India Archives - Page 108 of 268

05 Dec

India Announces Free 30-Day Visa for Russians as Modi and Putin Deepen Strategic Partnership

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, World News30-day visa, e-tourist visa, India-Russia ties, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin

New Delhi, December 5, 2025: India has moved to further strengthen its partnership with Russia by introducing a free 30-day e-tourist visa along with a 30-day group tourist visa for Russian nationals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision during a joint press briefing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it an important initiative to enhance people-to-people ties and promote deeper cultural exchange.PM Modi said the visa reforms will make travel easier for Russian visitors and give new momentum to bilateral engagement. He highlighted that cooperation between the two nations is now expanding into advanced and specialised sectors, particularly maritime…

05 Dec

Lok Sabha Approves New Cess on Demerit Goods to Boost Health and Defence Funding

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiadefence budget India, Health Security National Security Cess, Lok Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, December 5, 2025: The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, clearing the way for additional revenue from products such as pan masala to support India’s defence and public health requirements. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while replying to the debate in the House, said the cess is essential for meeting modern defence needs and for strengthening state-level health systems.She said that public health is a state responsibility while national defence is handled by the Centre, making it necessary to create dependable sources of funding. She emphasised that items categorised as demerit…

05 Dec

Jaish Chief Masood Azhar Claims Pakistan-Based Women’s Wing Has Recruited 5,000 Members for Suicide Missions

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndia, Jaish-e-Mohammad, suicide bomber, Terrorist, Women's

National Times Bureau :- In a startling revelation, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has alleged that the outfit’s women’s wing in Pakistan has recruited as many as 5,000 members, who are reportedly being trained and indoctrinated for potential suicide missions. According to Azhar’s claims, the recruits are undergoing both ideological conditioning and operational training. Although independent verification of these assertions remains unavailable, the comments have sparked serious security concerns across the region, especially given JeM’s long history of involvement in major terror attacks. Security experts say the development, if true, marks a dangerous expansion of JeM’s capabilities by involving female…

05 Dec

Massive Fire at Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamshala, Guests Evacuated Safely

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaHimachal Pradesh

National Times Bureau :- A major fire erupted late Thursday night at the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation’s renowned Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamshala, Kangra district, officials confirmed. Fortunately, no injuries or loss of life were reported. According to district authorities, flames were first spotted in the hotel’s kitchen area before rapidly spreading to the upper portions of the building. The structure’s old Deodar-wood roofing, officials said, allowed the fire to intensify within minutes. Emergency teams launched a swift response. Four fire tenders reached the spot almost immediately, bringing the blaze under control in a short time. An SDRF unit was…

05 Dec

Putin receives grand welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan; Pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndia, Putin

National Times Bureau :- Russian President Vladimir Putin began the second day of his India visit with a grand and ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning. Upon his arrival, he was accorded a 21-gun salute and a Guard of Honour, marking a significant moment in the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two nations. Following the official welcome, President Putin visited Rajghat, where he laid a floral tribute at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, honouring the Father of the Nation. Putin then proceeded to Hyderabad House, where his crucial bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are currently underway.…

05 Dec

Indigo flight operations in deep turbulence: All departure flights from Delhi’s IGI airport cancelled till midnight

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndiGo

National Times Bureau :- India’s largest airline, IndiGo, remained stuck in operational turmoil for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, leaving thousands of travellers facing severe disruptions across major airports. The situation worsened at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where the airport authorities confirmed that 135 departures and 90 arrivals of IndiGo were cancelled through the day, making it the hardest-hit aviation hub. In the latest decision, IndiGo today cancelled all its departure flights from Delhi's airport till midnight. Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports also reported massive cancellations. Bengaluru saw 52 incoming and 50 outgoing flights scrapped, while 92 IndiGo services were…

05 Dec

RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25%, Signaling Relief for Borrowers

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBusiness, India, TrendingRBI, Repo Rate

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced a reduction in the repo rate by 25 basis points, lowering it from 5.5% to 5.25%, in a unanimous decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The move is expected to make loans more affordable for retail and corporate borrowers alike. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra explained that the decision follows careful consideration of easing inflationary pressures and the recent depreciation of the rupee, which reached its lowest level yesterday. “The MPC evaluated the current economic landscape and concluded that a moderate reduction in the repo rate would…

05 Dec

Delhi chokes under heavy smog as AQI climbs to 323, air quality stays ‘very poor’

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TrendingDelhi

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): A thick veil of pollution settled over the capital on Friday morning, pushing Delhi’s air quality back into the “very poor” zone and leaving neighbourhoods across the city enveloped in a persistent layer of smog. Readings from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the average AQI at 323 by 8 am, signalling yet another day of hazardous conditions for residents. City wakes up to hazy skies and low visibility The morning commute was marked by reduced visibility in several areas, particularly in the eastern and northern parts of the city. Ghazipur, Akshardham, and neighbouring stretches…

05 Dec

Overnight ordeal for Chandigarh–Pune flyers as IndiGo’s operational crisis deepens

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, Trending

Chandigarh (Rajeev Sharma): Passengers booked on IndiGo’s late-evening Chandigarh–Pune service endured a sleepless night at Mohali airport after the flight, originally scheduled for 9:15 pm on Thursday, finally departed nearly 10 hours late on Friday morning. The incident has become one of the most striking examples of the airline’s ongoing meltdown, which has disrupted operations across the country for days. A night of confusion and frayed tempers Travellers said the experience was marked by shifting departure times and little reliable information. The boarding time moved repeatedly—first by a couple of hours, then in smaller increments—leaving fliers unsure whether they should…

04 Dec

Supreme Court Orders UPSC to Boost Accessibility for Blind Candidates Ahead of Civil Services Exam

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaCivil Services Exam, Scribe Change Order, Supreme Court, UPSC Accessibility

New Delhi, December 4, 2025— The Supreme Court has taken a significant step toward making national-level examinations more inclusive by directing the Union Public Service Commission to allow blind candidates to change their scribes up to at least seven days before the Civil Services Examination. The court also asked the UPSC to adopt screen reader software and other assistive technologies so that visually disabled candidates receive equal opportunity during the exam process.The bench said that a society’s fairness is not defined only by the freedoms it offers but by the opportunities it ensures for every individual to reach their full…