National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides

The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS

Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent

India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh

Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?

How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?

Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition

‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal

Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch

Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine

Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states

Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions

Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy

Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS

'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia

Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside

Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift

New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot

RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress

Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'

IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act

Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott

Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances

Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation

New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know

India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims

Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed

US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance

Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built

Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH

Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school

Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report

Reacting to actor-politician Rajinikanth's comments on the release of Cauvery water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy called him to visit the state and see the situation for himself, after which he would change his stand.

"If there is water in Karnataka it is possible for us to give them water. I request Rajinikanth, please come and see the situation in our dams, what has happened to our farmers. After seeing that, if you (Rajinikanth) still want water, let's discuss," PTI quoted Kumaraswamy as saying.

He was responding to a question about the reported statement by the actor-politician in Chennai asking the new government in Karnataka to release to Tamil Nadu its share of Cauvery river water as mandated by the Supreme Court verdict.

"... On seeing the situation here, I think he (Rajinikanth) will change his stand," the JD(S) leader told reporters here.

Rajinikanth on Sunday said that Karnataka government should implement Supreme Court says and added that it is their (Karnataka’s) duty.

“It is my humble opinion that it will be good if the control over the dams (in Karnataka) is with the (proposed) Cauvery authority,” he said.

Anticipating “government intervention” in the authority that has been mooted, he said, “Let us see what happens in due course.”

Kumaraswamy is all set to take over as the Karnataka Chief Minister on May 23.

As the leader of Congress-JD(S) joint legislature party, he was yesterday invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form the government, following the fall of three-day-old BJP government with the resignation of B S Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Rajinikanth on Sunday said that Karnataka government should implement Supreme Court says

Reacting to actor-politician Rajinikanth's comments on the release of Cauvery water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy called him to visit the state and see the situation for himself, after which he would change his stand. "If there is water in Karnataka it is possible for us to give them water. I request Rajinikanth, please come and see the situation in our dams, what has happened to our farmers. After seeing that, if you (Rajinikanth) still want water, let's discuss," PTI quoted Kumaraswamy as saying. He was responding to a question about the reported statement by the actor-politician in Chennai asking the new government in Karnataka to release to Tamil Nadu its share of Cauvery river water as mandated by the Supreme Court verdict. "... On seeing the situation here, I think he (Rajinikanth) will change his stand," the JD(S) leader told reporters here. Rajinikanth on Sunday said that Karnataka government should implement Supreme Court says and added that it is their (Karnataka’s) duty. “It is my humble opinion that it will be good if the control over the dams (in Karnataka) is with the (proposed) Cauvery authority,” he said. Anticipating “government intervention” in the authority that has been mooted, he said, “Let us see what happens in due course.” Kumaraswamy is all set to take over as the Karnataka Chief Minister on May 23. As the leader of Congress-JD(S) joint legislature party, he was yesterday invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form the government, following the fall of three-day-old BJP government with the resignation of B S Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister.

Kumaraswamy attacks Rajinikanth over comments on Cauvery issue

A food stall owner in Gandhi Nagar area of Delhi was stabbed to death by four locals after the owner had denied serving them free food.&nbsp

The victim was identified as a 30-year-old Shahbuddin who lived with his wife and children at Ajeet Nagar area. As per reports, the incident took place on May 18 after the victim was on his way to meet his friend after closing his food stall.

Commenting on the matter, the investigating Delhi Police said that two of the four accused have been arrested.

The family of the victim stated that they had informed the police about the four goons who had been torturing the victim but they failed to take any action at the right time.&nbsp

Reports suggested that on Friday at around 10:30 pm the victim was on his way to meet his friend after closing his stall.&nbsp

While Shahbuddin was on his way, the four accused stopped him in between and started misbehaving with him. After the argument went out of control, the accused men stabbed Shahbuddin to death.

When they were refused, they threatened Shahbuddin with dire consequences. On finding him alone one night, they carried out on that threat.

A food stall owner in Gandhi Nagar area of Delhi was stabbed to death by four locals after the owner had denied serving them free food. The victim was identified as a 30-year-old Shahbuddin who lived with his wife and children at Ajeet Nagar area. As per reports, the incident took place on May 18 after the victim was on his way to meet his friend after closing his food stall. Commenting on the matter, the investigating Delhi Police said that two of the four accused have been arrested. The family of the victim stated that they had informed the police about the four goons who had been torturing the victim but they failed to take any action at the right time. Reports suggested that on Friday at around 10:30 pm the victim was on his way to meet his friend after closing his stall. While Shahbuddin was on his way, the four accused stopped him in between and started misbehaving with him. After the argument went out of control, the accused men stabbed Shahbuddin to death.

Eatery owner stabbed to death for refusing to serve food free of cost

The Madhya Pradesh government’s small savings scheme for children in Chhindwara district has become a hit with around 6,000 children having deposited Rs one crore in their piggy bank savings accounts over last 11 years.&nbsp;

“Since the launch of Arunodaya Gullak Yojana in 2007, around 6,000 children deposited Rs one crore in the gullaks (piggy banks) that were given to them by 26 cooperative banks at various branches,” said Chhindwara District Cooperative Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Krishnakumar Soni. He said banks are also giving loans on these deposits for purposes like pursuing higher study, setting up businesses, for marriage and other goals in life.

Under the scheme, the piggy bank savings account can be opened by parents of a child since his birth with just Rs one. “After opening the account, a ‘gullak’ with two keys is given to the child. While one of the keys is kept by the account-holder the other key is kept with the bank concerned,” Soni said. As per procedure, the piggy bank is opened only when two keys are used simultaneously, he added.

“Piggy banks are opened every month for depositing money. These banks accounts are jointly owned by the child and his/her parents,” Soni said, adding that an eight per cent interest is given on these bank accounts under the scheme. “Deposits between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 are turned into fix deposits which fetch higher interest for children,” he said. One of the depositors, Naman Jain (14), a resident of Golganj area, said he had deposited Rs 17,543 in the piggy bank account.

Another account-holder Arthav Chichole (15), a resident of Patel Nagar, said he had deposited Rs 19,314 in the piggy bank account. “I started depositing money in the piggy bank when I was just a child. The habit of savings has helped me save more than Rs 25,759,” said Anil Shrivastava (13) who lives in Civil Lines area.

Under the scheme, the piggy bank savings account can be opened by parents of a child since his birth with just Rs one.

The Madhya Pradesh government’s small savings scheme for children in Chhindwara district has become a hit with around 6,000 children having deposited Rs one crore in their piggy bank savings accounts over last 11 years. “Since the launch of Arunodaya Gullak Yojana in 2007, around 6,000 children deposited Rs one crore in the gullaks (piggy banks) that were given to them by 26 cooperative banks at various branches,” said Chhindwara District Cooperative Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Krishnakumar Soni. He said banks are also giving loans on these deposits for purposes like pursuing higher study, setting up businesses, for marriage and other goals in life. Under the scheme, the piggy bank savings account can be opened by parents of a child since his birth with just Rs one. “After opening the account, a ‘gullak’ with two keys is given to the child. While one of the keys is kept by the account-holder the other key is kept with the bank concerned,” Soni said. As per procedure, the piggy bank is opened only when two keys are used simultaneously, he added. “Piggy banks are opened every month for depositing money. These banks accounts are jointly owned by the child and his/her parents,” Soni said, adding that an eight per cent interest is given on these bank accounts under the scheme. “Deposits between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 are turned into fix deposits which fetch higher interest for children,” he said. One of the depositors, Naman Jain (14), a resident of Golganj area, said he had deposited Rs 17,543 in the piggy bank account. Another account-holder Arthav Chichole (15), a resident of Patel Nagar, said he had deposited Rs 19,314 in the piggy bank account. “I started depositing money in the piggy bank when I was just a child. The habit of savings has helped me save more than Rs 25,759,” said Anil Shrivastava (13) who lives in Civil Lines area.

Madhya Pradesh kids save Rs 1 crore in piggy bank savings accounts

Events in Karnataka may not have gone according to plan, but the BJP believes it can make a comeback, thanks to the inherent contradictions in the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state.

The likely consolidation of a section of voters, especially Lingayats, behind the BJP would also help keep the party in pole position in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, its leaders said.

"We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war," said a party leader, referring to the next Lok Sabha polls.

The marathon three-day political slugfest in the state culminated in B S Yeddyurappa resigning as chief minister yesterday after he failed to muster the support of seven additional MLAs to ensure he remained in office.

A number of BJP leaders said the party's efforts to form a government in Karnataka were driven by two factors -- first, they believed the people's mandate was in favour of their party.

Second, a government in the state would have bolstered its prospects for political successes in other parts of south India where, barring Karnataka, the saffron party has never posed a serious challenge to its rivals.&nbsp

The dramatic collapse of the three-day Yeddyurappa government is being viewed as a setback to the party, with the opposition parties claiming the BJP tried to poach their MLAs but failed miserably. The BJP has denied the allegations.

Though its hopes of forming a government in Karnataka have been thwarted for the time-being, the BJP believes an amalgamation of factors will help it engineer a comeback in the state.

A BJP leader said the JD(S) and the Congress were political rivals, and their alliance was bound to be unsuccessful at the ground level because of the "competing interests" of their support groups.

Bonhomie between the top leaders of two parties may not translate into consolidation of their vote bases, especially when they have always worked against each other. There are inherent contradictions in the alliance, another BJP leader said.

Most of the JD(S) candidates faced Congress nominees as their main rivals in the elections, he said.

The BJP's presence is limited in the Old Mysore region, the Vokkaliga heartland and a JD(S) stronghold. An alliance between two rivals would help the BJP capture more space in the region, he said.

Sources said the BJP believes that the Lingayats and a few other groups will further consolidate behind the party in the wake of the JD(S) and the Congress, two "arch rivals", joining hands to keep it out of power.

The political instability in the state stemmed from a fractured verdict the electorate gave on May 15, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party but falling short of a majority.

The Congress, which finished second with 78 seats, moved swiftly and stitched an alliance with the 37-member JD(S), and even backed its leader H D Kumaraswamy for chief ministership.

The Congress-JD(S) managed to keep its flock of 117 MLAs together in the 224-member House, with an effective strength of 221, leaving Yeddyurappa with little choice but to put in his papers after giving an emotional speech in the assembly.

The Lingayat leader said the BJP would win all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state next year, asserting that people's mandate was for his party to form a government.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP had won 17, the Congress nine and the JD(S) two seats in the state.

BJP president Amit Shah had yesterday said a government of an ''unholy&nbspalliance'' was unlikely to last long.&nbsp

The likely consolidation of a section of voters, especially Lingayats, behind the BJP would also help keep the party in pole position in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, its leaders said.

Events in Karnataka may not have gone according to plan, but the BJP believes it can make a comeback, thanks to the inherent contradictions in the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state. The likely consolidation of a section of voters, especially Lingayats, behind the BJP would also help keep the party in pole position in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, its leaders said. "We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war," said a party leader, referring to the next Lok Sabha polls. The marathon three-day political slugfest in the state culminated in B S Yeddyurappa resigning as chief minister yesterday after he failed to muster the support of seven additional MLAs to ensure he remained in office. A number of BJP leaders said the party's efforts to form a government in Karnataka were driven by two factors -- first, they believed the people's mandate was in favour of their party. Second, a government in the state would have bolstered its prospects for political successes in other parts of south India where, barring Karnataka, the saffron party has never posed a serious challenge to its rivals. The dramatic collapse of the three-day Yeddyurappa government is being viewed as a setback to the party, with the opposition parties claiming the BJP tried to poach their MLAs but failed miserably. The BJP has denied the allegations. Though its hopes of forming a government in Karnataka have been thwarted for the time-being, the BJP believes an amalgamation of factors will help it engineer a comeback in the state. A BJP leader said the JD(S) and the Congress were political rivals, and their alliance was bound to be unsuccessful at the ground level because of the "competing interests" of their support groups. Bonhomie between the top leaders of two parties may not translate into consolidation of their vote bases, especially when they have always worked against each other. There are inherent contradictions in the alliance, another BJP leader said. Most of the JD(S) candidates faced Congress nominees as their main rivals in the elections, he said. The BJP's presence is limited in the Old Mysore region, the Vokkaliga heartland and a JD(S) stronghold. An alliance between two rivals would help the BJP capture more space in the region, he said. Sources said the BJP believes that the Lingayats and a few other groups will further consolidate behind the party in the wake of the JD(S) and the Congress, two "arch rivals", joining hands to keep it out of power. The political instability in the state stemmed from a fractured verdict the electorate gave on May 15, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party but falling short of a majority. The Congress, which finished second with 78 seats, moved swiftly and stitched an alliance with the 37-member JD(S), and even backed its leader H D Kumaraswamy for chief ministership. The Congress-JD(S) managed to keep its flock of 117 MLAs together in the 224-member House, with an effective strength of 221, leaving Yeddyurappa with little choice but to put in his papers after giving an emotional speech in the assembly. The Lingayat leader said the BJP would win all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state next year, asserting that people's mandate was for his party to form a government. In the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP had won 17, the Congress nine and the JD(S) two seats in the state. BJP president Amit Shah had yesterday said a government of an ''unholy&nbspalliance'' was unlikely to last long.

BJP believes it can make a comeback in Karnataka, win 2019 war

At least 10 people lost their lives while 16 were taken seriously ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Kanpur and its neighbouring Kapur Dehat, officials said on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, an official statement said.

In Kanpur district, four people died in the hooch tragedy yesterday. This morning, another person died at Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital taking the toll to five, news agency PTI reported.

The deceased have been identified as Rajendra Kumar (48), Ratnesh Shukla (51), retired sub-inspector Jagjeevan Ram (62), Umesh (30) and Bhola Yadav (30).

In the neighbouring Kanpur Dehat district, five people died in Matauli, Maghaipurwa and Bhanwarpur villages after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, while seven are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, said the deceased are Shyamu (40), Chunna Kushwaha (28), Hari Mishra (50) and Nagendra Singh (40), and Pankaj Gautam (40).

The seriously ill have been admitted to LLR Hospital and Ursula Horsman Memorial (UHM) Hospital in Kanpur, and the district hospital in Kanpur Dehat, the report added.

According to the relatives of the victims, all of them had consumed liquor bought from a government liquor shop.

An FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Excise Act was lodged against Shyam Balak, the license holder of the liquor shop, Kanpur's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar said.

According to police officials, four people were detained and one has been arrested in connection with the case even as Balak, the main accused, is still on the run.

Police teams have been constituted to nab the culprits.

Irate residents of Maghaipurwa and Bhanwarpur villages in Kanpur Dehat blocked the road by placing the bodies on the road demanding speedy arrest of the accused and adequate ex gratia be provided to the kin of the deceased.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem after District Magistrate Rakesh Singh along with the district police chief reached the spot and assured the protesters of quick action in the case.

While Singh has ordered a magisterial probe into the deaths in Kanpur Dehat, the Kanpur SSP said that administrative officials and the Excise Department are investigating the matter.

On Saturday night, a massive operation against hooch manufacturers, traders and suppliers was carried out by the police in the suburban pockets, the SSP said.

The regional excise inspector has already been suspended, while samples of the liquor in question have been sent for testing.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, an official statement said.

At least 10 people lost their lives while 16 were taken seriously ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Kanpur and its neighbouring Kapur Dehat, officials said on Sunday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, an official statement said. In Kanpur district, four people died in the hooch tragedy yesterday. This morning, another person died at Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital taking the toll to five, news agency PTI reported. The deceased have been identified as Rajendra Kumar (48), Ratnesh Shukla (51), retired sub-inspector Jagjeevan Ram (62), Umesh (30) and Bhola Yadav (30). In the neighbouring Kanpur Dehat district, five people died in Matauli, Maghaipurwa and Bhanwarpur villages after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, while seven are undergoing treatment at different hospitals. Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, said the deceased are Shyamu (40), Chunna Kushwaha (28), Hari Mishra (50) and Nagendra Singh (40), and Pankaj Gautam (40). The seriously ill have been admitted to LLR Hospital and Ursula Horsman Memorial (UHM) Hospital in Kanpur, and the district hospital in Kanpur Dehat, the report added. According to the relatives of the victims, all of them had consumed liquor bought from a government liquor shop. An FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Excise Act was lodged against Shyam Balak, the license holder of the liquor shop, Kanpur's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar said. According to police officials, four people were detained and one has been arrested in connection with the case even as Balak, the main accused, is still on the run. Police teams have been constituted to nab the culprits. Irate residents of Maghaipurwa and Bhanwarpur villages in Kanpur Dehat blocked the road by placing the bodies on the road demanding speedy arrest of the accused and adequate ex gratia be provided to the kin of the deceased. The bodies were sent for post-mortem after District Magistrate Rakesh Singh along with the district police chief reached the spot and assured the protesters of quick action in the case. While Singh has ordered a magisterial probe into the deaths in Kanpur Dehat, the Kanpur SSP said that administrative officials and the Excise Department are investigating the matter. On Saturday night, a massive operation against hooch manufacturers, traders and suppliers was carried out by the police in the suburban pockets, the SSP said. The regional excise inspector has already been suspended, while samples of the liquor in question have been sent for testing.

Hooch tragedy: 10 dead after consuming spurious liquor in two districts of Uttar Pradesh

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-working-on-unmanned-tanks-vessels-robotic-weaponry-for-future-wars-138405">India working on unmanned tanks, vessels, robotic weaponry for future wars</a>

In an ambitious defence project, the government has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way that would include equipping them with unmanned tanks, vessels, aerial vehicles and robotic weaponry.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinas-gold-mine-at-arunachal-border-may-become-another-flashpoint-with-india-report-138412">China's gold mine at Arunachal border may become another flashpoint with India: Report</a>

China has begun large-scale mining operations on its side of the border with Arunachal Pradesh where a huge trove of gold, silver and other precious minerals valued at about $60 billion has been found, a media report said on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-warns-of-looming-foreign-debt-crisis-138410">Sri Lanka warns of looming foreign debt crisis</a>

Sri Lanka is headed for a debt crisis, the finance ministry warned Sunday, blaming a series of costly projects commissioned by the previous government for record-high repayments.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-monitor-says-insurgents-quit-enclave-state-media-denies-it-138391">Syrian monitor says insurgents quit enclave, state media denies it</a>

A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/polls-open-in-venezuela-election-boycotted-by-opposition-138394">Polls open in Venezuela election boycotted by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/polls-open-in-venezuela-election-boycotted-by-opposition-138394">opposition</a>

Polling stations across Venezuela opened Sunday for a presidential election boycotted by the opposition in which President Nicolas Maduro is expected to be easily reelected.

&nbsp

India working on unmanned tanks, vessels, robotic weaponry for future wars In an ambitious defence project, the government has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way that would include equipping them with unmanned tanks, vessels, aerial vehicles and robotic weaponry. China's gold mine at Arunachal border may become another flashpoint with India: Report China has begun large-scale mining operations on its side of the border with Arunachal Pradesh where a huge trove of gold, silver and other precious minerals valued at about $60 billion has been found, a media report said on Sunday. Sri Lanka warns of looming foreign debt crisis Sri Lanka is headed for a debt crisis, the finance ministry warned Sunday, blaming a series of costly projects commissioned by the previous government for record-high repayments. Syrian monitor says insurgents quit enclave, state media denies it A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents. Polls open in Venezuela election boycotted by opposition Polling stations across Venezuela opened Sunday for a presidential election boycotted by the opposition in which President Nicolas Maduro is expected to be easily reelected.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The outcome of Karnataka assembly polls has underlined the need for the opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to prevent a split in the anti-BJP vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, party leaders said.

Opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress argue that it was a division in the anti-BJP vote that allowed the saffron party to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka.

"There is a strong need to chalk out a strategy to ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not get divided to give it (BJP) any advantage in the coming elections," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI here.

Elections now have to be fought strategically, he said.

That success can be achieved through unity has been proved very well in Gorakhpur and Phoolpur, where the SP wrested the seats from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with the help of the BSP, Chaudhary said.

Airing similar views, Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi said going by the Karnataka results, it has become all the more important to go to the polls unitedly to not only win elections but also to save the constitutional bodies.

"What is most important today is to keep the BJP out of power and save the Constitution," Tripathi said.

While reacting to the Karnataka results, BSP president Mayawati said the Congress should not repeat the mistake it committed while campaigning in Muslim-dominated areas, terming the Janata Dal (Secular) as the 'B-team' of the BJP.

This, she suggested, had helped the BJP win those seats.

"It is my suggestion to the Congress not to use such language in the future which could help the BJP and the RSS in future elections," Mayawati had said.

Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesman Anil Dubey said his party was always of the opinion that all like-minded non-BJP parties should come on one platform to stop the BJP.

"The lesson to learn from the Karnataka election is that only a collective opposition can check the BJP and the past record proves this point," Ramesh Dixit, political analyst and former head of the political science department at Lucknow University, said.

In the context of the coming Lok Sabha elections, he suggested it was for the Congress - with its pan-India reach and the ambition to form government in Delhi - to reach out to the smaller parties with a strong base in different parts of the country.

The Congress has to learn from the BJP how it entered into an alliance with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and the Apna Dal for the UP assembly polls despite its government being comfortably placed at the Centre, Dixit said.

Leaders who urge opposition unity draw attention to the past two elections in UP where the BJP won convincing victories even though the collective vote share of the non-BJP parties was bigger.&nbsp;

In the last assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the saffron party posted a landslide victory bagging 325 of the 403 seats, with a vote share of 41.35 per cent.&nbsp;

In comparison, the SP which was reduced to 54 seats from 224 in the previous aAssembly election got 28.07 per cent of the vote. The BSP came down to 19 seats from 80, getting 22.23 per cent votes.&nbsp;

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, BJP won 71 out of 80 seats with its alliance partner the Apna Dal getting two more, beating the opposition parties hands down. The BJP got 42.63 per cent votes and the Apna Dal 1.01 per cent.

In comparison, the SP won a mere five seats with 22.35 per cent votes in 2014. The BSP polled 19.77 per cent votes but drew a blank. The Congress got two seats with a 7.53 per cent vote share.

SP, BSP and Congress argue that division in the anti-BJP vote allowed the saffron party to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka

The outcome of Karnataka assembly polls has underlined the need for the opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to prevent a split in the anti-BJP vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, party leaders said. Opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress argue that it was a division in the anti-BJP vote that allowed the saffron party to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka. "There is a strong need to chalk out a strategy to ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not get divided to give it (BJP) any advantage in the coming elections," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI here. Elections now have to be fought strategically, he said. That success can be achieved through unity has been proved very well in Gorakhpur and Phoolpur, where the SP wrested the seats from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with the help of the BSP, Chaudhary said. Airing similar views, Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi said going by the Karnataka results, it has become all the more important to go to the polls unitedly to not only win elections but also to save the constitutional bodies. "What is most important today is to keep the BJP out of power and save the Constitution," Tripathi said. While reacting to the Karnataka results, BSP president Mayawati said the Congress should not repeat the mistake it committed while campaigning in Muslim-dominated areas, terming the Janata Dal (Secular) as the 'B-team' of the BJP. This, she suggested, had helped the BJP win those seats. "It is my suggestion to the Congress not to use such language in the future which could help the BJP and the RSS in future elections," Mayawati had said. Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesman Anil Dubey said his party was always of the opinion that all like-minded non-BJP parties should come on one platform to stop the BJP. "The lesson to learn from the Karnataka election is that only a collective opposition can check the BJP and the past record proves this point," Ramesh Dixit, political analyst and former head of the political science department at Lucknow University, said. In the context of the coming Lok Sabha elections, he suggested it was for the Congress - with its pan-India reach and the ambition to form government in Delhi - to reach out to the smaller parties with a strong base in different parts of the country. The Congress has to learn from the BJP how it entered into an alliance with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and the Apna Dal for the UP assembly polls despite its government being comfortably placed at the Centre, Dixit said. Leaders who urge opposition unity draw attention to the past two elections in UP where the BJP won convincing victories even though the collective vote share of the non-BJP parties was bigger. In the last assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the saffron party posted a landslide victory bagging 325 of the 403 seats, with a vote share of 41.35 per cent. In comparison, the SP which was reduced to 54 seats from 224 in the previous aAssembly election got 28.07 per cent of the vote. The BSP came down to 19 seats from 80, getting 22.23 per cent votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, BJP won 71 out of 80 seats with its alliance partner the Apna Dal getting two more, beating the opposition parties hands down. The BJP got 42.63 per cent votes and the Apna Dal 1.01 per cent. In comparison, the SP won a mere five seats with 22.35 per cent votes in 2014. The BSP polled 19.77 per cent votes but drew a blank. The Congress got two seats with a 7.53 per cent vote share.

Uttar Pradesh opposition parties learn lessons from Karnataka

Two days after taking the oath Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has resigned from his post on Saturday, ahead of the floor test in the Assembly.&nbsp;

The BJP Chief Minister, who was sworn in on Thursday could not gather the support of MLAs to prove majority in the state assembly during the floor test.

He made an emotional speech before he announced his resignation. He said that the people of Karnataka will now be "ruled by an unholy alliance".

The BJP was eight short of the majority mark in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly.&nbsp;

Following 72 hours of high drama, which involved a midnight session at the Supreme Court, leaked audio tapes, and hidden lawmakers, the BJP failed to secure seven MLAs that it needed to pass the floor test in the House.

BJP had won the first round of the legal battle after the results were out on May 15 but failed to gather the support of MLAs to prove majority in the Karnataka state Assembly.&nbsp;

Since the numbers are not in favour of the BJP, Yeddyurappa stepped down from his post today, saying that he is thankful for the love and support people gave him.&nbsp;

"The election results are now out. Today is the floor test. Think for once, if we had 113, the picture would have been different," BS Yeddyurappa said.&nbsp;

The results of the Karnataka Assembly Elections threw up a fractured mandate on the counting day and led to political instability in the state.&nbsp;

On May 15, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78, JD(S) with 37. Three seats were bagged by independent candidates in the 224-member Assembly where elections were held for 222 seats.&nbsp;

For 2019, I promise, we will win 28 out of all 28 Lok Sabha seats. I won't relent. I will continue to fight. I thank people of Karnataka Yeddyurappa

Two days after taking the oath Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has resigned from his post on Saturday, ahead of the floor test in the Assembly. The BJP Chief Minister, who was sworn in on Thursday could not gather the support of MLAs to prove majority in the state assembly during the floor test. He made an emotional speech before he announced his resignation. He said that the people of Karnataka will now be "ruled by an unholy alliance". The BJP was eight short of the majority mark in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. Following 72 hours of high drama, which involved a midnight session at the Supreme Court, leaked audio tapes, and hidden lawmakers, the BJP failed to secure seven MLAs that it needed to pass the floor test in the House. BJP had won the first round of the legal battle after the results were out on May 15 but failed to gather the support of MLAs to prove majority in the Karnataka state Assembly. Since the numbers are not in favour of the BJP, Yeddyurappa stepped down from his post today, saying that he is thankful for the love and support people gave him. "The election results are now out. Today is the floor test. Think for once, if we had 113, the picture would have been different," BS Yeddyurappa said. The results of the Karnataka Assembly Elections threw up a fractured mandate on the counting day and led to political instability in the state. On May 15, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78, JD(S) with 37. Three seats were bagged by independent candidates in the 224-member Assembly where elections were held for 222 seats.

Yeddyurappa resigns as Karnataka CM before trust vote, BJP fails to prove majority

Ahead of his swearing-in as the Karnataka chief minister, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will meet Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Monday to discuss the modalities of government formation.

Clarifying that no discussion has taken place so far on the allocation of ministerial berths, Kumaraswamy termed reports on the power-sharing formula of 30 months each between the parties as "bogus".

"I'm visiting New Delhi tomorrow ... I will meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi and the party's senior leader Sonia Gandhi," he told reporters here.

Based on the outcome of discussions with them, a decision will be taken on the number of Congress and JD(S) MLAs who will become ministers, Kumaraswamy added.

BS Yeddyurappa had yesterday stepped down as the chief minister without facing the floor test in the state assembly as the BJP fell short of numbers, following which Kumaraswamy met governor Vajubhai Vala, and said he had been invited to form the government.

The May 12 Karnataka assembly polls threw up a hung assembly, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats.

While making it clear that there have been no discussions yet on the portfolio allocation, Kumaraswamy requested the media not to create confusion among the public and MLAs with such "speculative" reports.

He also asserted that within 24 hours of taking oath, he would prove the majority on the floor of the House.

"Mostly on Wednesday there will be oath-taking ceremony after that on Thursday we will complete the process of speaker's election and trust vote," he added.

After meeting the governor, Kumaraswamy had yesterday said the swearing-in ceremony would take place tentatively between 12 noon and 1.50 pm at Kanteerava stadium on May 21.

But, later he announced that the event would be held on May 23 as May 21 happens to be the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The venue of the swearing-in is also likely to be changed, with party sources now saying it is likely to take place at Vidhana Soudha (the seat of the state legislature).

However, Kumaraswamy said he had spoken to the chief secretary and other senior officials about it and they would take a call on the venue.

Kumaraswamy today met his father and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at his residence and later visited the hotel where JD(S) MLAs are camping and held a meeting with them.&nbsp

Asked about reports on power-sharing formula of 30 months each that is being worked out with the Congress, Kumaraswamy said, "No such talks have taken place."&nbsp

On reports about parleys with Congress leaders regarding elections in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Jayanagar assembly constituencies, Kumarasamy described it as "bogus".&nbsp

"It is a bogus news ... No such discussions have taken place. Wining Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Jayanagara is a necessity. Till now, no such discussions have happened," he said.

While polling was deferred in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency over allegations of electoral malpractice, election to Jayanagar seat was countermanded following the death of the BJP candidate.&nbsp

Kumaraswamy termed reports on the power-sharing formula of 30 months each between the parties as "bogus"

Ahead of his swearing-in as the Karnataka chief minister, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will meet Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Monday to discuss the modalities of government formation. Clarifying that no discussion has taken place so far on the allocation of ministerial berths, Kumaraswamy termed reports on the power-sharing formula of 30 months each between the parties as "bogus". "I'm visiting New Delhi tomorrow ... I will meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi and the party's senior leader Sonia Gandhi," he told reporters here. Based on the outcome of discussions with them, a decision will be taken on the number of Congress and JD(S) MLAs who will become ministers, Kumaraswamy added. BS Yeddyurappa had yesterday stepped down as the chief minister without facing the floor test in the state assembly as the BJP fell short of numbers, following which Kumaraswamy met governor Vajubhai Vala, and said he had been invited to form the government. The May 12 Karnataka assembly polls threw up a hung assembly, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats. While making it clear that there have been no discussions yet on the portfolio allocation, Kumaraswamy requested the media not to create confusion among the public and MLAs with such "speculative" reports. He also asserted that within 24 hours of taking oath, he would prove the majority on the floor of the House. "Mostly on Wednesday there will be oath-taking ceremony after that on Thursday we will complete the process of speaker's election and trust vote," he added. After meeting the governor, Kumaraswamy had yesterday said the swearing-in ceremony would take place tentatively between 12 noon and 1.50 pm at Kanteerava stadium on May 21. But, later he announced that the event would be held on May 23 as May 21 happens to be the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The venue of the swearing-in is also likely to be changed, with party sources now saying it is likely to take place at Vidhana Soudha (the seat of the state legislature). However, Kumaraswamy said he had spoken to the chief secretary and other senior officials about it and they would take a call on the venue. Kumaraswamy today met his father and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at his residence and later visited the hotel where JD(S) MLAs are camping and held a meeting with them. Asked about reports on power-sharing formula of 30 months each that is being worked out with the Congress, Kumaraswamy said, "No such talks have taken place." On reports about parleys with Congress leaders regarding elections in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Jayanagar assembly constituencies, Kumarasamy described it as "bogus". "It is a bogus news ... No such discussions have taken place. Wining Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Jayanagara is a necessity. Till now, no such discussions have happened," he said. While polling was deferred in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency over allegations of electoral malpractice, election to Jayanagar seat was countermanded following the death of the BJP candidate.

Ahead of oath ceremony, Kumaraswamy to meet Sonia, Rahul in Delhi tomorrow

Companies are offering 10-25 per cent increase in variable pay as incentive to retain and attract talents, especially in the IT, FMCG, e-commerce, BFSI and telecom sectors, according to experts.

"We see an increase ranging from 10-25 per cent during the last 2-3 years. Today for some companies, the variable component is nearly 25 per cent of the fixed salary for employees at junior-mid level," TeamLease Services Head of North Business Mayur Saraswat told PTI here.

This growth in variable component reflects 10-20 per cent on the gross salary, he added.

Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance.

"Historically, companies were used to the concept of having fixed pay. But now, with markets getting matured and complex with competition, companies believe talent is one of the key factor for success. To attract and retain talent, one would need to have a culture of high performance as well as incentivising performance," Saraswat said.

Echoing a similar view, Michael Page India MD Nicolas Dumoulin said domestic companies are now increasingly including the variable pay component in employee's salary packages.

"Therefore, the size of the variable pay is larger when it comes to local companies, with an approximate of 20-30 per cent bonuses being offered," he added.

He said, MNCs have always offered this element to their employees across the globe, therefore, they continue to offer this but the extent of compensations have not drastically increased.

Dumoulin said, well-established companies in FMCG and banking, healthcare and life sciences, chemicals, building materials and sales driven roles have started introducing this aspect.

However, Dumoulin said, the variable pay component is not the most effective method to retain or attract talent as it is a one-off amount that employees get, especially for those in a support function role.

Whereas, for results-driven and executive roles, this benefit is a constructive retention tool as employees recognise that their variable pay component can be influenced by their performance, he added.

Apart from the variable pay component, professionals are eager to work with organisations that allow them to take on different roles in the corporation, offer international working opportunities and have flexible working hours, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, GlobalHunt Managing Director Sunil Goel said, variable pay comes as a supplement and opportunity to benefit the resources when company does well and wins lot of projects or business opportunities where employees becomes as direct or indirect stakeholders for good times.

"We have seen in most of the new-age businesses like startup's, technology, BFSI, retail, e-Commerce, chemical, even in FMCG sectors are following this trend but at the same time industries like real-estate and telecom, which is going through consolidation, phase have been able to keep their fix cost as low with not so high variable payout as per the business performance," he added.

Since the fixed component is not increasing more than 10-11 per cent, Goel said the variable pay-outs are reflecting or elevating the gross salary up to 30-40 per cent higher.

Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance.

Companies are offering 10-25 per cent increase in variable pay as incentive to retain and attract talents, especially in the IT, FMCG, e-commerce, BFSI and telecom sectors, according to experts. "We see an increase ranging from 10-25 per cent during the last 2-3 years. Today for some companies, the variable component is nearly 25 per cent of the fixed salary for employees at junior-mid level," TeamLease Services Head of North Business Mayur Saraswat told PTI here. This growth in variable component reflects 10-20 per cent on the gross salary, he added. Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance. "Historically, companies were used to the concept of having fixed pay. But now, with markets getting matured and complex with competition, companies believe talent is one of the key factor for success. To attract and retain talent, one would need to have a culture of high performance as well as incentivising performance," Saraswat said. Echoing a similar view, Michael Page India MD Nicolas Dumoulin said domestic companies are now increasingly including the variable pay component in employee's salary packages. "Therefore, the size of the variable pay is larger when it comes to local companies, with an approximate of 20-30 per cent bonuses being offered," he added. He said, MNCs have always offered this element to their employees across the globe, therefore, they continue to offer this but the extent of compensations have not drastically increased. Dumoulin said, well-established companies in FMCG and banking, healthcare and life sciences, chemicals, building materials and sales driven roles have started introducing this aspect. However, Dumoulin said, the variable pay component is not the most effective method to retain or attract talent as it is a one-off amount that employees get, especially for those in a support function role. Whereas, for results-driven and executive roles, this benefit is a constructive retention tool as employees recognise that their variable pay component can be influenced by their performance, he added. Apart from the variable pay component, professionals are eager to work with organisations that allow them to take on different roles in the corporation, offer international working opportunities and have flexible working hours, he pointed out. Meanwhile, GlobalHunt Managing Director Sunil Goel said, variable pay comes as a supplement and opportunity to benefit the resources when company does well and wins lot of projects or business opportunities where employees becomes as direct or indirect stakeholders for good times. "We have seen in most of the new-age businesses like startup's, technology, BFSI, retail, e-Commerce, chemical, even in FMCG sectors are following this trend but at the same time industries like real-estate and telecom, which is going through consolidation, phase have been able to keep their fix cost as low with not so high variable payout as per the business performance," he added. Since the fixed component is not increasing more than 10-11 per cent, Goel said the variable pay-outs are reflecting or elevating the gross salary up to 30-40 per cent higher.

Companies increasing variable pay to retain, attract talents: Experts

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday said the state will give a befitting reply to Naxals and their growing activities.

"We condemn the Naxal attack in Dantewada in which six jawans have been killed. The Naxals try to stop development and target jawans. We will give a befitting reply to them," news agency ANI quoted him as saying to the reporters.

At least seven jawans were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Dantewada's Cholnar village on Sunday.

The bomb went off the moment the moving vehicle came over it, leaving a small crater on the road.

Troops of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were rushed to the spot where the attack took place.&nbsp;

At least six jawans were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Dantewada's Cholnar village on Sunday

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday said the state will give a befitting reply to Naxals and their growing activities. "We condemn the Naxal attack in Dantewada in which six jawans have been killed. The Naxals try to stop development and target jawans. We will give a befitting reply to them," news agency ANI quoted him as saying to the reporters. At least seven jawans were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Dantewada's Cholnar village on Sunday. The bomb went off the moment the moving vehicle came over it, leaving a small crater on the road. Troops of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were rushed to the spot where the attack took place.

Will give befitting reply to Naxals: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh

Karnataka CM-designate and&nbspJDS' (Janata Dal (Secular) HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday, according to news agency ANI.

The JD(S) leader will also hold discussions on Cabinet expansion and how to establish a stable government in Karnataka with both, ANI added

''Tomorrow I will be going to Delhi, where I will meet Sonia ji and Rahul ji. We will decide about cabinet expansion. I will discuss everything with them on how to give a stable government for the next 5 years,'' Kumaraswamy said.&nbsp

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R Vala on Saturday invited JD(S)&nbsplegislative party leader HD Kumaraswamy to form the next government in the state, following the resignation of BJP's BS Yeddyurappa ahead of his trust vote.

"The Governor has invited me to form the next government as the leader of the JD-S legislative party with the support of the Congress, which is our alliance partner," Kumaraswamy told reporters after meeting Vala at Raj Bhavan and staked claim to power after the three-day BJP government fell.

The Governor had given Kumaraswamy&nbsp15 days to prove majority in the 224-member legislative assembly, whose strength is currently 222.

Kumaraswamy who was earlier slated to take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 21 between 12 noon and 1 pm-- will now swear-in on May 23.

Speaking to ANI, HD Kumaraswamy reasoned, "We are going to take oath on Wednesday, May 23, as Monday (May 21) is Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary and so that is not a proper date."

The JD(S) leader will also hold discussions on Cabinet expansion and how to establish a stable government in Karnataka

Karnataka CM-designate and&nbspJDS' (Janata Dal (Secular) HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday, according to news agency ANI. The JD(S) leader will also hold discussions on Cabinet expansion and how to establish a stable government in Karnataka with both, ANI added ''Tomorrow I will be going to Delhi, where I will meet Sonia ji and Rahul ji. We will decide about cabinet expansion. I will discuss everything with them on how to give a stable government for the next 5 years,'' Kumaraswamy said. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R Vala on Saturday invited JD(S)&nbsplegislative party leader HD Kumaraswamy to form the next government in the state, following the resignation of BJP's BS Yeddyurappa ahead of his trust vote. "The Governor has invited me to form the next government as the leader of the JD-S legislative party with the support of the Congress, which is our alliance partner," Kumaraswamy told reporters after meeting Vala at Raj Bhavan and staked claim to power after the three-day BJP government fell. The Governor had given Kumaraswamy&nbsp15 days to prove majority in the 224-member legislative assembly, whose strength is currently 222. Kumaraswamy who was earlier slated to take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 21 between 12 noon and 1 pm-- will now swear-in on May 23. Speaking to ANI, HD Kumaraswamy reasoned, "We are going to take oath on Wednesday, May 23, as Monday (May 21) is Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary and so that is not a proper date."

HD Kumaraswamy to meet Sonia, Rahul tomorrow in Delhi

In an ambitious defence project, the government has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way that would include equipping them with unmanned tanks, vessels, aerial vehicles and robotic weaponry.

The move is part of a broader policy initiative to prepare the Army, Navy and the Air Force for next-generation warfare and comes amid rising Chinese investments in developing critical applications of AI for its military.

Secretary Defence Production Ajay Kumar said the government had decided to introduce AI in all the three forces as it would be a "big area" considering the requirements of future warfare.

He said a high-powered task force headed by Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran was finalising the specifics and framework of the project, which would be implemented in a "partnership model" between the armed forces and the private sector.

"It is India's preparation for next-generation warfare. This (AI) is where the future is going to be. We need to prepare ourselves for the next generation warfare which will be more and more technology driven, more and more automated and robotised," he said.

Like many other world powers, India had also started work on the application of AI to boost the capabilities of its armed forces, Kumar said, adding that unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned naval vessels, unmanned tanks and automatic robotic rifles as weapon systems will have an extensive use in future wars.

"We need to create capabilities for all these platforms," he said.

Military sources said the project would also include the production of a range of unmanned platforms for the three services.

They said the forces were strongly pushing for extensive applications of AI in their operational preparedness on par with leading global military powers.

The sources said the application of AI in the surveillance of India's borders with China and Pakistan could significantly ease the pressure on armed forces personnel guarding the sensitive frontiers.

China has been pouring in billions of dollars into AI research and machine learning. Last year, it unveiled an ambitious plan to make the country the AI innovation centre of the world by 2030.

The US, Britain, France and the European Union are also investing significantly in AI, an area of computer science devoted to the creation of intelligent machines.

The US has been carrying out successful operations targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan using unmanned drones which operate with the help of artificial intelligence.

"AI is going to be a very big concept in the coming years. Major countries of the world are now working on strategies to see how AI can be used for defence forces. We are also moving ahead. What is unique about this initiative is that we have industry and defence forces working jointly," Kumar said.

He said the recommendations of the task force were likely to come in by June and then the government would take the project forward.&nbsp;

"India has a fairly strong IT industry base and that is going to be our biggest strength in terms of developing AI capabilities," said Kumar, who has been playing a key role in pushing forward the project.

Kumar said a framework was being finalised under which industry and defence forces could work together to create a strong base for AI in defence systems.

"We need to work on a partnership model which should be different from a buyer- seller proposition while fully leveraging capabilities of the industry," he said, adding state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be a major player in the project.

Kumar said there was an enormous potential for the use of AI in the civilian sphere as well and the task force was also looking into it.

Govt has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence to enhance operational preparedness of armed forces

In an ambitious defence project, the government has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way that would include equipping them with unmanned tanks, vessels, aerial vehicles and robotic weaponry. The move is part of a broader policy initiative to prepare the Army, Navy and the Air Force for next-generation warfare and comes amid rising Chinese investments in developing critical applications of AI for its military. Secretary Defence Production Ajay Kumar said the government had decided to introduce AI in all the three forces as it would be a "big area" considering the requirements of future warfare. He said a high-powered task force headed by Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran was finalising the specifics and framework of the project, which would be implemented in a "partnership model" between the armed forces and the private sector. "It is India's preparation for next-generation warfare. This (AI) is where the future is going to be. We need to prepare ourselves for the next generation warfare which will be more and more technology driven, more and more automated and robotised," he said. Like many other world powers, India had also started work on the application of AI to boost the capabilities of its armed forces, Kumar said, adding that unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned naval vessels, unmanned tanks and automatic robotic rifles as weapon systems will have an extensive use in future wars. "We need to create capabilities for all these platforms," he said. Military sources said the project would also include the production of a range of unmanned platforms for the three services. They said the forces were strongly pushing for extensive applications of AI in their operational preparedness on par with leading global military powers. The sources said the application of AI in the surveillance of India's borders with China and Pakistan could significantly ease the pressure on armed forces personnel guarding the sensitive frontiers. China has been pouring in billions of dollars into AI research and machine learning. Last year, it unveiled an ambitious plan to make the country the AI innovation centre of the world by 2030. The US, Britain, France and the European Union are also investing significantly in AI, an area of computer science devoted to the creation of intelligent machines. The US has been carrying out successful operations targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan using unmanned drones which operate with the help of artificial intelligence. "AI is going to be a very big concept in the coming years. Major countries of the world are now working on strategies to see how AI can be used for defence forces. We are also moving ahead. What is unique about this initiative is that we have industry and defence forces working jointly," Kumar said. He said the recommendations of the task force were likely to come in by June and then the government would take the project forward. "India has a fairly strong IT industry base and that is going to be our biggest strength in terms of developing AI capabilities," said Kumar, who has been playing a key role in pushing forward the project. Kumar said a framework was being finalised under which industry and defence forces could work together to create a strong base for AI in defence systems. "We need to work on a partnership model which should be different from a buyer- seller proposition while fully leveraging capabilities of the industry," he said, adding state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be a major player in the project. Kumar said there was an enormous potential for the use of AI in the civilian sphere as well and the task force was also looking into it.

India working on unmanned tanks, vessels, robotic weaponry for future wars

A Mumbai-based jeweller, Birju Kishore Salla, is the first to be put on the no-fly-list (NFL) — a registry maintained by Indian carriers to bar disruptive passengers from boarding their flights.

Salla has drawn the wrath of the private flyer, Jet Airways, as he had left a hoax hijack message on a Mumbai-Delhi flight he had boarded on October 20, 2017. He has been barred from boarding any Jet flight for the next five years.&nbsp;

The miscreant, who occupied seat 1A of flight 9W 339, had left a note of terror in the business class lavatory. &nbsp;"9W 339 is covered by hijackers and a/c (aircraft) should not land and (be) flown straight to POK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). 12 ppl (sic) on board. If you put landing you can hear the noise of people dying. Don't take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bombs and will blast if you land in DEL (Delhi)," he had written.

Reacting to the situation, the flight crew had diverted the plane to Ahmedabad. However, no explosive materials were found on-board in the search conducted by the bomb squad.

An inquiry conducted by the Jet Airways found Salla to have left the hoax note which led to massive inconvenience for his fellow passengers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed Salla's case to be the first of a passenger being included in the no-fly-list. The regulatory authority said other carriers would be given the option to extend the ban imposed on Salla.

Salla has been barred under the highest category - level three of on-board unruly passengers. Those offences included in this category are "damage to aircraft operating systems, serious physical violence and attempted or actual breach of cockpit". The violators could be grounded from a range of three years to a lifetime.

(With inputs from PTI)

The miscreant, who occupied seat 1A of flight 9W 339, had left a note of terror in the business class lavatory.

A Mumbai-based jeweller, Birju Kishore Salla, is the first to be put on the no-fly-list (NFL) — a registry maintained by Indian carriers to bar disruptive passengers from boarding their flights. Salla has drawn the wrath of the private flyer, Jet Airways, as he had left a hoax hijack message on a Mumbai-Delhi flight he had boarded on October 20, 2017. He has been barred from boarding any Jet flight for the next five years. The miscreant, who occupied seat 1A of flight 9W 339, had left a note of terror in the business class lavatory. "9W 339 is covered by hijackers and a/c (aircraft) should not land and (be) flown straight to POK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). 12 ppl (sic) on board. If you put landing you can hear the noise of people dying. Don't take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bombs and will blast if you land in DEL (Delhi)," he had written. Reacting to the situation, the flight crew had diverted the plane to Ahmedabad. However, no explosive materials were found on-board in the search conducted by the bomb squad. An inquiry conducted by the Jet Airways found Salla to have left the hoax note which led to massive inconvenience for his fellow passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed Salla's case to be the first of a passenger being included in the no-fly-list. The regulatory authority said other carriers would be given the option to extend the ban imposed on Salla. Salla has been barred under the highest category - level three of on-board unruly passengers. Those offences included in this category are "damage to aircraft operating systems, serious physical violence and attempted or actual breach of cockpit". The violators could be grounded from a range of three years to a lifetime. (With inputs from PTI)

Mumbai man who left hoax hijack note on Jet Airways flight becomes first to be put on no-fly list

Petrol price on Sunday touched a record high of Rs 76.24 per litre and diesel climbed to its highest ever level of Rs 67.57 as the oil public sector undertakings (PSUs) passed on four weeks of relentless rise in international oil prices to consumers.&nbsp

Petrol price today increased by 33 paisa a litre in Delhi —the highest since the daily price revision came into force in mid-June 2017, and diesel by 26 paisa, according to price notification issued by state-owned oil firms.

Rates vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). Prices in Delhi are the cheapest in all metros and most state capitals.

With this increase, petrol has touched an all-time-high, breaching the previous high of Rs 76.06 touched in Delhi on September 14, 2013. Diesel rates are also at the all-time high level.

This is the seventh straight day of price increase since oil PSUs on May 14 resumed daily price revision after a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus. In all, petrol price has been raised by Rs 1.61 a litre and diesel by 1.64 in last one week.

In India, petrol is the costliest in Mumbai where high local taxes have led a price of Rs 84.07 per litre. Petrol has breached Rs 80 mark in Bhopal (Rs 81.83 a litre), Patna (Rs 81.73), Hyderabad (Rs 80.76) and Srinagar (Rs 80.35), according to the price notification.

Petrol in Kolkatta costs Rs 78.91 per litre while it is priced at Rs 79.13 in Chennai.

On Friday, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg refused to say if the government will cut excise duty on auto fuel to ease the burden on consumers.

The government is watching the situation developing from oil prices hitting $80 a barrel -- the highest since November 2014, and adequate steps will be taken, is all he said without elaborating.

Oil PSUs are estimated to have lost about Rs 5 billion (Rs 500 crore) on absorbing higher cost resulting from the spike in international oil rates and fall in rupee against the US dollar during the nearly three-week hiatus.

This is the seventh straight day of petrol price increase since oil PSUs on May 14 resumed daily price revision after a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus.

Petrol price on Sunday touched a record high of Rs 76.24 per litre and diesel climbed to its highest ever level of Rs 67.57 as the oil public sector undertakings (PSUs) passed on four weeks of relentless rise in international oil prices to consumers. Petrol price today increased by 33 paisa a litre in Delhi —the highest since the daily price revision came into force in mid-June 2017, and diesel by 26 paisa, according to price notification issued by state-owned oil firms. Rates vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). Prices in Delhi are the cheapest in all metros and most state capitals. With this increase, petrol has touched an all-time-high, breaching the previous high of Rs 76.06 touched in Delhi on September 14, 2013. Diesel rates are also at the all-time high level. This is the seventh straight day of price increase since oil PSUs on May 14 resumed daily price revision after a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus. In all, petrol price has been raised by Rs 1.61 a litre and diesel by 1.64 in last one week. In India, petrol is the costliest in Mumbai where high local taxes have led a price of Rs 84.07 per litre. Petrol has breached Rs 80 mark in Bhopal (Rs 81.83 a litre), Patna (Rs 81.73), Hyderabad (Rs 80.76) and Srinagar (Rs 80.35), according to the price notification. Petrol in Kolkatta costs Rs 78.91 per litre while it is priced at Rs 79.13 in Chennai. On Friday, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg refused to say if the government will cut excise duty on auto fuel to ease the burden on consumers. The government is watching the situation developing from oil prices hitting $80 a barrel -- the highest since November 2014, and adequate steps will be taken, is all he said without elaborating. Oil PSUs are estimated to have lost about Rs 5 billion (Rs 500 crore) on absorbing higher cost resulting from the spike in international oil rates and fall in rupee against the US dollar during the nearly three-week hiatus.

Petrol prices now above Rs 84/litre in Mumbai, Rs 76 in Delhi

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Sunday hailed the turn of events in the Karnataka assembly, terming them a "win for democracy".

He also criticised the 15-day time given to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove majority on the floor of the house as "mockery of democracy."

Addressing reporters after meeting the women’s wing of his Rajini Makkal Mandram, the actor termed the subsequent developments in Karnataka, wherein BS Yeddyurappa resigned as CM without a floor test, as a “win for democracy”. BJP asking for some more time and Governor giving 15 days time was a mockery of democracy. I would like to thank Supreme Court for its order, which upheld the democracy," Rajinikanth said.&nbsp;

Further, on contesting elections in 2019, the Tamil superstar said the decision will be taken after the elections are announced.

"The decision for contesting elections in 2019 will be taken at the time when the elections are announced. The party is not yet launched, but we are ready for anything. Also, it is too early to talk about any kind of alliance," he added.

Yesterday, the Karnataka government led by BS&nbsp;Yeddyurappa resigned before going in for the floor test in the Vidhan Soudha.

The floor test was to be conducted on the instructions of the Vala after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance also claimed the right to form the government in the state on the basis of the 117 seats it had as compared to the 104 seats that the BJP had.

On Friday, while hearing a petition of the Congress-JD(S) alliance, the Supreme Court reduced the 15-day original time given by Governor Vala to the BJP to prove its majority in the house and asked the party to hold the trust vote on Saturday at 4 p.m.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
உணர்வுப்பூர்வமான சந்திப்பு .... A very productive discussion with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensWing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensWing</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RajiniMakkalMandram?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RajiniMakkalMandram</a> today ?? <a href="https://t.co/ylYTDoAAxJ">pic.twitter.com/ylYTDoAAxJ</a>
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajinikanth/status/998096096810315776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

On contesting elections in 2019, the Tamil superstar said the decision will be taken after the elections are announced.

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Sunday hailed the turn of events in the Karnataka assembly, terming them a "win for democracy". He also criticised the 15-day time given to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove majority on the floor of the house as "mockery of democracy." Addressing reporters after meeting the women’s wing of his Rajini Makkal Mandram, the actor termed the subsequent developments in Karnataka, wherein BS Yeddyurappa resigned as CM without a floor test, as a “win for democracy”. BJP asking for some more time and Governor giving 15 days time was a mockery of democracy. I would like to thank Supreme Court for its order, which upheld the democracy," Rajinikanth said. Further, on contesting elections in 2019, the Tamil superstar said the decision will be taken after the elections are announced. "The decision for contesting elections in 2019 will be taken at the time when the elections are announced. The party is not yet launched, but we are ready for anything. Also, it is too early to talk about any kind of alliance," he added. Yesterday, the Karnataka government led by BS Yeddyurappa resigned before going in for the floor test in the Vidhan Soudha. The floor test was to be conducted on the instructions of the Vala after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance also claimed the right to form the government in the state on the basis of the 117 seats it had as compared to the 104 seats that the BJP had. On Friday, while hearing a petition of the Congress-JD(S) alliance, the Supreme Court reduced the 15-day original time given by Governor Vala to the BJP to prove its majority in the house and asked the party to hold the trust vote on Saturday at 4 p.m. உணர்வுப்பூர்வமான சந்திப்பு .... A very productive discussion with the #WomensWing of #RajiniMakkalMandram today ?? pic.twitter.com/ylYTDoAAxJ — Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) May 20, 2018 ×

Giving 15 days to BJP to prove majority was 'mockery of democracy': Rajnikanth on Karnataka imbroglio

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday said that the Pakistan Rangers &nbsp;"pleaded" with them to stop firing along the IB after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.&nbsp;

The border guarding force also released a 19-second thermal-imagery footage showing the destruction of a Pakistani picket across the border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing and shelling along the IB.&nbsp;

"(Pakistan) Rangers called up Jammu BSF formation today and beseeched to stop firing," a BSF spokesman said.&nbsp;

"The befitting reply by BSF units to the unprovoked shelling and firing across the IB by Pakistani forces has forced them to plead for ceasefire," a senior official said.&nbsp;

"For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses and yesterday this firing found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area," the official said.&nbsp;

The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days.&nbsp;

A number of civilians were also killed and injured in the Jammu area due to this firing incident which was seen to have increased in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year.&nbsp;

Over 700 incidents of fire and shelling were reported, which left 38 people including 18 security personnel dead and scores injured.

The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days.

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday said that the Pakistan Rangers "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the IB after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border. The border guarding force also released a 19-second thermal-imagery footage showing the destruction of a Pakistani picket across the border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing and shelling along the IB. "(Pakistan) Rangers called up Jammu BSF formation today and beseeched to stop firing," a BSF spokesman said. "The befitting reply by BSF units to the unprovoked shelling and firing across the IB by Pakistani forces has forced them to plead for ceasefire," a senior official said. "For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses and yesterday this firing found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area," the official said. The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days. A number of civilians were also killed and injured in the Jammu area due to this firing incident which was seen to have increased in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year. Over 700 incidents of fire and shelling were reported, which left 38 people including 18 security personnel dead and scores injured.

Pakistan Rangers pleaded for ceasefire after BSF destroyed bunkers along the international border

Amid the ongoing cross-border shelling and firing across the International Border in Jammu, the Pakistan Rangers on Sunday called the Border Security Force (BSF) and pleaded them to stop retaliatory firing, to maintain peace in the region, reports ANI.

For the past three days, precision firing by the BSF on Pakistan's firing locations has inflicted heavy losses on them, the report added.

The BSF also shared a video, which showed that they busted a Pakistani picket across the international border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing across the international border.

In the thermal-imagery video, said to be shot on May 19, it can be seen that the security forces firing twice on the picket, destroying it completely.

Recently, the BSF had lost two jawans in the firing and shelling from across the border.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

From past three days, precision firing by the BSF on Pakistan`s firing locations has inflicted heavy losses on them.

Amid the ongoing cross-border shelling and firing across the International Border in Jammu, the Pakistan Rangers on Sunday called the Border Security Force (BSF) and pleaded them to stop retaliatory firing, to maintain peace in the region, reports ANI. For the past three days, precision firing by the BSF on Pakistan's firing locations has inflicted heavy losses on them, the report added. The BSF also shared a video, which showed that they busted a Pakistani picket across the international border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing across the international border. In the thermal-imagery video, said to be shot on May 19, it can be seen that the security forces firing twice on the picket, destroying it completely. Recently, the BSF had lost two jawans in the firing and shelling from across the border.

Pakistan Rangers calls BSF, requests to stop retaliatory firing

Six jawans have been killed in an IED blast in Chattsigarh.&nbsp;

ANI reported that the IED blast was set off by a police vehicle. And that 3 of the jawans were from the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and two from District Force.&nbsp;

That toll has now gone up to six.&nbsp;

The blast occurred in Dantewada district's Cholnar village.&nbsp;

"6 jawans dead, 1 injured according to preliminary investigation. Search operation is being held by security forces. Blast could be of high intensity, but the exact details will come after the investigation,"&nbsp;Sunder Raj P, DIG Anti-Naxal Operations, said.&nbsp;

ANI added that CRPF soldiers have been rushed to the spot.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Chhattisgarh: 3 jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force & 2 jawans of District Force killed and 2 jawans injured in an IED blast on a police vehicle in Dantewada's Cholnar Village. More details awaited. <a href="https://t.co/2ARxxrR86N">pic.twitter.com/2ARxxrR86N</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998099483509575682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Chhattisgarh: 3 jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force & 2 jawans of District Force killed and 2 jawans injured in an IED blast on a police vehicle in Dantewada's Cholnar Village. Troops of CRPF rushed to the spot, More details awaited. <a href="https://t.co/J6a0JMpknn">pic.twitter.com/J6a0JMpknn</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998109505043955712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The blast occurred in Dantewada district's Cholnar village

Six jawans have been killed in an IED blast in Chattsigarh. ANI reported that the IED blast was set off by a police vehicle. And that 3 of the jawans were from the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and two from District Force. That toll has now gone up to six. The blast occurred in Dantewada district's Cholnar village. "6 jawans dead, 1 injured according to preliminary investigation. Search operation is being held by security forces. Blast could be of high intensity, but the exact details will come after the investigation," Sunder Raj P, DIG Anti-Naxal Operations, said. ANI added that CRPF soldiers have been rushed to the spot. Chhattisgarh: 3 jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force & 2 jawans of District Force killed and 2 jawans injured in an IED blast on a police vehicle in Dantewada's Cholnar Village. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/2ARxxrR86N — ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018 × Chhattisgarh: 3 jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force & 2 jawans of District Force killed and 2 jawans injured in an IED blast on a police vehicle in Dantewada's Cholnar Village. Troops of CRPF rushed to the spot, More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/J6a0JMpknn — ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018 ×

6 jawans killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh

The prices of diesel and petrol hit their highest-ever level on Sunday.&nbsp;

Petrol is selling at Rs 76.24 a litre in Delhi, while diesel is selling at Rs 67.57.&nbsp;

The previous petrol price high was Rs 76.06 on September 14, 2013.&nbsp;

Petrol is selling at Rs 84.07 in Mumbai. And at Rs 78.91 and Rs 79.13 in Kolkata and Chennai.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
As prices of petrol touch Rs 84.07/litre in Mumbai, locals say 'Why are prices so high in Mumbai when it is comparatively lower in Gujarat & Delhi? It is tough for those who have to travel everyday. We shell out Rs 120 for petrol regularly.' <a href="https://t.co/E9BwoFRm5M">pic.twitter.com/E9BwoFRm5M</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998116306791608320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Locals in Delhi say 'The govt must bring down prices of petrol. They must reduce excise duty & use other measures. The prices are already so high'. Prices of petrol in Delhi touched Rs 76.24/litre. <a href="https://t.co/4kdxnMTzDh">pic.twitter.com/4kdxnMTzDh</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998123481614217216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Diesel meanwhile is selling at 71.94, Rs 70.12, and Rs 71.32 a litre in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. respectively.

Petrol is selling at Rs 76.24 a litre in Delhi, while diesel is selling at Rs 67.57

The prices of diesel and petrol hit their highest-ever level on Sunday. Petrol is selling at Rs 76.24 a litre in Delhi, while diesel is selling at Rs 67.57. The previous petrol price high was Rs 76.06 on September 14, 2013. Petrol is selling at Rs 84.07 in Mumbai. And at Rs 78.91 and Rs 79.13 in Kolkata and Chennai. As prices of petrol touch Rs 84.07/litre in Mumbai, locals say 'Why are prices so high in Mumbai when it is comparatively lower in Gujarat & Delhi? It is tough for those who have to travel everyday. We shell out Rs 120 for petrol regularly.' pic.twitter.com/E9BwoFRm5M — ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018 × Locals in Delhi say 'The govt must bring down prices of petrol. They must reduce excise duty & use other measures. The prices are already so high'. Prices of petrol in Delhi touched Rs 76.24/litre. pic.twitter.com/4kdxnMTzDh — ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018 × Diesel meanwhile is selling at 71.94, Rs 70.12, and Rs 71.32 a litre in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. respectively.

Petrol, diesel prices hit record highs in Delhi

By Amitabh Pashupati&nbsp;Revi 
 
Six Indian Navy women officers are knocking on home’s door eight months after setting sail to circumnavigate the globe. The all-women crew of the ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ is just a day away from returning to shore in Goa. The lady officers led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi are the first ever Indian all-women crew to sail around the world. The expedition with Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, Swati P and Lieutenants Aishwarya Boddapati, S Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta has covered 21,600 nautical miles in the Made in India sailing vessel INSV Tarini. They sailed across four continents, three Oceans, visited five countries and crossed the Equator twice.

<img alt="5sea.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/5sea.jpg" width="770" />

The INSV (Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Tarini and her crew will be welcomed home on Monday two hundred and fifty four days after she set sail on the 10th of September, 2017. She will be flagged in by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba on the 21st of May 2018 in Goa.

In eight months, since they set off, the crew has sailed from Goa to Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Cape Town, Mauritius and back home.

The experiences of the crew exemplified perfectly by the last few days at sea seeing the crew escorted home by a shark whale and her babies.

<img alt="3sea.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/3sea.jpg" width="770" />

&nbsp;

<img alt="4sea_0.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/4sea_0.jpg" width="770" />

The sailing vessel is named after the Tara-Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district of Odisha. In Sanskrit, Tarini means boat and savior. Tara-Tarini is the traditional patron deity for sailors and merchants of ancient Odisha. The deity is worshipped for safety and success at sea. And safely and successfully is what these six ladies of the Indian Navy have accomplished in their journey sailing around the world in 254 days.

In the words of Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, "Just a slight dose of vitamin 'Sea' and everything else dissolves. You need to see it to know it. Until, then, lost in thoughts, we wander further into the sea."

<img alt="2Sea.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/2Sea.jpg" width="770" />

In the words of Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, 'Just a slight dose of vitamin 'Sea' and everything else dissolves. You need to see it to know it. Until, then, lost in thoughts, we wander further into the sea'

By Amitabh Pashupati Revi Six Indian Navy women officers are knocking on home’s door eight months after setting sail to circumnavigate the globe. The all-women crew of the ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ is just a day away from returning to shore in Goa. The lady officers led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi are the first ever Indian all-women crew to sail around the world. The expedition with Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, Swati P and Lieutenants Aishwarya Boddapati, S Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta has covered 21,600 nautical miles in the Made in India sailing vessel INSV Tarini. They sailed across four continents, three Oceans, visited five countries and crossed the Equator twice. The INSV (Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Tarini and her crew will be welcomed home on Monday two hundred and fifty four days after she set sail on the 10th of September, 2017. She will be flagged in by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba on the 21st of May 2018 in Goa. In eight months, since they set off, the crew has sailed from Goa to Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Cape Town, Mauritius and back home. The experiences of the crew exemplified perfectly by the last few days at sea seeing the crew escorted home by a shark whale and her babies. The sailing vessel is named after the Tara-Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district of Odisha. In Sanskrit, Tarini means boat and savior. Tara-Tarini is the traditional patron deity for sailors and merchants of ancient Odisha. The deity is worshipped for safety and success at sea. And safely and successfully is what these six ladies of the Indian Navy have accomplished in their journey sailing around the world in 254 days. In the words of Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, "Just a slight dose of vitamin 'Sea' and everything else dissolves. You need to see it to know it. Until, then, lost in thoughts, we wander further into the sea."

Blog: Around the world in 254 days, Navy's women sailors near home

The Uttar Pradesh culture directorate has issued an order to the Agra district administration, asking them to replace one of the two statues of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar inside the Agra municipal corporation (AMC) premises with that of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

In a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, five-time local BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg requested that a statue of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader be installed.

"The move is not aimed to insult or hurt the sentiments of Dalits but to motivate them. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was a champion of Dalit rights and his statue would make the community proud," the BJP lawmaker said.

"There are two statues of Ambedkar in the premises of AMC. While one was inaugurated by former chief minister Mayawati during the BSP regime, the other is an old one, which can be restored and installed somewhere else. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's statue can replace it," he added.

Zee News has a copy of the order dated April 25 and signed by deputy director Ajay Kumar Agarwal.

The order directs the Agra district magistrate and senior superintendent of police to keep tab on law and order situation in case there is protest after the installation of statue.

Dalit councillors have taken a strong objection on the state government’s order.&nbsp;

"The Dalit community will take to streets if the statue is installed. If they had objection on two statues of Ambedkar inside AMC premises, they should have raised the objection earlier. But replacing it with one of the BJP icons is a great provocation,” said Dharmveer Singh, councillor of Ratanpura, a reserved SC/ST ward.

Over 90% employees in Agra’s civic body are Dailts and 24 of 100 councillors are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) &nbsp;community.&nbsp;

Bharatendu Arun, district president of BSP's Agra unit, said the move would create a "social gap."

"This act will create more social gap and there will be repercussions. The civic body must prevent it,” he said.

Meanwhile, AMC commissioner Arun Prakash said, “The statue will only be replaced after discussion on the civic assembly floor with mayor and councillors.”

The Uttar Pradesh culture directorate has issued an order to the Agra district administration, asking them to replace one of the two statues of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar inside the Agra municipal corporation premises with that of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay

The Uttar Pradesh culture directorate has issued an order to the Agra district administration, asking them to replace one of the two statues of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar inside the Agra municipal corporation (AMC) premises with that of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. In a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, five-time local BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg requested that a statue of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader be installed. "The move is not aimed to insult or hurt the sentiments of Dalits but to motivate them. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was a champion of Dalit rights and his statue would make the community proud," the BJP lawmaker said. "There are two statues of Ambedkar in the premises of AMC. While one was inaugurated by former chief minister Mayawati during the BSP regime, the other is an old one, which can be restored and installed somewhere else. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's statue can replace it," he added. Zee News has a copy of the order dated April 25 and signed by deputy director Ajay Kumar Agarwal. The order directs the Agra district magistrate and senior superintendent of police to keep tab on law and order situation in case there is protest after the installation of statue. Dalit councillors have taken a strong objection on the state government’s order. "The Dalit community will take to streets if the statue is installed. If they had objection on two statues of Ambedkar inside AMC premises, they should have raised the objection earlier. But replacing it with one of the BJP icons is a great provocation,” said Dharmveer Singh, councillor of Ratanpura, a reserved SC/ST ward. Over 90% employees in Agra’s civic body are Dailts and 24 of 100 councillors are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. Bharatendu Arun, district president of BSP's Agra unit, said the move would create a "social gap." "This act will create more social gap and there will be repercussions. The civic body must prevent it,” he said. Meanwhile, AMC commissioner Arun Prakash said, “The statue will only be replaced after discussion on the civic assembly floor with mayor and councillors.”

Replace Ambedkar statue with Deendayal Upadhyay's: UP government

The turn of events that compelled the BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa to resign as Karnataka chief minister was a flashback to 1996 when a similar fate had forced then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to resign his post.

Vajpayee had assumed office as the 10th prime minister of India in May 1996. He was invited by the president to form the government after the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had won 161 seats out of 545. Along with its allies, the party had gained authority over 194 seats. The majority mark required to form the government was 272.&nbsp;

Vajpayee held the position of prime minister for 13 days. However, he failed to&nbsp;garner enough support and was eventually forced to step down. After Vajpayee's resignation on May 27, 1996, his government was replaced by an alliance between the Congress and the HD Deve Gowda-led United Front. The Congress, which was the second largest party with 140 seats, gave the United Front outside support.

On Saturday, the Karnataka legislative assembly witnessed the resignation of the two-day-old BJP government led by BS Yeddyurappa. Despite scoring the highest number of seats (104)&nbsp;in the elections, the BJP failed to form a government in the state. The Congress, which emerged the second-largest party with 78 seats, extended its support to the JD(S), which is the third-largest party with&nbsp;37 seats.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MNfT2WZZ1Yc" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Gowda became&nbsp;the country's 11th prime minister, replacing Vajpayee's 13-day BJP government.

Similar to 1996, the BJP government in Karnataka led by BS Yeddyurappa will be replaced by a JD(S)-Congress alliance lead by HD Deve Gowda's son HD Kumaraswamy.

The only difference is that the Congress this time is part of the government.&nbsp;

Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremeony will be held on May 23 in Bengaluru.&nbsp;

Vajpayee's 13-day government was replaced in 1996 by the HD Deve Gowda-led United Front. The Congress gave Gowda outside support

The turn of events that compelled the BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa to resign as Karnataka chief minister was a flashback to 1996 when a similar fate had forced then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to resign his post. Vajpayee had assumed office as the 10th prime minister of India in May 1996. He was invited by the president to form the government after the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had won 161 seats out of 545. Along with its allies, the party had gained authority over 194 seats. The majority mark required to form the government was 272. Vajpayee held the position of prime minister for 13 days. However, he failed to garner enough support and was eventually forced to step down. After Vajpayee's resignation on May 27, 1996, his government was replaced by an alliance between the Congress and the HD Deve Gowda-led United Front. The Congress, which was the second largest party with 140 seats, gave the United Front outside support. On Saturday, the Karnataka legislative assembly witnessed the resignation of the two-day-old BJP government led by BS Yeddyurappa. Despite scoring the highest number of seats (104) in the elections, the BJP failed to form a government in the state. The Congress, which emerged the second-largest party with 78 seats, extended its support to the JD(S), which is the third-largest party with 37 seats. × Gowda became the country's 11th prime minister, replacing Vajpayee's 13-day BJP government. Similar to 1996, the BJP government in Karnataka led by BS Yeddyurappa will be replaced by a JD(S)-Congress alliance lead by HD Deve Gowda's son HD Kumaraswamy. The only difference is that the Congress this time is part of the government. Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremeony will be held on May 23 in Bengaluru.

Yeddyurappa's resignation is a replay of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's in 1996

Congress MP (Member of Parliament) Mallikarjun Kharge said today that "keeping everything in mind" in the Karnataka elections, there should be a "give and take equation" with the JD(S) while forming the cabinet.

The Congress leader made the statement when asked about the formation of the cabinet in Karnataka.

He also said the Congress high command would decide on cabinet formation.

High command will take decision. We, being a national party, supported JD(S) - a regional party, to uphold Constitutional principles and democracy. Keeping everything in mind, there ought to be a 'give & take' equation," Mallikarjun Kharge said.

The Congress MP had earlier predicted that his party would win the floor test.

"The BJP does not have the numbers we will win the floor test. The BJP is just trying to prove their majority and they will fail to do so," he had said ahead of the floor test.

In the May 12 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 members, while Congress secured 78, the JD(S) 37 and others three.

The BJP, which had insisted it should stake claim to form the government by virtue of being the single largest party, was invited by the Karnataka governor to form the government. The governor gave the party two weeks time for the trust vote, a decision which was revoked by the Supreme Court which ordered a floor test on May 19. The BS Yeddyurappa-led government was briefly sworn in before Yeddyurappa's resignation minutes ahead of the floor test. The Congress, which had struck a post-poll alliance with the JD(S) and two independents, will now form the government in the state with a total of 117 seats.&nbsp;

The Congress MP said that 'keeping everything in mind' in the Karnataka elections, there should be a 'give and take equation' with the JD(S) while forming the cabinet

Congress MP (Member of Parliament) Mallikarjun Kharge said today that "keeping everything in mind" in the Karnataka elections, there should be a "give and take equation" with the JD(S) while forming the cabinet. The Congress leader made the statement when asked about the formation of the cabinet in Karnataka. He also said the Congress high command would decide on cabinet formation. High command will take decision. We, being a national party, supported JD(S) - a regional party, to uphold Constitutional principles and democracy. Keeping everything in mind, there ought to be a 'give & take' equation," Mallikarjun Kharge said. The Congress MP had earlier predicted that his party would win the floor test. "The BJP does not have the numbers we will win the floor test. The BJP is just trying to prove their majority and they will fail to do so," he had said ahead of the floor test. In the May 12 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 members, while Congress secured 78, the JD(S) 37 and others three. The BJP, which had insisted it should stake claim to form the government by virtue of being the single largest party, was invited by the Karnataka governor to form the government. The governor gave the party two weeks time for the trust vote, a decision which was revoked by the Supreme Court which ordered a floor test on May 19. The BS Yeddyurappa-led government was briefly sworn in before Yeddyurappa's resignation minutes ahead of the floor test. The Congress, which had struck a post-poll alliance with the JD(S) and two independents, will now form the government in the state with a total of 117 seats.

Ought to be 'give and take equation' with JD(S) in Karnataka: Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge

Following the deadly under-construction flyover collapse in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid a surprise visit on Saturday night to various under-construction sites in the city.

The sites visited by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister included hospitals, a water treatment plant and a pumping station.

Adityanath's first stop was the ESI hospital where he asked the concerned authorities to get the construction work done by December 2018. His next visit was Sarnath -- located 10 kms from Varanasi -- to inspect the condition of the 100 MLD Water Treatment Plant. After construction, the plant is expected to source clean water to 7 lakh and 27 thousand people. The project is expected to be complated by November this year.

The next stops were a pumping station in Chowka Ghat and a cancer hospital in Leher Tara.The Chief Minister asked the officers on duty to get the pumping station ready by June 29 and the cancer hospital as soon as possible since it was being made for the welfare of the society.&nbsp;

In the Nariya locality near the Banaras Hindu University, Adityanath visited the construction site of the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital. Adityanath ordered the concerned department to get the hospital ready by December 2018.

Adityanath is taking all the under-construction sites into consideration after the flyover mishap in Varanasi on May 15 that left at least 18 people dead and 11 others critically injured.

The Varanasi Police has ordered the officials of the Uttar Pradesh Setu Nigam to not leave the city without informing the Superintendent of Police (SP).&nbsp;

SP, Crime JN Pandey told the press that the police have gathered all the information from the project manager of the collapsed bridge.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged under sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), section 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) and section 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Later in the day, Yogi Adityanath will also visit the site where a portion of the under-construction flyover collapsed.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

The sites visited by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister included hospitals, a water treatment plant and a pumping station

Following the deadly under-construction flyover collapse in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid a surprise visit on Saturday night to various under-construction sites in the city. The sites visited by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister included hospitals, a water treatment plant and a pumping station. Adityanath's first stop was the ESI hospital where he asked the concerned authorities to get the construction work done by December 2018. His next visit was Sarnath -- located 10 kms from Varanasi -- to inspect the condition of the 100 MLD Water Treatment Plant. After construction, the plant is expected to source clean water to 7 lakh and 27 thousand people. The project is expected to be complated by November this year. The next stops were a pumping station in Chowka Ghat and a cancer hospital in Leher Tara.The Chief Minister asked the officers on duty to get the pumping station ready by June 29 and the cancer hospital as soon as possible since it was being made for the welfare of the society. In the Nariya locality near the Banaras Hindu University, Adityanath visited the construction site of the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital. Adityanath ordered the concerned department to get the hospital ready by December 2018. Adityanath is taking all the under-construction sites into consideration after the flyover mishap in Varanasi on May 15 that left at least 18 people dead and 11 others critically injured. The Varanasi Police has ordered the officials of the Uttar Pradesh Setu Nigam to not leave the city without informing the Superintendent of Police (SP). SP, Crime JN Pandey told the press that the police have gathered all the information from the project manager of the collapsed bridge. A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged under sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), section 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) and section 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Later in the day, Yogi Adityanath will also visit the site where a portion of the under-construction flyover collapsed. (With inputs from ANI)

After flyover collapse, Adityanath pays surprise visits to under-construction sites in Varanasi

Restro-bars playing recorded songs or music in their premises will attract strict action from the authority, with the Delhi government warning these establishments against it, citing laid down rules.

The government has directed that as per the 2010 excise rules, restaurants serving alcohol are allowed to hold only "live singing or playing of instruments" by professionals.

The move comes after the Delhi excise department received a number of complaints from local residents regarding "nuisance" created by several restro-bars in the city.

In the national capital, there are thousands of restro-bars and most of them usually play recorded songs or music in their premises to entertain their customers and attract people.

"L-17 (restaurants which serve food and alcohol) are only permitted for live singing and playing of instruments by professionals in their premises," Delhi Excise Commissioner Amjad Tak told PTI.

According to the directions by the department, Rule 53 (4) of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010 states that the L-17 licensee is allowed only for live singing/playing of instruments by professionals.

In Delhi, there is no provision of separate licence for pubs. The Licence-17 is issued by the Excise Department to those restaurants wanting to serve alcohol to their customers. 
 
Another senior government official said that teams of the Excise Department visit restaurants serving alcohol and take action against those violating rules. 
 
"During inspection, we ensure that all laid down rules are followed and if there is violation of any rule, the department takes strict action," the official, who did not wish to be named, said.

According to the department, it received Rs 305.85-crore excise revenue in April this year while in the same month last year, the revenue was Rs 291.01 crore.

The department has set a target of Rs 5,200 crore from excise revenue in the current financial year. In the last financial year, it collected Rs 4,551.57 crore as excise revenue.

The government has directed that as per the 2010 excise rules, restaurants serving alcohol are allowed to hold only 'live singing or playing of instruments' by professionals

Restro-bars playing recorded songs or music in their premises will attract strict action from the authority, with the Delhi government warning these establishments against it, citing laid down rules. The government has directed that as per the 2010 excise rules, restaurants serving alcohol are allowed to hold only "live singing or playing of instruments" by professionals. The move comes after the Delhi excise department received a number of complaints from local residents regarding "nuisance" created by several restro-bars in the city. In the national capital, there are thousands of restro-bars and most of them usually play recorded songs or music in their premises to entertain their customers and attract people. "L-17 (restaurants which serve food and alcohol) are only permitted for live singing and playing of instruments by professionals in their premises," Delhi Excise Commissioner Amjad Tak told PTI. According to the directions by the department, Rule 53 (4) of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010 states that the L-17 licensee is allowed only for live singing/playing of instruments by professionals. In Delhi, there is no provision of separate licence for pubs. The Licence-17 is issued by the Excise Department to those restaurants wanting to serve alcohol to their customers. Another senior government official said that teams of the Excise Department visit restaurants serving alcohol and take action against those violating rules. "During inspection, we ensure that all laid down rules are followed and if there is violation of any rule, the department takes strict action," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. According to the department, it received Rs 305.85-crore excise revenue in April this year while in the same month last year, the revenue was Rs 291.01 crore. The department has set a target of Rs 5,200 crore from excise revenue in the current financial year. In the last financial year, it collected Rs 4,551.57 crore as excise revenue.

Don't play recorded music or face action: Delhi government to restro-bars

india-news

India, News on India, stories on India, articles on India, India stories at Wion, India news, India latest news

india news