Browsing: India

Aerial view of Chandigarh Chandigarh: In a firm bid to protect the industrial character of the city, the Chandigarh administration will not be permitting Business-to-Consumer (B2C) activities in Industrial Areas Phase I and Phase II under the proposed amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031.This is as per the recommendations of the Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer, U.T. Chandigarh, constituted as per directions of UT Administrator, to examine priority areas under the Deregulation agenda.The recommendations, aimed at maximising land utilisation, allow for additional industrial and service sector activities in these zones — but strictly limit them…

Lucknow: A wearable ear-based device developed by King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and IIT Kanpur researchers may help patients manage anxiety and panic attacks through vagus nerve stimulation, offering a non-invasive therapeutic option for mental health conditions.The innovation, titled ‘An Ear Device for Nerve Stimulation’, has received a utility patent under the SIB SHInE programme, a collaborative healthcare innovation initiative involving KGMU and IIT Kanpur.The device is designed to stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating stress response, emotional balance and autonomic nervous system functions.Developers said the wearable system delivers controlled stimulation through the ear and…

Patna: Purnia Airport on Saturday announced its summer flight schedule for 2026, which will come into effect from June 1, offering improved connectivity to major cities including Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Hyderabad.According to the new schedule, Star Air will operate two daily services connecting Purnia with Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The first flight, S5 618/621, will arrive from Ahmedabad at 8.45am and depart for Kolkata at 9.25am. The second flight, S5 620/619, will arrive from Kolkata at 12.25pm and depart for Ahmedabad at 1.05pm. Both services will operate throughout the week.IndiGo will also continue multiple daily operations from the airport. Flight…

Alwar: A massive fire broke out at Girdhar Rollerep Private Ltd, a plastic granule manufacturing unit in Bhiwadi Industrial Area Phase-1, around 9.30 pm Saturday. The blaze rapidly engulfed the entire factory, reducing it to ashes, with flames visible from several parts of the city.Fire tenders from Bhiwadi Nagar Parishad and the RIICO fire dept rushed to the spot after receiving information. However, due to the intensity of the blaze, initial efforts failed to bring the fire under control. Additional fire tenders were later called from nearby industrial areas, including Tijara, Khairthal and Khushkheda.Officials said the fire spread quickly because…

Nagpur: Gadchiroli Police dismantled a sophisticated underground arms manufacturing unit hidden deep in Beenagunda forest — right on the doorstep of Abujmarh, the once impenetrable Maoist headquarters.Acting on precise inputs from surrendered guerrillas, a joint team launched “Operation Antim Prahar” late Friday, targeting the northern fringes of Beenagunda forest. The remote location, nestled in Abujmarh valley, was a covert workshop where Maoists manufactured and repaired weapons and explosives for attacks during ‘Naxal Week’ and elections.Led by Gadchiroli SP M Ramesh, the operation involved six units of Gadchiroli and Pranhita police, along with a bomb detection and disposal squad.Security forces seized…

Varanasi: The court of special judge (Pocso)/additional district and sessions judge on Saturday awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to a convict, who, at the age of 16 years and eight months in Jan 2024, kidnapped and raped a 15-year-old girl.Special public prosecutor (Pocso) Santosh Kumar Singh said that special judge (POCSO Act) Nitin Pandey also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000.In Jan 2024, the mother of the minor rape survivor lodged an FIR with Jaitpura police alleging that the accused abducted and raped her 15-year-old daughter.Singh said that to prove the crime, six witnesses were examined before the court.…

T’puram: City corporation will organise a large-scale public grievance redressal programme titled ‘Mayor Janasamaksham’ in June, aimed at directly hearing civic complaints from residents across the state capital.According to an official communication issued by corporation, the programme will be conducted on June 11, 12, 15 and 16. As part of the initiative, the city will be divided into four separate zones to ensure wider public participation and easier access for residents seeking solutions to civic issues.The programme will be led by mayor V V Rajesh and attended by deputy mayor G S Asha Nath, standing committee chairpersons, councillors, corporation secretary…

Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced four new medical colleges for Bengal, taking the state’s total to around 30. The new colleges will come up in Alipurduar, Kalimpong, South Dinajpur and West Burdwan. Bengal currently has 26 state-run medical colleges, five of them in Kolkata.Adhikari also said the proposed AIIMS for north Bengal would be finalised after consultations with MLAs from the region on its location.The announcements were welcomed across districts. In Alipurduar — a district since 2014 that has long struggled with healthcare infrastructure — BJP MLA Paritosh Das said residents were pleased.In Kalimpong, the district’s chief medical…

Puts spending on tight leash No new posts No private hotel meetings No new vehicle purchases No international travel No official dinners, receptions No seminars outside J&K Economy class travel only Virtual meetings encouraged 20% fleet reduction on replacement Fuel, AC, generator restrictions Ovaise Gul J&K Government Imposes Austerity Measures for 2026-27: Ban on New Posts, Vehicle Purchases Discouraged, No Meetings in Private Hotels Srinagar, May 23: The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a series of austerity and expenditure rationalisation measures for the financial year 2026-27, imposing restrictions on official spending, purchase of vehicles, travel, conferences, and hospitality functions. It has directed that…

India’s total fertility rate (TFR), or the average number of children a woman would have, has fallen even further to 1.9 from 2.1, according to the latest sample registration system (SRS) report of 2024. Barring six states – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, in that order – the TFR has fallen below the replacement level for all other states. Delhi (1.2) has the lowest, followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal with TFR of 1.3.When TFR is 2.1, it is called replacement level because a woman having about 2.1 children over her lifetime would, on…