Gurpreet Singh, Author at National Times

24 Feb

Average Salary Increments in India Likely to Rise to 9.1% in 2026: Survey

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAon report, attrition rate India, India salary increment survey, Salary hike 2026, sector-wise pay rise

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Employees across industries in India are projected to receive an average salary increase of 9.1 per cent in 2026, slightly higher than the 8.9 per cent rise recorded in 2025, according to a recent survey. Global professional services firm Aon, in its ‘Annual Salary Increase and Turnover Survey 2025-26 India’, said the marginal uptick signals continued stability in compensation trends despite global economic uncertainties. The survey, now in its 32nd edition, analysed inputs from over 1,400 organisations spanning 45 industries across the country. It highlighted that increment levels will differ by sector, reflecting varying demand and…

24 Feb

Government Blocks Five OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaInformation Technology Act Section 69A, IT Rules 2021, obscene content crackdown, online content regulation, OTT platforms blocked

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The government on Tuesday ordered the blocking of five OTT platforms for allegedly streaming obscene content, officials said. According to sources, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu after following due procedure. Under the prescribed process, the government directs internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict public access to such platforms in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and other applicable laws related to obscenity. The action has been taken under Information Technology Act, 2000, specifically Section 69A, which empowers…

24 Feb

21-Year-Old Sent to Police Remand in Father’s Murder and Dismemberment Case in Lucknow

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAshiyana murder incident, father shot and dismembered, Lucknow patricide case, NEET exam pressure dispute

Lucknow (Gurpreet Singh): A day after a 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing and dismembering his father in the Ashiyana area of Lucknow, police on Tuesday said the accused has been sent to remand for further interrogation. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Jitendra Kumar Dubey confirmed that the accused, identified as Akshat Singh, is currently in police custody and being questioned to determine additional details surrounding the crime. “Prima facie, the incident appears to have stemmed from anger over his father repeatedly urging him to concentrate on his studies and clear the NEET medical entrance examination. However, questioning…

24 Feb

Supreme Court Signals Eviction of Haldwani Rail Land Occupants, Orders PMAY Eligibility Survey

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaIndian Railways land encroachment, PMAY eligibility survey, Supreme Court Haldwani eviction, Surya Kant bench order

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday indicated that more than 5,000 families occupying railway land in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, would have to vacate the area to facilitate a proposed expansion project by the Indian Railways. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the occupants had no vested right over the land, which is undisputedly public property belonging to the Railways. “It’s public land or Railway land — a fact which is not in dispute. You are getting a concession for being there. You cannot claim it as…

24 Feb

Supreme Court Allows Deployment of Judges from Odisha, Jharkhand for Bengal Voter Roll Revision

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaCalcutta High Court judicial officers, Election Commission voter roll revision, Supreme Court SIR West Bengal, Surya Kant bench order

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday permitted the deployment of civil judges with at least three years of experience from Odisha and Jharkhand to expedite the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi expanded the scope of its earlier February 20 order, which had directed the deployment of judicial officers, including retired judges, from within West Bengal to assist in the revision exercise. The latest direction came after the Chief…

24 Feb

Delhi Police Arrest IYC Chief Uday Bhanu Chib Over “Shirtless Protest” at Global AI Summit

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaBharat Mandapam, Delhi Police, India AI Impact Summit 2026, Indian Youth Congress, IYC Arrest, Uday Bhanu Chib

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Delhi Police have formally arrested Uday Bhanu Chib, National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), in connection with what they describe as a "premeditated" attempt to disrupt the high-profile India AI Impact Summit 2026. Chib was taken into custody on Tuesday, February 24, following an intensive interrogation session lasting nearly 20 hours at the Tilak Marg police station. The investigation, now transferred to the Crime Branch Inter-State Cell, centers on a "shirtless protest" staged by a group of Youth Congress members inside the summit venue at Bharat Mandapam last Friday. Details of the Incident…

24 Feb

Two Arrested in Connection with Gang Rape and Extortion of Woman Near Silchar

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAssam Crime, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Cachar Police, Silchar Gang Rape, Silchar Sadar Police, Sushmita Dev

Silchar (Gurpreet Singh): The Cachar district police have arrested two individuals following the alleged gang rape and extortion of a 28-year-old woman near Silchar, Assam. The incident, which reportedly took place on February 19, involves at least seven men who attacked the victim while she was out with her boyfriend on Bypass Road. According to the victim's complaint, the group of men arrived in an SUV and intercepted the couple’s car. After questioning them, the attackers allegedly grabbed the woman and raped her individually in front of her companion. The suspects also reportedly extorted ₹10,000 from the victim, forcing her…

24 Feb

Union Cabinet Approves Renaming Kerala to ‘Keralam’ Ahead of Assembly Polls

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsBusiness

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): In a historic move, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the Kerala government’s proposal to officially rename the state as ‘Keralam’. This decision aligns the constitutional name of the state with its Malayalam nomenclature and follows a persistent demand from the state’s legislative body. The cabinet’s nod initiates the formal constitutional procedure required for a name change under Article 3. The process will involve the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the bill will now be referred by the President to…

24 Feb

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Slams Traditional Parties, Sets Foundation for New ITI in Sardulgarh

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann, Meri Rasoi Yojna, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, Punjab government, Sardulgarh ITI

Mansa (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that decades of Akali and Congress rule deliberately kept Punjab’s children uneducated while political families thrived, asserting that those parties were never concerned about public progress but only about securing power for their sons, daughters and relatives. Addressing a gathering in Sardulgarh after laying the foundation stone of a Government ITI that will skill 240 students every year, he said the BJP is now banking on defectors from other parties to chase electoral dreams, but Punjab has chosen a different path. Emphasising that his government is spending every…

24 Feb

Punjab FM Harpal Singh Cheema Claims Drug Traffickers Shifting Base to Haryana Amid AAP Crackdown

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Drug Crackdown, Harpal Singh Cheema, Haryana BJP, Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab government

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said that the Punjab Government’s decisive and sustained crackdown against narcotics is delivering concrete results, dismantling drug networks that once operated with impunity. He said that as Punjab strengthens enforcement and public participation against drugs, serious questions are arising about the growing menace in Haryana under the Nayab Singh Saini government. Recalling that drugs proliferated across Punjab during the 2007–2017 SAD-BJP regime, Harpal Singh Cheema said a similar pattern is now visible in Haryana. Referring to Haryana Police officer Sunil Sandhu, who is facing action after anti-drug operations, Harpal…