Charter of demands presented to all parties in Rajasthan for action by next govt. Tribal groups in Rajasthan have demanded that the next elected government in the State reveal the status of each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with reference to tribal communities and declare their status targets. …

Study says 26% of global premature death and disease burden by air pollution occurs in India India, with 18% of the world’s population, has a disproportionately high 26% of the global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution. Moreover, one in eight deaths in India was attributable to …

Centre expects receipts to exceed the budgeted target this year, says chairman Demonetisation was beneficial in terms of increasing the tax base as well as increasing direct tax collections, Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Sushil Chandra said on Tuesday. The government expects to exceed the budgeted target for direct …

Russia has begun allowing some ships to enter Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, Kiev said on Tuesday, in what could signal an easing of tensions in the flashpoint area. Ukraine has accused Moscow of blocking merchant vessels from entering and leaving the ports. In late November, the situation …

No levy merits putting the nation’s unity in danger, says PM The French government on Tuesday backed down on planned fuel tax hikes in a bid to draw the heat out of fierce protests that have escalated into the deepest crisis of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. The concessions, coming after an …

‘U.K. doesn’t need support of other members to end process’ In a boost for those campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union (EU) or hold a second referendum, a top EU legal adviser confirmed that Britain could withdraw its notice to leave the EU unilaterally, without getting the …

Facing a public outcry, J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday said “the word Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)” for the J&K Bank had no legal connotation. Former State Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, however, said the Governor’s statement reflected “utter ignorance”. “J&K Bank is registered as a Government company under the …

Winter is likely to be warmer than average, with fewer ‘cold wave’ days between December and February, according to a forecast by the India Meteorological Department. The forecast suggests that ‘above normal’ seasonal minimum temperatures (>0.5° C) are most likely over most of the subdivisions of the country. However Jammu …

To ensure effective trial of pending criminal cases involving former and sitting lawmakers in Bihar and Kerala, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed setting up of special designated courts in each district of these two States to try such cases. Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, appointed as amicus curiae to assist the …

Cooperation in Mangdechhu power project a sign of strong ties: Vijay Gokhale India is expected to commission a major hydropower project in Bhutan in the coming weeks, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said on Tuesday. Delivering a speech on India-Bhutan relations, the top diplomat said cooperation in the hydropower sector was …

Very few have filed their claims in view of panchayat polls More than 40 organisations from the Barak Valley in southern Assam have demanded an extension of the ongoing phase for submission of claims to be included in the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) in view of the panchayat …

Nirmala Sitharaman gets guard of honour at Pentagon India and the U.S. are planning to “sort out” issues around a U.S. sanctions waiver related to India’s purchase of the S-400 Triumf missile defence system from Russia, U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis told the press at the Pentagon on Monday. …

Only 12% of pledges have materialised: Ministry paper The Finance Ministry has issued a ‘discussion paper’ that has criticised the accounting methods used by developed countries to report how much money they have given, so far, to developing countries to address climate change. Accounting procedures, regarding the flow of climate …

Poor show in Kashmir region; Jammu registers 84% Kashmir recorded a 30.3% turnout in the seventh phase of panchayat elections on Tuesday, while the Jammu region registered a heavy 84.8%. “An average 75.3% polling was witnessed during the seventh phase in Jammu and Kashmir,” Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra said. …

Union Minister and LJP president says his stand always has been that the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue will be final and should be acceptable to all Union Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan completes 50 years in Indian politics, having served in the Cabinets …

Only 10 States have notified rules under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act A study conducted by the Disability Rights India Foundation (DRIF) on the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, across 24 States, has revealed that more than half have not notified the State rules, …

Absence of staff for panchayat polls may hinder filing of claims, say Barak Valley organisations More than 40 organisations of southern Assam’s Barak Valley have demanded an extension of the ongoing claims submission phase of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) in view of the panchayat elections. Less than …

British national Christian James Michel, wanted in the alleged Rs. 3,700 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal bribery case, was extradited to India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday. Mr. Michel was brought to Delhi on an Aviation Research Centre plane of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) around 10.45 …

The quality of indelible ink manufactured by Mysuru Paints and Varnishes and used during elections in various parts of the country came in for praise from the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commissioner R. Parasuram. “We are absolutely satisfied with the product,” said Mr. Parasuram when asked if there was any …

Miss Ajitha, said to be a top commander of the Naxalite group which attacked the Pulpalli wireless station recently, was apprehended along with eight others in the Kottiyur forest early this morning [December 3] and taken to the Mananthody police station. The police are reported to have seized from Ajitha …