For years, the vast expanse of natural white limestone under the earth has been excavated by local people. The pulverised stone was used as an essential feed in poultry farms, as a component in paints and distemper, and as aggregate in floor tiles. In 1959, the A.P. government issued 20-year …

The rescue operation for flood victims in Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts continued on Saturday with response teams battling strong river currents and heavy rain to bring stranded citizens to safety, even as a parallel crisis unfolded in the Kuttanad region, where rising floodwaters inundated thousands of houses, forcing a mass …

The unprecedented deluge in Kerala unleashed by heavy rain, overflowing rivers, brimming dams and massive landslips has overwhelmed the State government and rescue agencies, as they struggle to make a complete assessment of the devastation. More than 160 people have died since August 8, and several are missing. The State …

The Asian Games begin in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang on Saturday, providing Indian sport a bracing opportunity to prove its composite progress at the global level. While confined to competition from within Asia, the Asiad is keenly contested, involving some of the best sportspersons in their respective …

Uninterrupted democracy for the past decade has inspired hope that Pakistan is changing and that history might be a false guide to a new type of civil-military relationship inside Pakistan. The peaceful transition to a new electoral force represented by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is seen by some as further …

The urgency to address poor nutrition in India, especially among children, adolescent girls and women is compelling, and re-confirmed in virtually every survey — from NFHS-4 in 2015-16 (the latest available information), to the Global Nutrition Report 2016 and the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017, which ranks India at 100 …

The last thing Varghese Thalikaparambil, 72, probably saw on that Thursday night of apocalyptic rain was water cascading into his house at Manikandanchal, on the banks of the Pooyamkutty river —a tributary of the mighty Periyar in Kuttampuzha panchayat along the eastern border of Kerala’s Ernakulam district. It was August …

India’s PC shipments notched a healthy 28.1% growth in April-June 2018 to 2.25 million units, buoyed by strong notebook demand, research firm IDC India said. On the pecking order of vendors, IDC said, HP Inc. maintained its leadership with a market share of 31.6% during the quarter followed by Dell …

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has urged payment system operators to ensure adequate attention is paid to ensuring cybersecurity and redressing customer grievances. “Operators should ensure that no corner is cut regarding cybersecurity — after all, in a network environment we are only as strong as the …

The flow of bank credit to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that took a hit in the aftermath of demonetisation seems to have picked up again, a study by officials at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. Growth of bank credit to the MSME sector, which had started …

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attacked “hostile forces” over “brigandish” sanctions, state media reported on Friday, as Washington seeks to maintain pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, Mr. Kim did not name the U.S. but rebuked what he called …

Nepal introduced a new criminal code on Friday that makes sharing confidential information a jailable offence, sparking concerns among journalists that the laws could be used to muzzle the press. Media have warned that the Communist-led government, which has shown an increasing intolerance for dissent, could use the vaguely worded …

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a petition filed by Russel Joy, a resident of Idukki district where the dam is located. Mr. Joy, represented by advocate Manoj George, highlighted that the water level in the dam was dangerously high and …

The Department of Revenue has received a reference from the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) unit of the Central government, seeking a probe to determine whether the Indian entities linked to Amnesty International-UK violated foreign exchange rules. The Enforcement Directorate is looking into the issue that pertains to the FCRA …

Tamil Nadu has “dissented” from an advisory issued by a Supreme Court-nominated expert committee to reduce water storage in the Mullaperiyar dam by two to three feet. As of Friday morning, water in the dam had risen to 141.2 feet, just a few inches short of the 142-feet ceiling mandated …

Over the last few years, ‘Durga Puja diplomacy’ has been gaining importance in Kolkata, with countries that have consulates here making it a point to participate in the celebrations. This year, China has decided to take a big step forward by actively collaborating with the BJ Block Durga Puja Committee …

Six Prime Ministers have visited Nagaland. But none of them, including Narendra Modi, has found as much space in the heart of the Nagas as Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was not just because Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister to recognise the “unique history of the Nagas” and provide a …

With urban India responsible for an increasingly large share of the national GDP, the Centre now hopes to bring out city-level GDP data. This could help both cities and investors make wise decisions, and also help municipal bodies raise funds for their own infrastructure needs, according to a senior official …

The West Bengal government on Friday told the Supreme Court that the row over the recently-concluded panchayat polls in the State has led to a “constitutional crisis” since the tenure of several panchayats was over and new bodies have not been made functional. The apex court had earlier stayed the …

City-level GDP data, he said, could help municipal bodies make better decisions on needed infrastructure and investment, and also leverage their economic strength to raise funds to finance their needs. Mr. Kumar pointed out that the Pune municipal corporation — which he headed till recently — had been able to …