India Archives - Page 40 of 267

04 Apr

Punjab Excise Auction Sees Lukewarm Response; 10 Liquor Groups Still Unallotted

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, PunjabAuction, Excise, Liqour, Punjab

Gurpreet Singh :- The excise auction process in Punjab has received a tepid response, with around 10 liquor vends still remaining unallotted despite multiple rounds of bidding. Industry players attribute the lack of interest to high licence fees and shrinking profit margins, which have discouraged contractors from investing in these groups. In an effort to revive participation, the Excise Department has announced a reduction of up to 15 per cent in licence fees for the pending groups. Officials believe that the relief may help attract bidders and expedite the allocation process. The department has also set April 4, 4 pm…

03 Apr

Strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolts Delhi-NCR and North India; tremors felt in Pakistan

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAfghanistan 5.9 magnitude quake, Delhi NCR earthquake, Hindu Kush seismic activity, North India tremors today

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): A powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on Friday evening, April 3, 2026, sending strong tremors across Delhi-NCR and several parts of North India. The seismic activity, recorded at approximately 9:50 PM IST, triggered widespread panic as residents in high-rise buildings across Noida, Gurgaon, and Delhi rushed to open spaces. Tremors were also felt in major cities across Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir, including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Srinagar, and Udhampur. According to data from the National Center for Seismology and the USGS, the epicentre was located near Jurm in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, at…

03 Apr

India raises airline liability limits for death, injury, and baggage loss

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAirline liability rules India, baggage loss claim India, Carriage by Air Act 1972, flight delay compensation 2026

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Government of India has significantly enhanced the compensation limits for air passengers in cases of death, bodily injury, flight delays, and baggage loss. Notified by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on April 1, 2026, the new rules update the liability limits under the Third Schedule of the Carriage by Air Act, 1972. These changes have been made effective retrospectively from December 28, 2024, ensuring that any passenger who suffered a loss on or after that date is eligible for the higher claims. The revised limits are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international reserve…

03 Apr

Raghav Chadha breaks silence on removal as AAP Deputy Leader; party hits back with “Samosa” jibe

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, Punjabairport samosa controversy, Ashok Mittal Rajya Sabha, Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chadha AAP rift

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP, issued his first public response on Friday, April 3, 2026, regarding his removal from the post of Deputy Leader in the Upper House. In an emotional video message shared on social media platform X, Chadha asserted that while he has been silenced, he is not defeated. He questioned the party's decision to request the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to deny him speaking time, asking how raising public issues like high taxes, banking penalties, and the struggles of gig workers could possibly harm the party’s interests. Chadha characterized himself…

03 Apr

Here’s What Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said on Raghav Chadha’s Suspension

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, Politics, Punjab, TrendingBhagwant Mann, Punjab, Raghav Chadha

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): A fresh controversy has surfaced within the Aam Aadmi Party after the reshuffle of its Rajya Sabha leadership led to a public disagreement between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party MP Raghav Chadha. The party recently replaced Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Upper House, assigning the responsibility to Ashok Mittal. Soon after, Chadha voiced concerns, suggesting that he was being sidelined and not allowed to effectively represent public issues. Responding to these claims, Mann countered that the expectations from party representatives include actively raising matters related to Punjab at the national level. He argued that…

02 Apr

India and Canada to resume high-level trade talks as relations thaw

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsCanada, IndiaCEPA negotiations, India-Canada trade, Mark Carney, Piyush Goyal

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): India and Canada are set to reconvene their Joint Commission on Trade in late May or early June, marking a significant step toward finalizing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2024. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Thursday that India will send its "largest-ever business delegation" to Canada to accompany the commission. This strategic move follows a successful meeting between Goyal and his Canadian counterpart, Maninder Sidhu, on the sidelines of the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, where both nations agreed to fast-track trade negotiations. The upcoming summit…

02 Apr

UN condemns India’s “fast-tracked” Transgender Amendment Act 2026

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, World NewsDroupadi Murmu, gender rights, Transgender Amendment Act 2026, UN India

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The United Nations issued a sharp condemnation on Thursday, April 2, 2026, following the rapid passage and presidential assent of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026. In a statement released via its official X handle, the global body expressed deep regret over the "fast passage" of the legislation, asserting that the new law was enacted without adequate stakeholder consultation. The UN warned that the amendments risk reversing decades of progress for the transgender community in India, particularly by replacing the principle of self-identification with mandatory medical verification processes. The legislation, which received President…

02 Apr

Air India to Begin Daily Flights Between Delhi and Halwara from May 15, Boosting Punjab Connectivity

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, Punjab, TrendingAir India

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): In a significant boost to regional air travel, Air India has announced the launch of four daily flights connecting Delhi with Halwara airport near Ludhiana, starting May 15. The move marks the airline’s debut operations at Halwara, making it the first carrier to service this route. The flights will be operated using Airbus A320 family aircraft, with schedules tailored to suit business travellers and those seeking seamless onward connections. The timings have been strategically planned to allow passengers to complete same-day trips and easily link to international flights via Delhi. According to the announced schedule, the…

02 Apr

Equity Markets Tumble as Crude Oil Rally Deepens; Sensex, Nifty Under Pressure

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsBusiness, India, TrendingCrude Oil, Iran

Mumbai (Gurpreet Singh): Indian stock markets faced a sharp sell-off on Thursday as rising geopolitical tensions and a spike in oil prices rattled investor confidence. The BSE Sensex dropped over 1,300 points to trade near 71,800, while the Nifty 50 fell by more than 400 points, slipping to around 22,300 levels during early sessions. The decline followed strong remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which dampened hopes of a near-term resolution and triggered a surge in energy prices. Brent crude rose sharply, crossing the $105 mark per barrel, intensifying concerns for import-dependent economies like…

01 Apr

Navy Chief reveals India was “minutes away” from striking Pakistan during Operation Sindoor

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAdmiral Dinesh Tripathi, Indian Navy, Operation Sindoor, West Asia Conflict

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi disclosed on Wednesday that the Indian Navy was within minutes of launching a maritime strike against Pakistan during last year's Operation Sindoor. Speaking at a naval investiture ceremony, the Admiral stated that Islamabad requested a halt to kinetic actions just as Indian units were prepared to strike from the sea. The revelation underscores the extreme brinkmanship that followed the Pahalgam terror attack, which triggered the massive naval mobilization. Operation Sindoor was launched in 2025 as a high-readiness response to regional aggression, characterized by a "highly aggressive posture"…