Gurpreet Singh, Author at National Times

11 Aug

IMD Issues Yellow Alert for Three Punjab Districts Following Moderate Rainfall

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabChandigarh IMD, Monsoon Rainfall, Punjab weather, Yellow alert

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Meteorological Centre in Chandigarh issued a yellow alert for heavy downpours at isolated places in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, and Rupnagar districts on Tuesday, forecasting partly cloudy skies and light showers for Chandigarh. The state's average maximum temperature dropped by 1.3 degrees Celsius, with Gurdaspur recording a high of 35.8 degrees Celsius, while Chandigarh recorded 31.5 degrees Celsius—two degrees below the seasonal norm. Showers were recorded across five districts on Monday, with Amritsar receiving the highest rainfall at 53 mm. Light precipitation was recorded at Pathankot's Thein Dam and Rupnagar's Ropar KVK, alongside trace rainfall in Ludhiana and…

11 Aug

Beijing Dismisses New Delhi’s Official Mapping of 27 Sites Across Arunachal Pradesh

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, World NewsArunachal Pradesh, Foreign Affairs, India China Dispute, Line of Actual Control, Survey of India

Beijing/ New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Beijing has formally rejected India's recent official mapping of 27 geographical features and locations in Arunachal Pradesh using standard Indian nomenclature, asserting that the update has no impact on its territorial claims over the northeastern state. Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated that China refuses to acknowledge the state of Arunachal Pradesh, referring to the territory as "Zangnan" and dismissing India's official map updates as legally invalid. The statement comes after India updated the Survey of India map to enhance public awareness and establish standardized geographical identification across the…

10 Aug

Police Investigation Launched After Former Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly Receives Death Threats

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaCAB President, death threats, Kolkata Police, Security Investigation, Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata (Gurpreet Singh): Kolkata Police have initiated a comprehensive investigation after former Indian cricket team captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly lodged a formal complaint regarding a series of threatening letters, including explicit death threats targeting him and his wife Dona Ganguly. The latest written complaint was filed at the Thakurpukur Police Station in south Kolkata following the receipt of two threatening letters at Ganguly's office on Monday. According to police officials, similar communications had been arriving addressed to the former BCCI chief over the past six months, which were initially dismissed before the situation escalated…

10 Aug

India’s Solar Expansion Sparks Industry Shift as Domestic Manufacturing Surpasses 200 GW Capacity

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaIndia Growth, Photovoltaic Industry, Renewable Energy, Solar Manufacturing

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): India’s rapid expansion in solar manufacturing capacity has triggered significant discussion within Chinese industrial circles, where social media users and market analysts have increasingly started viewing India as a potential rival in the global photovoltaic sector rather than merely a major consumer of imported equipment. Shared reports and online commentary highlight concerns over a 17-fold increase in Indian solar component manufacturing since 2018, with some posts comparing the rapid industrial shift to an encirclement of China's long-standing dominance in the global solar supply chain. According to an analysis by the Observer Research Foundation titled ‘From Consumer…

10 Aug

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Calls for Enhanced Civil-Military Synergy in Meeting With Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Singh Mann, Border Security, Civil Military Synergy, General Dhiraj Seth, Indian Army

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday called for stronger cooperation between the Punjab Government and the Indian Army to safeguard the state and the nation, strengthen the second line of defence along the border, boost the recruitment of Punjabis in the Armed Forces and ensure the welfare of serving soldiers and ex-servicemen. During his meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister also discussed national security and military matters concerning Punjab, including the need to strengthen anti-drone measures to check cross-border smuggling. Sharing a few snippets from the…

10 Aug

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Passes Bill Ending Contractual Outsourcing for State Employees

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Singh Mann, Contractual Engagement, outsourced employees, Punjab Vidhan Sabha

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a historic decision for the welfare and rights of employees, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026, with CM Bhagwant Singh Mann announcing an end to the decades-old system of contractual outsourcing and exploitation of employees in government employment. The landmark legislation will eliminate the role of private contractors, bring 26,000 to 28,000 outsourced employees into direct contractual engagement with the government in the first phase, and extend PF (Provident Fund), Gratuity, ESI (Employees’ State Insurance), Maternity Leave and Casual Leave benefits to eligible…

10 Aug

Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Passes Resolution Mandating ‘Tamil Thaai Vazhthu’ as First Song at Official Events

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaC Joseph Vijay, Language Politics, State Anthem, Tamil Nadu Assembly, Tamil Thaai Vazhthu

Chennai (Gurpreet Singh): The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution mandating that the state anthem, "Tamil Thaai Vazhthu," must be rendered first at the commencement of all official government events, educational institution functions, and public sector programs across the state. Piloted by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, the resolution received full cross-party endorsement, including support from the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Vijay affirmed that his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government would remain steadfast in safeguarding Tamil Nadu's linguistic and cultural rights. He…

10 Aug

Grenade Seized as Punjab Police Arrest Alleged Terror Operative in SBS Nagar

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjab, TrendingPunjab Police

Jalandhar (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Police have arrested a suspected operative allegedly associated with a foreign-directed terror network in a joint operation carried out by Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, and SBS Nagar Police, officials said. The operation led to the recovery of an 86-P hand grenade, with investigators claiming that the seizure prevented an intended attack. According to preliminary findings shared by the police, the arrested man allegedly received instructions from handlers based abroad and subsequently arranged the grenade from a DLB in the Adampur area of Jalandhar. Police have linked the suspected network to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and alleged that…

10 Aug

Punjab-Chandigarh Weather: Rain Activity Likely to Increase, Three Districts on Yellow Alert

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjab, TrendingPunjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab is likely to see a shift in weather conditions over the next few days, with monsoon activity expected to strengthen after a relatively dry spell. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for parts of Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Rupnagar, particularly areas close to the Himachal Pradesh border. Chandigarh is likely to remain under partly cloudy skies, although one or two spells of rain or thundershowers cannot be ruled out. The forecast comes after Sunday passed largely without significant rainfall across the state. The break in showers pushed temperatures upward, with the average maximum temperature increasing…

10 Aug

Dialysis, Heart Care And Knee Replacements Among Top 10 Procedures Covered Under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingMukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

CHANDIGARH (GURPREET SINGH): A serious illness doesn't just test a patient's health, it often tests a family's finances. Bhagwant Mann Government's Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is steadily changing that reality in Punjab by taking the cost of expensive medical treatment out of the equation. The numbers tell the story. Under the scheme's ten most frequently availed procedures alone, 2,44,468 cashless treatments worth more than ₹316.50 crore have already been provided. From patients who require dialysis several times a week to those undergoing heart surgery, knee replacement or emergency Caesarean delivery, the scheme is covering treatments that many families would otherwise…