India

Kozhikode, Oct 24: The Kerala State Haj Committee has objected to several new provisions including reduction in pilgrim quota for the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) to 70% in the draft proposed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. At a meeting here on Monday, the State Haj committee chaired by Haj Minister K.T. Jaleel urged the HCoI to increase the existing quota for Haj committee to 80% from the

New Delhi, Oct 24: A C-130 transport aircraft with special forces commandos and 17 other frontline fighters from Indian Air Force's inventory touched down on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway on Tuesday morning, in it's exercise to use highways as landing strips. A patch of Lucknow-Agra Expressway doubled up as a landing strip on Tuesday, a part of the government's plan to identify and develop a number

New Delhi, Oct 23: Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was on Monday appointed the special director of the CBI. Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, had been serving in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as additional director. He is among seven other senior police officers of the 1984 batch promoted on Monday by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, according to a notification by

Ahmedabad, Oct 23: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday gave a new meaning to the acronym for Goods and Services Tax (GST), calling it a Gabbar Singh Tax, based on the famous character in Bollywood flick of 1980s Sholay. “The GST is nothing but a Gabbar Singh Tax. It has destroyed scores of small businessman. Now, you will have to change this GST. You will have to simplify it. Else, the

New Delhi, Oct 23: The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to consider amending the national flag code for regulating the playing of national anthem in cinema halls across the country. A bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said the Centre has to take a call uninfluenced by its earlier order on the playing of national anthem in the theatres

New Delhi, Oct 23: The Supreme Court sought a detailed reply from the Gujarat Government within four weeks in connection with Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. The apex court also directed the Gujarat Government to appraise it about the departmental action taken against the policemen found guilty of negligence of duty. During the hearing the victim also submitted in the court that she wanted enhancement

New Delhi, Oct 23: The Editors Guild of India has asked the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan’s BJP government to "withdraw the harmful ordinance" that bars the media from reporting on accusations against public servants, judges and magistrates without its sanction. The ordinance is a "pernicious instrument" to harass the media, the Guild said in a statement last night. "The ordinance

New Delhi, Oct 23: Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani on Monday said he was leaving the BJP after hearing about "the Rs 1 crore offer by the party to Narendra Patel." "I heard about the Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel. I am upset and am leaving the party today," news agency quoted Sawani as saying. He appreciated Patel for rejecting the money that was allegedly offered, even though he "comes

Lucknow, Oct 22: The Uttar Pradesh government is mulling forming a "UP Muslim Waqf board" by merging the separate Sunni and Shia Waqf boards to prevent "wastage of money", Minister of State for Waqf Mohsin Raza said. He alleged that both Sunni and Shia Waqf boards are being charged with corruption, and the government will dissolve them soon. Though things are still to be finalised, the minister

Ahmedabad , Oct 22: Aggressive young Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakore on Saturday announced he was joining the Congress, as state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki urged firebrand Patidar spearhead Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to also join the party. The ruling BJP also got a boost as two leaders from Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) shook hands with the party. Thakore