Author: Team Admin

New Delhi: The BJP has hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the Election Commission and his remarks on anti-incumbency during the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s argument that anti-incumbency, a recurring feature of Indian elections, no longer appears to affect the BJP. Trivedi instead highlighted the Congress’s electoral record across several states and argued that the party has itself faced prolonged periods outside government. Trivedi referred to Congress’s performance in states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. He also pointed to…

New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah has called for stronger international cooperation to tackle the growing climate risks facing the Himalayan region, weeks after devastating floods killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands unaccounted for. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Shah warned that climate related disasters do not remain confined within national boundaries. He highlighted the recent Himalayan disaster as an example of how rapidly extreme events can affect communities across borders. The floods were triggered after a major collapse of rock and glacier ice in the high Himalayas near the Nepal China border. The resulting surge…

New Delhi: India strongly objected to Pakistan’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and minority rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council, accusing Islamabad of continuing to occupy parts of the region and calling for the territory to be vacated. Exercising India’s right of reply at the council, diplomat Kshitij Tyagi said Jammu and Kashmir remains an integral part of India and argued that the only portion of the region under foreign occupation is the territory controlled by Pakistan. Tyagi also criticised Pakistan’s comments on minorities in India, pointing to the country’s large Muslim population and representation of Muslims in…

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday moved a resolution in the Union Territory’s Legislative Assembly seeking the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. While introducing the resolution, Abdullah referred to what he described as a three step process involving delimitation, Assembly elections and restoration of statehood. He said the first two stages had been completed and that statehood was now the remaining step. Abdullah said people of Jammu and Kashmir had participated in the electoral process and that the government had continued to wait for the promised restoration of statehood. He also referred…

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has clarified that the new Merchant Discount Rate on specified UPI transactions above ₹2,000 is not a tax, cess or surcharge, and that customers will not be charged separately for making such payments. The new framework, which is scheduled to take effect from October 15, 2026, introduces an MDR of 0.4% on specified person to merchant UPI transactions above ₹2,000. The charge will be capped at ₹300 for transactions of ₹75,000 or more. Person to person UPI payments will continue to remain free. Sitharaman said the money collected through MDR will not go into…

New Delhi: The Assam Cabinet has approved the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, introducing a uniform framework for the mandatory registration of Muslim marriages across the state. Under the new system, Muslim marriages will be registered through designated government registrars instead of licensed Muslim registrars or qazis. The government may appoint additional officers as registrars if the number of applications increases, with the aim of ensuring that couples can complete the registration process without difficulty. The new rules provide the procedural framework under the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act, 2024. The legislation replaced the…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: Goa is set to host the 37th West Zone Junior Athletics Championship 2026 from September 27 to 29 at the Atal Athletics Stadium, Cujira. The championship is being organised by the Goa Athletic Association in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Goa. Junior athletes from eight states across the West Zone are expected to participate, giving young competitors an opportunity to test themselves at the zonal level and compete for honours. Ahead of the championship, the 124-member Goa athletics team was presented with official kits at the Atal Stadium on September…