India

NEW DELHI, February 25: The BJP is hopeful of a working majority in the Rajya Sabha following the biennial polls to 58 seats from 16 states next month as the ruling NDA's numbers are expected to go up significantly at the cost of opposition parties. The BJP will make handsome gains from Uttar Pradesh, where its massive majority in the assembly will fetch it at least eight out of 10 seats going to the polls against only one seat it has as of now. Party leaders said it will also...

Puducherry, February 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at the Congress saying that one family had ruled the country for over four decades and asked the people to compare the dynasty-led governments with the "development-oriented" NDA. "One family either directly or indirectly ruled the country for 48 years," he told a public meeting organised by the BJP here, referring to the governments of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. On the other hand, he said, there was the NDA government which will complete 48 months this May....

New Delhi, February 25: The government would implement across the country the Uttarkashi model of creating employment through a drinking water and a waste management project, Union minister Uma Bharti said. After visiting Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi town for the launch of drinking water project ‘Swajal’ and the waste management project under the Swacch Bharat Mission, she decided to apply the model implemented there to other parts of the country to generate employment. “Swajal and the waste management project in this small village in Uttarkashi has provided employment to the women of...

New Delhi, February 25: In a move to minimize the workload of school students, Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has decided to reduce the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus by half from the 2019 academic session. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the school syllabus was more than that of BA and B.Com courses and it needed to be reduced by half so that students get time for other activities for their all-round development. “At the stage of development of cognitive skills, students need to be...

Jammu, February 25: Skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani forces were only adding to people's sufferings and governments of both the countries should find a way to restore peace at the borders, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said today. Unless they (India and Pakistan) find a way out, away from this (border skirmishes), people on both sides will continue to suffer and many will die. Many of our soldiers will also die and a similar situation will be on their side," he said. The government of India must find a way...

NEW DELHI, February 25: In the 41st edition of Mann Ki Baat programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the contribution of India in the field of sciene and technology. Ahead of the National Science Day on February 28, the PM said that science and technology are value neutral. "It is up to us what we want the machine to do for us," he said. Focussing on artificial intelligence, he urged the scientists to find ways for the betterment of those who are specially-abled. "I urge the scientists to find ways...

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 16: Haj pilgrims will no longer receive any subsidy this year onwards, with the government saying the decision is part of its agenda of empowerment of minorities without appeasement. Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday confirmed that the Haj subsidy has been withdrawn.m"This is part of our policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement," Naqvi told reporters. A policy to withdraw the Haj subsidy had been drafted in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order asking the Centre to abolish it...