Ahead of the Haryana Assembly Budget session, Congress leaders held a meeting to strategize on key issues to be raised during the proceedings and said that decision regarding the Leader of Opposition has been left to the party high command. The Haryana assembly session will run from March 7 to March 28 and the state's annual budget will be presented on March 17. Following the meeting, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Thursday, "Questions (during the session) were discussed... We have left it (decision regarding the LoP) up to the high command..." Notably, Congress has yet to announce its choice for the post of Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly. Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal stated that the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting concluded with discussions on various legislative matters. "... The CLP meeting has concluded... There were discussions regarding the Governor's address and Question Hour... The new Vidhan Sabha building was also discussed.." she said. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Haryana Assembly has finalized the schedule for the upcoming budget session. In a press conference after the meeting, Saini said, "The session of the Assembly will begin tomorrow with the Governor's address. Right now, it will run till March 28, and if there is a need to extend it, it can be extended further in the BAC (Business Advisory Council) meeting; it has been discussed now... This is the first budget session of the government... This was also discussed in the BAC meeting today... The budget will be presented on March 17." The Haryana CM also informed that the government will introduce some important bills during the budget session. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 March,2025 08:40 AM IST | Chandigarh | ANIHimachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government is contemplating introducing a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) course immediately after the 12th standard. He was speaking at an annual prize distribution ceremony of St Bede's College, Shimla on Thursday. He emphasised the importance of preparing students for future challenges and said that the state government has introduced several new-age courses, such as AI and Data Storage, to equip youth with future-ready skills. The CM also announced Rs 5 lakh for outstanding college students and reiterated the government's commitment to women's empowerment. He highlighted that Himachal Pradesh is the first state in India to increase the marriage age of girls to 21 years, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office. Expressing concern over the menace of drug abuse, he said that the government has launched an anti-drug campaign in the state and will take even stronger measures in the future to curb this evil. He assured that the government was making every possible effort to protect the youth from falling into drug addiction and is promoting sports activities among the youth in the State. The government has increased prize money for international competitions and raised the diet money for players, he added. Sukhu said, "Previously, Under-17 and Under-19 players received a diet money of Rs 150 for State-level competitions and Rs 250 for National-level competitions. The present government has increased these amounts to Rs 400 and Rs 500, respectively. Similarly, for under-14 players, the diet money for state-level competitions has been raised from Rs 120 to Rs 250, and for national-level events, from Rs 250 to Rs 400. Additionally, players travelling for competitions outside the state will be provided AC three-tier rail fare facility for distances up to 200 km and economy-class airfare for distances beyond 200 km." Focusing on education and health reforms, the Chief Minister said that the government has introduced significant changes in these sectors in the state. For the first time, government school students were sent on exposure visits to Singapore and Cambodia, and teachers were sent abroad to learn modern teaching methodologies. He said that to enhance educational infrastructure, the government is establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools in every assembly constituency of the state in a phased manner, which will focus on both the academics and personality development of the students, along with providing nutritious meals. Structural reforms are also underway to improve the functioning of education directorates, he said. The Chief Minister pointed out that due to the wrong policies of the previous government, Himachal Pradesh had slipped to the 21st position in the country in terms of education quality. However, the current government's efforts have led to significant improvements, he remarked. On healthcare sector, the Chief Minister said that the state government has allocated Rs 1,800 crore to modernize medical colleges and hospitals of the state with advanced technology and state-of-the-art machinery. He said that outdated equipment often hinders timely diagnosis and treatment, but the present government is committed to upgrading the healthcare system. Recalling his student days, he shared, "I visited St. Bede's College 40 years ago to participate in a debate competition. It is a prestigious institution that has maintained its reputation over the years. My political journey began at the age of 17 years when I was elected as a Class Representative at Government College, Sanjauli. This early experience paved the way for my election as a Municipal Councilor and later as an MLA." Addressing climate change, he described it as one of the biggest challenges of the present era. He said that Himachal Pradesh faced severe natural calamities in 2023, affecting 23,000 families. Emphasizing the need to preserve the state's rich cultural and natural heritage, he reiterated the government's vision to make Himachal a Green Energy State. The Chief Minister also felicitated meritorious students at the event. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 March,2025 08:39 AM IST | Shimla | ANITamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said demanding linguistic equality is not chauvinism and alleged that the “true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the Hindi zealots” who believe their entitlement is natural but resistance is treason. Stalin said, “When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. I am reminded of this famous quote when some entitled bigots brand us chauvinists and anti-nationals for the ‘crime’ of demanding Tamil’s rightful place.” “The very people who glorify Godse’s ideology have the audacity to question the patriotism of DMK and its government that contributed the highest amount of funds during the Chinese aggression, Bangladesh liberation war, and Kargil war, while their ideological forefather is the one who assassinated ‘Bapu’ Gandhi.” Chauvinism is naming the three criminal laws that govern 140 crore citizens in a language that Tamils cannot even pronounce or comprehend by reading, he further said. Chauvinism is treating the state that contributes the most to the nation as second-class citizens and denying its fair share for refusing to swallow the poison called #NEP, Stalin added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 March,2025 08:11 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesTahawwur Rana, the accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, has moved an ‘emergency application’ with the US Supreme Court against his extradition to India, claiming that he will be tortured there. Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. President Donald Trump last month announced that his administration approved the extradition of “very evil” Rana, wanted by Indian probe agencies for his role in the 26/11 attacks, “to face justice in India”. Rana is now seeking a stay of his extradition and surrender to India pending litigation (including exhaustion of all appeals) on the merits of a petition he filed on February 13. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 March,2025 08:11 AM IST | New York | AgenciesA court on Thursday reserved for March 18 its order on a plea by Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar to examine an additional witness in a defamation case filed by her in 2000 against Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. Patkar filed the case against Saxena when he headed an NGO in Gujarat for allegedly publishing a defamatory advertisement. "Put up for orders on March 18," judicial magistrate Raghav Sharma said.Patkat moved an application on February 17 seeking the court's permission to examine an additional witness, Nandita Narain, saying she was "relevant to the facts in the present matter". Saxena's counsel Gajinder Kumar opposed the plea, saying it had been filed belatedly after 24 years for delaying the judicial proceedings and defeating the ends of justice. Kumar said the case filed by Patkar on December 15, 2000, had been pending at the stage of complainant's evidence since 2011. "The complainant (Patkar) has already examined her witnesses and they all stood cross-examined by now. The complainant, after observing the unsustainability and lacunae in the witnesses already examined and cross-examined till now, has decided to further introduce a new witness," Kumar argued. Patkar and Saxena have been locked in a legal tussle since 2000 after she filed the present suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). Saxena, who then headed an Ahmedabad-based NGO named 'Council for Civil Liberties', also filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for allegedly making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and for issuing a defamatory press statement. In one of the cases filed by Saxena, a Delhi court on July 1 last year sentenced Patkar to five months' simple imprisonment. It had earlier observed that her statements calling Saxena a "coward" and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se, but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him. The sentence was later suspended after Patkar filed an appeal. At present, the arguments against Patkar's appeal have been completed by Saxena's counsel. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 March,2025 12:05 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIAs per the Ministry of External Affairs, two Indian nationals, Muhammed Rinash Arangilottu and Muraleedharan Perumthatta Valappil, were convicted on murder charges and handed out death sentences in the UAE. The highest court of UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld the sentences, the XP Division stated. The Embassy provided all possible consular and legal assistance, including sending mercy petitions and pardon requests to the Government of UAE for the Indian nationals, the statement said. The UAE authorities informed the Embassy on February 28 that these two sentences have been carried out. The families of the concerned have been informed. The Embassy is in touch with them and facilitating their participation in the last rites, as per XP Division said. Meanwhile, Indian national Shahzadi Khan who was executed in the United Arab Emirates after being convicted for killing her employer's child was buried in Abu Dhabi and representatives of the deceased paid their respects to her mortal remains, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the burial of the 33-year-old Indian national hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Banda district was conducted today in Abu Dhabi as per regulations of the UAE authorities, as per the MEA. "Prior to her burial, the authorized representatives of Ms. Shahjadi's family paid respect to the mortal remains. They also attended the funeral prayers at the mosque as well as the burial at the Baniyas cemetery. Embassy officials assisted the authorized representatives in this regard as well as attended the last rites," a statement from the MEA said. Shahzadi was convicted on charges of murder of her employer's child and sentenced to death in the UAE. The highest court of the UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld the sentence. On February 28, UAE authorities intimated the Indian Embassy that the sentence of Shahzadi had been carried out by local laws. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 March,2025 11:00 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Naxalism was being wiped out from the jungles, but expressed concern that it was fast spreading roots in urban areas with some political parties also echoing their ideology. Addressing the Republic Plenary Summit organised by a news channel, Modi also targeted the Congress saying it had crushed the aspirations of people, who also stopped expecting much from the party. He said things have now changed and the people's aspirations were rising in the past decade since his government came to power. "Today's India thinks big, sets big targets and delivers big results. It is because the mentality of the country has changed. The country is moving ahead with big aspirations," Modi said. The prime minister said the government has worked hard on the security front and terror attacks and sleeper cells of terrorists have disappeared from television headlines as well as the country. "Naxalism in the country is also on its last legs. In the past, over 100 districts were severely affected by this menace. However, this number has drastically reduced to just around two dozen districts today," Modi said. He said this was made possible after the government focused on delivering governance at the grassroots level. "While Naxalism is steadily being eradicated from jungles due to decisive actions, it is beginning to spread its roots into urban centres, presenting a new challenge," Modi said. "Urban Naxals have cast their net so fast that a political party that opposed urban Naxals, was inspired by the thoughts of Gandhiji and had its pulse on the people, was now echoing their views," he said. "Urban Naxals have entrenched themselves in such political parties. Today, we can hear the voice of urban Naxals in these political parties. We can imagine how deep their roots go," Modi said in an apparent reference to the Congress party. "We have to remember that urban Naxals are strongly opposed to our development and heritage," he said. The prime minister said both development and preservation of heritage were necessary for a developed India. "We have to guard against urban Naxals.". Modi said the Congress had trampled the aspirations of the people who had stopped expecting from it. But in the last 10 years, the aspirations of the people have increased, he said. He also said that the country has come out of the stereotype that it will sink, and take the world down with it and today India's achievements and successes have sparked a new wave of hope across the globe. The prime minister said that in the last decade India has become the fifth largest economy of the world and will soon become the third largest. He noted that after 65 years of Independence, India was the 11th largest economy in the world. Asserting that India is driving global growth today, he said the country's achievements and successes have given new hope across the world. "From toys to weapons, India has become self-reliant in the past 10 years and has turned into an exporter from an importer." The prime minister pointed out that in 2007, some 18 years ago, India's annual GDP stood at Rs 1 lakh crore, representing the total economic activity for an entire year. But now, the same level of activity is achieved within just a single quarter. This remarkable transformation highlights the rapid pace of economic growth in present-day India, he asserted. Referring to parliamentary debates, he said opposition members ask why PM Modi is not doing certain things, which indicates that they too think that Modi can do. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 March,2025 10:42 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIAs part of its ongoing drive against the drug menace, Punjab Police on Thursday said it conducted raids at 501 locations, leading to the arrest of 75 drug smugglers. They said 53 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached 622 in just six days. The raids resulted in recovery of 8.2 kg heroin, 4.5 kg opium, 1,294 intoxicant tablets or injections and Rs 1.04 lakh cash from the possession of arrested drug smugglers. The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav in all districts of the state. Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had set a deadline of three months to make the state drug-free. As part of the state government's renewed push against the drug problem, action was being taken against drug peddlers and in some places, their properties were also demolished. The state government also formed a cabinet sub-committee to monitor action against the drug menace. Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla said over 250 police teams, comprising over 1,700 police personnel conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 635 suspicious persons during the day long operation. The Special DGP said the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy -- enforcement, de-addiction and prevention (EDP) -- to eradicate drugs from the state. Meanwhile, the Amritsar Corporation with the support of the Punjab Police, demolished two-storied houses and shops constructed by drug traffickers. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the demolished properties belonged to two notorious drug traffickers, Gurmeet Singh and Sandeep Singh alias Sonu. Three cases have been registered against Gurmeet Singh, with 325 grams of smack and 350 grams of heroin recovered. Sandeep has four cases registered against him, including three at Sarai Amanat Khan and cases of Anti-Narcotics Force Mohali. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said no one involved in this scourge or attempting to shield offenders will be spared, regardless of their position or influence. Cheema, who is leading the cabinet sub-committee on the drug menace, said the state government has a zero-tolerance policy against individuals involved in drug trafficking. Cheema visited districts Rupnagar, SBS Nagar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 March,2025 10:36 PM IST | Punjab | PTIThe Congress alleged on Thursday that the new income-tax law helps tax officials have access to the e-mail, social media and bank accounts of all assessees, which will lead to India becoming a surveillance state. Congress spokesperson and the head of the party's social media department, Supriya Shrinate, said this is a warning for everyone as e-mail, social media, bank and trading accounts are under an attack now. "They spied on us with Pegasus. Now, they'll take away our personal lives altogether. Under (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's new income tax law, the government is quietly giving tax officials the power to break into your digital life. No warrant, no notice -- mere suspicion is enough to strip you of your privacy. This is surveillance. And we must all oppose it unequivocally," the Congress said from its official X handle. Shrinate, in a post on X, said, "Warning: Your email, social media, bank and trading accounts are under attack." "The new income tax law allows tax officials unrestricted access to your emails: read your private conversations; your social media: monitor your posts, messages and interactions; your bank accounts: track every rupee you earn and spend; and your trading accounts: watch your investments and financial moves. "They need NO proof to do so, just suspicion. A government with unchecked power. The Modi government with that has been misusing agencies to silence critics and crush Opposition will now do this: harass and intimidate citizens, settle political scores by targeting opponents, weaponise tax department to destroy reputations and lives. This is nothing but surveillance. Will you just stay silent or look the other way?" she asked. The Congress leader said this is a warning for everyone as the government will very soon have access to citizens' e-mails, social media accounts, bank accounts, financial transactions and trading accounts, because the new income-tax law proposes that tax officials should have access to the same. She said the tax officials can read private conversations, have access to bank accounts and get to know about the amount earned by someone and how the money is spent. They can also have access to people's trading accounts to know about their investments. "This is nothing but the government trying to enter our lives surreptitiously. This is nothing but the government trying to take control through backdoor entry. This is nothing but the government trying to make India a surveillance state and I am not fine with it. Because we have already seen how driven by vendetta politics this particular government is. They weaponise the ED, CBI and income-tax (department) not just against their political opponents, (but also) to crush activists, students and anybody who has a difference of opinion with it," Shrinate said in a video message along with her post on the microblogging platform. She said she is not fine with tax officials having access to e-mails, social media and bank accounts, because this is going to lead to unnecessary harassment and intimidation. "This is going to lead to weaponisation of the agencies and this will also lead to assassination of reputation and lives and I am certainly not fine with this. This will lead to a surveillance state and if you are someone who values their privacy, it is time for you to speak up. Because the tax officials are going to do this not on the basis of proof but on the basis of simple suspicion," the Congress leader claimed. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
06 March,2025 10:31 PM IST | New Delhi | PTINoting that India now thinks big, sets high targets and delivers big results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India has emerged as a driving force propelling global growth. Speaking at the Republic Plenary Summit 2025, PM Modi highlighted the country's progress in sectors such as solar energy. He said the world today is declaring that this is India's century. "India's remarkable achievements have sparked new aspirations and expectations globally...India has now emerged as a driving force propelling global growth forward," he said. PM Modi said that over the last decade, more than Rs 42 lakh crore has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of the poor through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. "Every rupee sent from Delhi is credited directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts without any intermediaries. Ten years ago, India had an insignificant solar energy capacity. Today the nation stands proudly among the top five countries in the world in terms of solar energy capacity," he said. He said 18 years ago, in 2007, India's annual GDP stood at Rs one lakh crore, representing the total economic activity for an entire year. "However, today, the same level of activity is achieved within just a single quarter. This remarkable transformation highlights the rapid pace of economic growth in present-day India. After 65 years of independence, India was the 11th largest economy in the world. In just a decade, we have become the fifth largest economy. And with the same speed, we are going to become the third largest economy. The Prime Minister also referred to his remarks to bring one lakh youth into politics who are "first timers". "I have been saying for the past few days that I have to bring 1 lakh youth into politics...Those who will go to vote in 2029, do not know what the headlines of newspapers used to be before 2014. They do not know that scams of 10-12 lakh crore used to happen. And when they will go to vote, they will not have anything for comparison," he said. The Prime Minister said his government has opened up the space sector to young innovators. "When we made this decision, it didn't get much attention. But today, there are over 250 space startups in the country. These startups are now creating rockets. A similar change has also happened in the mapping sector," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
06 March,2025 10:26 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIMore than 30,000 taxpayers have declared foreign assets worth Rs 29,208 crore following Income-tax department's special 'Trust First' campaign that urged them to report income earned overseas accurately, official sources said Thursday. The department and its administrative body -- Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) -- began sending SMSes and emails on November 17, 2024 as part of this campaign. A total of 19,501 taxpayers with "high" foreign account balances or "significant" foreign income from interest or dividends above a specified threshold were contacted. These communications, according to the sources, requested taxpayers to revise their Income Tax Returns (ITRs) to reflect their foreign assets and income correctly. Official sources told PTI that 24,678 taxpayers reviewed their ITRs and 5,483 taxpayers filed "belated" returns for the assessment year 2024-25 in which they declared foreign assets worth Rs 29,208 crore and "additional" foreign income of Rs 1,089.88 crore. A total of 6,734 taxpayers also "revised" their residential status from resident to non-resident, they said. The I-T department had adopted the "Trust First" approach which prioritises voluntary compliance by taxpayers over enforcement or action or sending verification notices, they said. This 'foreign assets' campaign was part of this philosophy which the Union government and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman have also been underlining during their speeches including during Budget presentation, they said. "Instead of immediate verification or intrusive actions, the tax department has trusted taxpayers first, giving them ample opportunity to make true and complete disclosures of their foreign income and assets," an official said. About 62 per cent of the taxpayers who were "nudged" as part of this campaign have responded positively, "voluntarily" "revising" their ITRs to declare foreign assets and income, the official said. According to official data, the number of taxpayers disclosing foreign assets and income on "voluntary" basis has grown from 60,000 in assessment year 2021-22 to 2,31,452 taxpayers in 2024-25. The I-T department and CBDT's idea is that by fostering transparency, education, and cooperation, the initiative reinforces a compliance-friendly tax environment, ensuring that taxpayers can correct their filings proactively before any formal verification measures are undertaken. This year, due to "extensive" outreach and awareness efforts, voluntary disclosures witnessed a "significant" 45.17 per cent growth compared to assessment year 2023-24, data said. The tax department receives data on foreign assets held by Indians abroad through the common reporting standards (CRS) mechanism as part of which 125 countries share such information with the Indian taxman. A similar exchange occurs with the US under the Inter-Governmental Agreement pursuant to the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Last September, India received financial information from over 108 countries regarding foreign accounts and income in the form of interest and dividends earned outside India. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
06 March,2025 10:25 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
