ahmedabad on April 18.Police allegedly found multiple bags in his possession containing passbooks…

Ranchi: Students appearing for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to undergraduate (UG) courses faced disruption in the city as well after a technical glitch led to a delayed start at a centre in Tupudana on Saturday.Parents accompanying candidates from outstation places said they reached the centre more than an hour before the scheduled reporting time, but the test began nearly two hours late, triggering frustration outside the venue.A parent waiting outside the centre questioned the lack of accountability for the delay. “When a student comes five minutes late, he or she is not allowed to enter the…

Surat: In a heartwarming ceremony marked by hope and new beginnings, three orphaned girls from a city child protection home were legally adopted by families from Mumbai, Kutch-Bhuj and Surat on Saturday.The children were handed over through a recognised adoption agency at Popawala Orphanage in Katargam in the presence of city police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut and district collector Tejas Parmar. One of the girls had earlier been found abandoned in Dindoli by police.Officials described the occasion as an emotional moment for both the children and the adoptive families, many of whom had long waited to experience parenthood.Police commissioner Gahlaut…

Vadodara: A portion of an under-construction railway overbridge (ROB) near Adas village in Anand district collapsed on Saturday, though no casualties or injuries were reported.According to preliminary information, the ROB between Vadod and Adas Road stations had been under construction for a considerable period. On Saturday, a span of the approach structure between two pillars suddenly collapsed, causing panic in the area.The collapse caused substantial damage to the under-construction structure. However, with no vehicles or pedestrians passing beneath the bridge at the time, a major tragedy was averted.Soon after the incident, officials from the concerned agencies and technical experts reached…