The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has initiated suo motu action against e-commerce platforms for listing and selling unauthorised walkie-talkies in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and telecom laws, issuing final orders against eight entities and imposing penalties totalling Rs 44 lakh. Notices were issued to 13 e-commerce entities — Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, Meesho, MaskMan Toys, TradeIndia, Antriksh Technologies, Vardaanmart, IndiaMart, Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook Marketplace), Flipkart, Krishna Mart, and Amazon, following the identification of over 16,970 non-compliant product listings across platforms. The CCPA found that platforms were facilitating the sale of Personal Mobile Radios (PMRs) operating outside the license-exempt frequency band, without Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certification or licensing requirements. To strengthen platform accountability, the CCPA has notified guidelines for the ‘Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipments’ including walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms, 2025, in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Home Affairs. 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
17 January,2026 09:26 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesSun Pharmaceutical Industries on Friday said it has launched skin cancer drug Unloxcyt in the US market. Unloxcyt (cosibelimab-ipdl) is now available in the US for healthcare professionals to prescribe for adults with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC) or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (llaCSCC) who are not candidates for curative surgery, the Mumbai-based drug major said in a statement. “Unloxcyt is an evolution in checkpoint inhibition, combining durable efficacy with a proven tolerability profile for a group of aCSCC patients who traditionally would struggle to strike that therapeutic balance,” said Richard Ascroft, CEO of Sun Pharma North America. The medication is available through a limited distribution network of authorised speciality distributors, and one contracted speciality pharmacy. 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
17 January,2026 09:23 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India has full faith in the innovation and confidence of its startups, and added that the nation should lead globally in startup trends and technology in the coming decade. A nation that is forward-looking on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a competitive advantage, Modi said. Speaking at a mega event marking a decade of the flagship programme ‘Startup India’, Modi asked the founders and entrepreneurs to work on new ideas and solve problems, all the while keeping a sharp focus on quality products. “Our goal should be that in the coming 10 years, India will lead the world in new startup trends and technology,” Modi said. Startup India initiative was launched on January 16, 2016, as a transformative national programme to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and enable investment-driven growth, with the objective of making India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers. He hailed Startup India as a “revolution” that has transformed India into the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, growing from fewer than 500 startups in 2014 to over 2 lakh today, including nearly 125 unicorns. The PM said that the time has come for startups to also focus on manufacturing and research. On Friday, at the programme marking a decade of the Startup India initiative, PM also interacted with founders of India’s vibrant startup ecosystem. On the India startup success story, Modi said several schemes have been rolled out to provide seed funds to startups, while outdated rules have been done away with. The PM said that India’s youth and entrepreneurs are focused on solving real problems, and the Startup India mission has become a revolution. Youth in tier-2 and 3 cities, even those in rural areas, are setting up their own ventures, Modi said. Today, 45 per cent of startups have either one woman director or partner, he added. Risk-taking, which was discouraged, has become mainstream, he observed, lauding India's startup founders for their “impressive” confidence and ambitions. 2016Year Startup India initiative was launched 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
17 January,2026 09:21 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIn a rare and remarkable development in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, Sonali Andekar, who contested the Pune civic polls representing NCP, has won while still being lodged in prison. Sonali Andekar’s win has drawn widespread attention and sparked intense political debate across Maharashtra. NCP leader Sonali Andekar’s victory is being described as one of the most unusual instances in the history of Pune civic polls. This win has significantly altered the political equations in ward no. 23. Despite her arrest, Andekar managed to secure the mandate of voters, underlining the complexity of local political dynamics and the strong support she enjoys at the grassroots level. As soon as the results of the Pune civic polls were announced, Andekar’s supporters erupted in celebrations across the ward. Andekar’s supporters termed this as a “victory from jail”. Soon after the NCP candidate was declared as the winner, party workers and residents gathered in large numbers, raising slogans and distributing sweets to mark what they called a historic win. The rather surprising result emerged as one of the most talked-about developments of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Sonali Andekar’s unexpected victory is likely to influence future strategies of rival parties in the ward and could have wider ramifications for civic politics in Pune. As attention now turns to the next steps, questions remain over the administrative and political impact of Sonali Andekar’s win, even as her supporters celebrate a result that has defied conventional electoral expectations. BJP’s youngest candidate, Sai Thopte, clinches victory in Pune In another surprising election result, Sai Thopte of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious from Ward No. 36(C). Thopte was the youngest candidate fielded by the party in the Maharashtra civic polls. Sai Thopte is currently a final-year BBA student at the renowned Symbiosis College in Pune. Her candidature was announced by the BJP while she was still attending college classes. Contesting an election while being a student and securing a decisive victory marks a major milestone in her life and political journey. Thopte has been actively associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), through which she participated in various issues, programs and movements in Pune. Even during her college years, she consistently raised her voice on youth-related issues and took firm stands on matters concerning students.
16 January,2026 07:02 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentUnion minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday congratulated Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde as well as party workers as trends showed the BJP-Shiv Sena were set to win comfortably in most of the 29 municipal corporations where votes are being counted, including the country's financial capital Mumbai. Maharashtra's journey towards progress will gain even more strength under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said. In a post on X, he congratulated Fadnavis, Shinde, state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan, state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and all party workers.Gadkari said he is grateful to the people of the state who showed faith in the BJP-led Mahayuti by prioritizing development. This victory will give even greater momentum to the Mahayuti government, which is racing ahead on the path of development, the senior BJP leader added. "I am confident that Maharashtra's journey towards progress will gain even more strength under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," the Union minister said. Polls to 29 municipal corporations were held on Thursday, while votes are being counted on Friday. BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Ward-wise and Party-wise Counting Updates 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.
16 January,2026 05:23 PM IST | Nagpur | PTIShrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the 2017 murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, has been elected as a corporator to the Jalna Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra, reported the PTI. The results were declared on Friday as counting continued for elections held across 29 civic bodies in the state. The Maharashtra civic poll results are scheduled to be announced later in the day. Shrikant Pangarkar contested the election as an Independent candidate from Ward No. 13. He secured victory by defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Raosaheb Dhoble. According to election officials, Pangarkar polled 2,661 votes, while Dhoble received 2,477 votes, according to the PTI. With the exception of the Shiv Sena, most major political parties had fielded candidates against Pangarkar in the ward. BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Ward-wise and Party-wise Counting Updates Gauri Lankesh murder case Gauri Lankesh, a prominent journalist and outspoken critic of right-wing extremism, was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru on 5 September 2017. Her killing sparked nationwide outrage and renewed debates on press freedom and political violence in India. In August 2018, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Pangarkar under provisions of the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was later granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2024. Pangarkar’s political career Pangarkar previously served as a member of the Jalna Municipal Council between 2001 and 2006, during the period when the Shiv Sena was still undivided. After being denied a party ticket in 2011, he joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, as per the PTI. BJP poised to control Jalna civic body Meanwhile, the BJP is moving towards gaining control of the Jalna Municipal Corporation. In the 65-member civic body, the BJP is leading in 41 seats. The BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) contested the elections separately. In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and the Congress—fought the polls together. 65 candidates in 10 civic bodies declared elected unopposed Meanwhile, a total of 65 candidates from ten municipal corporations in Maharashtra were declared elected unopposed ahead of elections held on January 15, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Friday, reported the PTI. The data was shared on a day when the counting of votes for 29 civic bodies, which went to polls on Thursday, was underway. The BJP topped the list of unopposed candidates with 43, followed by ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (18 candidates), the Nationalist Congress Party (2), an Independent, and a candidate of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra. (with PTI inputs)
16 January,2026 05:19 PM IST | Jalna (Maharashtra) | mid-day online correspondentThe Congress won the elections to the Latur Municipal Corporation (LMC) in central Maharashtra on Friday, securing a clear majority in the 70-member civic body, the PTI reported. The results were declared on Friday as counting continued for elections held across 29 civic bodies in the state. The Maharashtra civic poll results are scheduled to be announced later in the day. The party won 43 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished a distant second with 22 seats. According to election officials, the Congress emerged as the largest party with 43 seats. The BJP won 22 seats, the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi secured four seats, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) managed to win one seat. Remarks on Vilasrao Deshmukh Influence Voters Local political observers believe that controversial remarks made by Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan played a key role in consolidating votes in favour of the Congress. During a campaign rally, Chavan said that memories of late Congress leader and former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be “wiped out” from his hometown Latur. Deshmukh, a two-time Chief Minister, was a highly respected leader from the Marathwada region. The comments sparked widespread criticism from citizens and political parties across Maharashtra. Chavan later issued an apology for his remarks. Mixed results for former mayors Out of the five mayors the corporation has had since its formation in 2011, four contested the elections this time. Two of them emerged victorious. Smita Khanapure, the Congress’s first mayor in Latur, faced defeat in Ward No. 15. She lost to BJP spokesperson Prerana Honrao. Former Congress mayor Vikrant Gojamgunde, who joined the NCP ahead of the civic polls, won from Ward No. 5 with a margin of 4,729 votes. Another former Congress mayor, Deepak Sul, retained his political influence by winning Ward No. 10 with 5,451 votes. Former BJP mayor Suresh Pawar, who contested on a Shiv Sena ticket from Ward No. 6, was defeated by the BJP candidate. Contrast with 2017 results In the previous LMC elections held in 2017, the BJP had emerged as the largest party with 36 seats, while the Congress followed closely with 33 seats. The latest results mark a major turnaround for the Congress in Latur. (with PTI inputs)
16 January,2026 05:15 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondentA major controversy erupted during the vote-counting process in Ward No. 25 of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), heightening tension at the counting centre. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil Thombre raised serious objections over the counting process and staged a boycott along with other candidates. The incident occurred at the New English School counting centre, where Patil Thombre and her supporters raised slogans, alleging that democracy was under threat. She claimed that as many as 17 electronic voting machines (EVMs) used for counting had been replaced, triggering sharp protests at the venue. Maharashtra Civic Elections 2026 Results: Counting halted amid EVM swap allegations Following the objections, the counting process was suspended for nearly two hours, creating a tense atmosphere in the area. Police personnel intervened to bring the situation under control. According to Patil Thombre, a list had been finalised on January 11 in the presence of polling agents, panchas, and the election officer (ARO), clearly mentioning which EVM would be used for which voter segment. The list was officially recorded and signed by representatives of all concerned candidates. However, she alleged that different machines were used on the day of counting, leading to doubts over transparency. She further stated that when the assistant returning officer (ARO) was questioned, officials avoided producing the January 11 list. Thombre alleged that pressure was being exerted through the police instead of addressing the concerns raised by candidates. “Any replacement of machines must follow a legal procedure, which includes informing candidates, taking their signatures, and conducting video recording. None of this has been done so far. If our concerns are not addressed satisfactorily, we will immediately approach the high court,” she said. The incident has added to the political tension surrounding the PMC Election results, as counting continues under tight security.
16 January,2026 04:36 PM IST | Pune | Archana DahiwalThe BJP was leading in the elections to the municipal corporations of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, and Nanded in Maharashtra's Marathwada, while the Congress dominated the Latur civic body in the region, according to early trends. Of the 115 seats in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, BJP candidates were ahead in 22, followed by Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in 19 seats, as per the trends reported by Marathi channels. There was no official confirmation from the State Election Commission Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had taken the lead in 14 seats here. Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) was leading in ten seats, while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP was ahead in two seats. In Jalna, which became Maharashtra's 29th municipal corporation in 2023, former Congress leader and ex-MLA Kailas Gorantyal's switch to the BJP appears to have helped the latter. Of the 65 seats in the Jalna civic body, the BJP was leading in 19 seats, while the Congress, which has an MP from the area, was ahead in three seats.Of the 70 seats in Latur, the Congress was surging ahead in 30 seats, followed by the BJP in 17, according to TV reports. Independent candidates were ahead in five seats. In the run-up to the elections, state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan had sparked a controversy after he said that the memories of late Vilasrao Deshmukh, former chief minister, would be wiped out from his hometown Latur. He later apologised for his statement. In Parbhani Municipal Corporation, Sena (UBT) was leading in 23 of the 65 seats in the civic body, followed by Congress in 8 seats.In Nanded, the BJP was leading in 20 of the 81 seats, while Shiv Sena was ahead in five. The Congress was leading in 12 seats, according to early trends reported by television channels. BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Ward-wise and Party-wise Counting Updates 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.
16 January,2026 04:35 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | PTIIn a significant development in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Election Results 2026, Sai Thopte of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the youngest candidate fielded by the party, has emerged victorious from Ward No. 36(C). Sai Thopte is currently a final-year BBA student at the renowned Symbiosis College in Pune. Her candidature was announced by the BJP while she was still attending college classes. Contesting an election while being a student and securing a decisive victory marks a major milestone in her life and political journey. Thopte has been actively associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), through which she participated in various issues, programmes and movements in Pune. Even during her college years, she consistently raised her voice on youth-related issues and took firm stands on matters concerning students. Although new to active electoral politics, Sai Thopte comes from a political background. Her father, Prashant Thopte, has been a BJP office-bearer for several years and has held key responsibilities such as vice president, general secretary and assembly election coordinator in the Parvati Assembly constituency. He has played a significant role in strengthening the BJP’s presence in areas such as Parvati, Sahakarnagar and Dhankawadi. Party sources say that Parvati MLA Madhuri Misal’s close observation and support also played a role in Sai Thopte being nominated as a PMC candidate. With this victory, Pune has now got one of its youngest corporators. Along with Sai Thopte, all four BJP candidates from Sahakarnagar–Padmavati (Ward No. 36) have registered victories. Mahesh Wable (BJP) won by a margin of 5,000 votes, Bhonsale Shailaja (BJP) secured victory with a margin of 2,595 votes, Sai Thopte (BJP) won by 2,400 votes, and Vina Ghosh (BJP) emerged victorious with a margin of 4,000 votes. Meanwhile, candidates Aba Bagul, Ashwini Kadam and Subhash Jagatap suffered major defeats from the ward, further underlining the BJP’s strong performance in the area. BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Ward-wise and Party-wise Counting Updates
16 January,2026 04:13 PM IST | Pune | Archana DahiwalAmid the ongoing vote counting for 227 wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday accused the police of “misusing power” following an alleged lathi charge on Shiv Sena workers at a counting centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reported news agency ANI. Dispute over entry escalates into violence The incident reportedly occurred at the counting centre set up at the Government Engineering College after a dispute broke out over granting entry to Shiv Sena workers. According to party leaders, a verbal altercation between the workers and police personnel escalated, following which the police allegedly resorted to a lathi charge. Several party workers were reportedly injured, triggering chaos at the venue. BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Ward-wise and Party-wise Counting Updates Shirsat demands action, says MLCs will be filed Speaking to the media at the counting centre, Shirsat demanded action against the police personnel involved, alleging excessive use of force. He also said that medico-legal cases (MLCs) would be filed against the police. ‘Police should act against criminals, not workers’ “Today is the counting of votes, and on such a day, when our workers were coming to the centre, nearly 100 policemen opened a lathi charge on them and wounded them severely. Action should be taken against this. The police should use force against criminals, not workers. This is a misuse of power. We are filing MLCs against them,” the minister said, reported ANI. Police cite Election Commission guidelines Responding to the allegations, the police maintained that their actions were in line with guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to ensure security and order at the counting centre. Inquiry ordered by police commissioner Police Commissioner Praveen Pawar said the matter has been taken cognisance of and an inquiry has been ordered. He added that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) would lead the investigation, considering statements from both the police and Shiv Sena leaders, and assured that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings, reported ANI. DCP to examine statements of all sides “The counting of votes is taking place here today. An incident has occurred. The DCP will investigate the matter, taking into account the stance of both the police and Shiv Sena leaders. Everything will be examined, and action will be taken accordingly,” he said, reported ANI. Harshada Shirsat raises concerns over lack of action Meanwhile, Harshada Shirsat, the minister’s daughter, also reached the counting centre and alleged that no action had yet been taken against the police personnel accused of assaulting party workers. Both she and the minister asserted that an inquiry into the officers involved should be prioritised, even if it temporarily halted the counting process, reported ANI. Protests erupt, additional police deployed Following the incident, protests erupted at the site, prompting the deployment of additional police forces. The district administration and election officials said efforts are underway to defuse the situation and mediate among all parties concerned, with necessary steps to be taken to restore normalcy. (With inputs from ANI)
16 January,2026 01:48 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
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