State

VARANASI: Devotees visiting the holy city of Kashi for Maha Shivratri this year will have the opportunity for uninterrupted darshan of Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, as the temple administration has announced that the gates will remain open continuously for 26 hours. In a major decision aimed at accommodating the anticipated large crowd, the temple authorities have also suspended VIP and special ticketed darshan for the occasion. Maha Shivratri, the most significant festival for Shiva devotees in Kashi, falls on 15 February 2026 this year. The temple administration expects more than one million devotees to visit, prompting them to ensure a smooth darshan experience for all. The doors of Kashi Vishwanath will open to the general public from 4 AM on 15 February, after Mangala Aart...

KANPUR: Amir Jaidi, a leader of the Samajwadi Party in Kanpur, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a rape and religious conversion case, following a dramatic police pursuit that spanned six kilometers. After his capture, the police conducted a procession with the accused, drawing widespread attention. The case stems from Ghatampur police station area, where a young woman had accused Jaidi of coercing her into sexual relations and attempting to force her to convert to Islam. Authorities had been searching for him for some time, and his eventual arrest required persistent effort by the police. According to officials, upon learning that police were closing in, Jaidi tried to flee on a scooter. Inspector Dinesh Singh Bisht personally chased him for nearly six kilometers before f...

SULTANPUR: The Uttar Pradesh government has transferred several IPS officers on Wednesday, with Charu Nigam being appointed the new Superintendent of Police (SP) for Sultanpur district. Prior to this, she served as the Commanding Officer of the 47th Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in Ghaziabad. A 2014-batch IPS officer, Nigam has previously made headlines for her relentless action against land mafias, liquor rackets, and drug traffickers. Originally from Agra, famously known as the city of the Taj, Charu Nigam completed her education in Delhi and holds a B.Tech degree. Determined to join the civil services while pursuing her studies, she first cleared the UPSC exam in 2010. After a few initial setbacks, she succeeded in the 2013 attempt and received her first postin...

Lucknow, UP: The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has finalized fares for its electric buses, alongside announcing key decisions regarding their stops in the state capital, Lucknow. Two double-decker electric buses are currently operating between Lucknow and Ayodhya, while several other routes across the state have also been introduced. Fare structure for electric busesAccording to the official announcement, fares have been set as follows: Non-AC electric buses: ₹1.30 per kilometer AC electric “three-by-two” and Janrath buses: ₹1.64 per kilometer AC sleeper and electric sleeper buses: ₹2.59 per kilometer High-end Volvo, Scania, and premium AC electric buses: ₹2.86 per kilometer Anil Kumar, Chief Operations Manager at UPSRTC, stated that the fare f...

Lucknow, UP: The Indian Railways is preparing to implement significant changes in passenger boarding procedures. Under the new system, Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) will no longer wait for passengers at the next station if they are not found in their booked seats. Instead, such seats will be immediately marked vacant and made available to waitlisted or RAC passengers. Officials from the Lucknow Division explained that currently, if a passenger does not occupy their reserved seat after the train departs, TTEs often wait until the next station before updating the seat status. This is because some passengers board at nearby stations after booking their tickets for an earlier station. The upcoming changes will eliminate this delay. Software to be updated for instant seat allocationThe Ra...