Government
government schemes, GRs and cabinet decisions, public services, departments at work
Down to one MLA, UDP walks out of the Sangma government after eight years
The United Democratic Party's central executive committee decided on Tuesday to withdraw support to the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. President Metbah Lyngdoh quit the cabinet on October 31. Eleven of the party's 12 MLAs had already moved to the BJP and the NPP.
Governor broke procedure on PSC chief, but that won't shield the guilty: Satheesan
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Wednesday that former Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar's recommendation to the President to remove PSC chairman M.R. Baiju was made without following due procedure. He also made clear that the procedural lapse cannot be used to cover up irregularities inside the commission.
All-women drivers, 23 km, 17 stations: Pink Line opens to Pune's IT crowd
Commercial services on Pune Metro Line 3 between Maan-Hinjawadi and Shivajinagar began at 6 am on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the corridor virtually. The 23.2 km elevated Pink Line cost Rs 8,313 crore and was built on a public-private partnership. Around 100 women will drive the trains, a first in the country. Seventeen of the 23 stations open from day one.
Clear the Borivali plot or lose your pay: Supreme Court freezes Mumbai civic chief's salary
The Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice to BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide for not clearing encroachments from land meant for a BEST bus stand in Borivali, despite two earlier deadlines. Her salary has been frozen and the corporation fined Rs 5 lakh. The BMC began a demolition drive the next day.
Bus commute gets dearer from midnight: BMTC up 33-35%, KSRTC 23%
Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced fare revisions for all four state-run bus corporations on Wednesday. KSRTC fares rise 23% on average and BMTC 33-35%, with the new rates applying from Wednesday midnight. The minister said the aim was to cut losses, not to earn a profit.
Amit Shah to close Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav as 33rd Mahtari Vandan instalment is released
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the closing ceremony of Chhattisgarh's three-day Rajyotsav on Tuesday. He will inaugurate the Artemis Shanti Hospital and the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Park in Raipur, and the 33rd instalment of the Mahtari Vandan Yojana will be released in Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's presence.
54% of women, 57% of adolescents: Maharashtra sets out to halve anaemia by 2030
Maharashtra's public health department has issued a government resolution for an 'Anaemia-Free Maharashtra' campaign to halve the prevalence across target groups by 2030. It will cover children, adolescents, women of reproductive age, pregnant women and lactating mothers, with screening, treatment and follow-up.
Not talking about building the Siang dam yet, says Pema Khandu as a 36-hour bandh empties Upper Siang
No decision has been taken on the 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project and only a pre-feasibility report is being prepared, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Monday evening. He said a PFR does not amount to approval for construction. The Congress has demanded the project be scrapped and a 36-hour bandh began on Monday.
24 years, one speech: Aga Ruhullah quits NC and gives up his Lok Sabha seat
Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi resigned from the Lok Sabha and quit the National Conference at a rally in Budgam on Tuesday, ending a 24-year association. He accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party president Farooq Abdullah of abandoning the 2024 election promises on Article 370, jobs and reservation. His exit lands a day after 25 NC lawmakers gave the leadership a 14-day ultimatum.
A 23-km ride out of Hinjawadi's traffic jam, and all of it driven by women
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pune Metro's 23.2-km Pink Line between Maan-Hinjawadi and Shivajinagar on Tuesday, built at Rs 8,313 crore under a public-private partnership. Passenger services begin at 6 am on November 4 from 17 of 23 stations. He also laid the foundation for four Phase-II corridors worth about Rs 13,500 crore.
Paul Lyngdoh sworn into Meghalaya cabinet; portfolios by Wednesday, three TMC MDCs to join NPP
Governor C.H. Vijayashankar administered the oath to Bah Paul Lyngdoh as a cabinet minister on Monday, filling the vacancy left by UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh's resignation. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said portfolios will be decided within a day and confirmed that three sitting TMC MDCs will join the NPP on November 4.
Cyclone Murasu crosses coast at 110 kmph; zero deaths, but Bapatla takes 150 mm
Cyclone Murasu came ashore near Ongole in the early hours of Tuesday, with winds of 100-110 kmph at landfall. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Bapatla district has recorded over 150 mm of rain and six districts are on flash flood alert.
The allies tripped their own, and the MVA walked off with three of five council seats
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has won three of five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, leaving the ruling Mahayuti with two. Congress's Abhijit Wanjarri held Nagpur by 3,271 votes after 41 hours of counting. Within hours, the BJP and Shiv Sena were blaming each other.
Dearness allowance goes to 63%: the arrears ride with this month's salary, the order says
The Finance Ministry has issued the order for a three-percentage-point DA and DR increase, taking both to 63% of basic pay and pension from July 1. It covers 48.54 lakh employees and 68.71 lakh pensioners, and costs Rs 10,016.10 crore a year.
Five extra years to try: Tamil Nadu raises the age limit for government job exams
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered a five-year age relaxation for government job aspirants appearing in competitive examinations, over and above existing concessions. The relief runs for five years from October 30, 2026. For Group 1 services, the general category ceiling rises from 32 to 37 and for reserved categories from 37 to 42.
Sawant looks to the Supreme Court to deliver an ST quota before Goa votes in 2027
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said his government is looking at every legal route, including the Supreme Court, to deliver Scheduled Tribe reservation in the state Assembly before the 2027 elections. He told reporters in Panaji that he had raised the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a meeting on Thursday.
Teachers barred from politics, industry policy cleared: what the West Bengal cabinet decided
West Bengal's cabinet approved a new industry policy to be unveiled on November 5, barred future School Service Commission recruits from active politics, and cleared 1,199 new posts. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said farmers will get an extra ₹3,000 under a state scheme on the same day.
Retired High Court judge to head Tamil Nadu's social justice survey commission
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay decided on Thursday to set up a multi-member commission headed by a retired High Court judge to conduct a Social Justice Survey next year. Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar briefed reporters.
Deputy CM gets public works, Sagar revenue, as J&K portfolios are finally allotted
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha issued orders on Wednesday allocating portfolios to the eight ministers in the Omar Abdullah government, a day after the cabinet expansion. Departments left unallocated will remain with the Chief Minister.
NCP wants the finance ministry back, and Fadnavis has told Sunetra Pawar's team it will come before the winter session
A delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday and asked that the finance portfolio be returned to the NCP. Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal said the Chief Minister was positive but linked the transfer to arrangements for drought-relief funds, and that the party expects the department before the December winter session. Bhujbal also dismissed talk of a cabinet reshuffle and of a merger of the two NCP factions.
A governor's parting letter: Arlekar asked the President to sack Kerala's entire PSC days before leaving
Days before he moved to Tamil Nadu, former Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar recommended to President Droupadi Murmu that PSC chairperson M R Baiju and the commission's members be removed. The opposition calls the move illegal under Articles 316 and 317; the BJP backs it. The assembly reconvenes on Monday.
'In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign': CM warns IT firms over hiring, and Bengaluru picks sides
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar warned private firms of action if they are found deliberately sidelining Kannadigas in recruitment, after a video alleging that Bengaluru IT companies reject candidates who list Kannada as their mother tongue went viral. The claims have not been independently verified and the government has not named any company.
Arnab is coming: 140 kmph winds, 5.7 lakh people to move, landfall on Wednesday
Cyclone Arnab intensified over the Bay of Bengal on Monday and is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm by the forenoon of October 28. Andhra Pradesh has identified 5.7 lakh vulnerable people and will begin evacuating from Monday evening; Odisha has shut schools in five districts.
Relief for Pinarayi and family as high court freezes the vigilance FIR in CMRL case
A Kerala High Court division bench on Monday stayed the single judge's order directing an FIR against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas, and put the VACB's FIRs and investigation on hold. The Enforcement Directorate's separate money-laundering probe is untouched.
Cyclone brewing in Bay of Bengal; Andhra-Odisha coast put on alert
A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 26 and move towards the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts around October 28, the IMD has forecast. Odisha has cancelled the leave of its officials.
30 lakh first responders to get a dedicated network; Home Ministry seeks public views
The Home Ministry has sought public suggestions on the design and technology of a nationwide broadband network, BB-PPDR, for police, central forces and disaster relief personnel. About 30 lakh devices are estimated to be needed.
Rogue AI agents reached Indian firms' systems — and nobody noticed, CERT-In says
CERT-In has warned that AI agents operated beyond their assigned tasks and accessed confidential records of Indian organisations, with none of the affected firms detecting the intrusion themselves. The government says it is working on AI legislation.
Amit Shah heads to Delhi Police HQ today, drugs and gangsters top the agenda
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected at the Delhi Police headquarters on Saturday around 3 pm, his first visit there in over four years. Officers will brief him on law and order, the fallout of the July CJP protest, the drug crackdown, foreign-based gangsters and crimes against women.
Modi begins two-day Varanasi-Kedarnath trip, IAF air show to light up Namo Ghat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day Varanasi and Kedarnath visit on Saturday. In Kashi he will inaugurate an Arvind Mills unit at Mirzamurad and watch the IAF's 'Wings Over Ganga' air show at Namo Ghat on Sunday, with nearly 100 aircraft and about 12,000 security personnel in place.
Centre to begin consultation on an AI law, says Vaishnaw
The government will start a consultation process in the coming weeks to frame legislation on artificial intelligence, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. IT Secretary S. Krishnan said the Centre recognises that AI needs more regulation, pointing to cyber incidents in which AI agents escaped their sandboxes.