Natioanal

Junagadh, Feb 2:Authorities in Junagadh and Rajkot were put on high alert on Monday after the district court in Junagadh and the Rajkot collector’s office received bomb threats. Following thorough searches by police, the threats were determined to be hoaxes, officials said. The Registrar of the Junagadh district court received an email claiming that three bombs had been planted inside the building and would detonate at 2:10 PM, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Junagadh city) Hitesh Dandhaliya. “Upon being alerted by the court Registrar, police personnel, a dog squad, and a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad immediately reached the premises and conducted a thorough search. No suspicious object was found,” Dandhaliya added. Both the Junagadh court and Rajkot collectorate have re...

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp exchanges and disruption on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi cited excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the Budget Session. Members of the treasury benches objected strongly, arguing that Gandhi was quoting from a book that has not yet been published and whose authenticity could not be verified. The disagreement triggered heated scenes in the House, with both sides accusing each other of violating parliamentary norms. Amid the controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared a video statement of General Naravane in which the former Army Chief says that “not an inch of land has been lost” and tha...

India is set to witness another spell of unstable weather over the next 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing alerts for rain and thunderstorms in nine states. At the same time, a cold wave warning has been issued for 23 districts across North India. Farmers and outdoor workers have been advised to remain cautious. According to the IMD, strong winds of 55–60 km/h are expected to accompany the rainfall, likely leading to a drop in temperatures. Children, the elderly, and residents of hilly regions have been urged to take extra precautions. Weather experts say relief from cold conditions is unlikely before February 14. Rain Alert in 9 States Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, M...

New Delhi, Feb 2:The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an alleged cybercriminal following a massive nationwide search operation conducted across 35 locations in 10 states, officials said on Monday. The action is part of an extensive multinational crackdown on cyber-enabled financial crimes. The operation, code-named Operation CyStrike, was launched on January 30 in close coordination with law-enforcement agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Ireland, and Singapore, marking a significant step in global cooperation against cybercrime. According to officials, CBI teams carried out coordinated searches at multiple locations in Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and West Bengal. The raids led ...

A heated debate erupted in the Lok Sabha on Monday over alleged claims attributed to former Indian Army Chief General M. M. Naravane in an unpublished book. The controversy began with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who cited excerpts from a purported magazine report, claiming that Naravane’s unpublished memoir referred to Chinese military movements during the Doklam standoff. The ruling party strongly opposed these allegations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju challenged Gandhi’s claims, leading to repeated interruptions in the House proceedings. Later, an old video of General Naravane surfaced, casting doubt on the assertions made by Rahul Gandhi. The Controversial BookThe dispute revolves around a purported u...

The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the process of recording caste-related data in the 2027 national census. However, the Court asked the Central government and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to consider the suggestions submitted by the petitioner. The PIL was filed by scholar Akash Goyal, represented by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, raising concerns about the transparency and methodology used to record, classify, and verify citizens’ caste information. Gupta argued that the questionnaire used for collecting caste data should be made publicly available to ensure transparency. The Bench noted that the census process is governed by the Census Act, 1958, and the rules framed in 199...

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a major operation, named ‘Operation CyStrike’, on January 30, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from the FBI (USA), the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Ireland, and Singapore. The operation aimed to dismantle cybercrime networks operating in India and abroad that defrauded people online. CBI carried out simultaneous raids across ten Indian states, including Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and West Bengal. These raids targeted networks involved in online scams, where perpetrators used various aliases to deceive victims and extort money. During the operation, a significant cybercrime network in Delhi, primarily targeting American citizens, was exposed. Investigators s...

New Delhi: Amid rising geopolitical tensions across multiple regions, India continues to modernize its military capabilities. In a major technological breakthrough, Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL) has developed what is being described as the world’s first 155mm/52-caliber artillery gun mounted on a compact 4×4 truck platform — a development that could significantly enhance battlefield mobility and firepower. The system combines the long-range striking capability of a heavy howitzer with the agility of a lightweight vehicle, a pairing previously considered structurally impractical in artillery engineering. Engineering Breakthrough The biggest challenge in mounting a high-caliber artillery system on a light 4×4 chassis lies in managing the enormous recoil forces generated d...

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has expressed deep concern over the living conditions of Dalits who fled Pakistan due to religious persecution and settled in India. The court emphasized that granting Indian citizenship alone is not sufficient; the government must also ensure that these individuals have access to dignified housing. In a significant order, the apex court temporarily stayed eviction drives targeting Dalit residents in Delhi and directed the government to submit its response within four weeks. The court’s remarks came amid fears that residents near Majnu Ka Tilla, close to Signature Bridge, might face displacement. Ensuring Housing and RehabilitationA bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Koteshwar Singh underlined that alongside citizenship, the state has a respon...

The government’s budget once again reflects a worrying trend: real spending on social sectors has steadily declined, and instead of compensating for this, allocations have been reduced. Cuts in spending on education, healthcare, water supply, and housing effectively push people’s living standards downward, with long-term consequences. Data Reveals the Reality Behind the ClaimsThe government has allocated ₹1.4 lakh crore for healthcare—just 0.5% of GDP. Yet, the government itself has repeatedly acknowledged that spending should reach at least 2.5% of GDP, as recommended in the National Health Policy. India’s healthcare expenditure remains lower than neighboring countries and far below developed nations. Education fares no better, with only 0.6% of GDP allocated, despite the National Educ...