Dailypioneer

But media adviser of Punjab ex-CM says he discussed farmers’ agitation

Amidst political turmoil in poll-bound Punjab, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, setting off political speculation about his next course of action. Singh had an hour-long meeting with Shah, however, he refused to comment whether he would join the BJP.

The visit after his assertion on Tuesday that he would be meeting “any political leader” in the national Capital, came amid reports that Singh, 79, may be inclined to an offer to join the BJP or strike an all

Unlike the banking giants, the cooperative movement has been a success in India. They have been sturdily playing a seminal role

Along with the recent Cabinet expansion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced a Ministry of Cooperation. Earlier, on a visit to Amul Dairy at Anand, he had called this the third way; the Prime Minister probably meant limited corporations, partnerships/proprietorships and now also cooperatives.

Why are cooperatives, or cooperative institutions, important? One, they enable the direct participation of people in entrepreneurial activity. Two, the trust of

Devoleena Bhattacharjee was seen along with Arti Singh as hosts of the 'Bigg Boss 15' launch event that was hosted at Nagpur. The launch event also saw her as the captain of one of the teams performing survival tasks and TV favourite 'Gopi Bahu' emerged as the winner of the survival task.

She says: "I was born and raised in Sivasagar, a small town in Assam which is still covered with the greenery and many tea gardens around. I had spent my childhood there and had enjoyed a challenging lifestyle. We used to play in the jungle areas around while going to schools and tuitions. So it was r

Thousands of BJP workers in the national capital on Sunday gathered at the Palam Airport technical area to give a grand welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his return after a successful visit to the US.

Delhi BJP vice president Virendra Sachdeva told IANS that thousands of BJP workers have gathered at the airport to accord grand welcome to Prime Minister Modi on his return from another successful visit from abroad.

According to Sachdeva a big stage has been set up where Prime Minister Modi will come and accept greetings from people. "A stretch of three kilometres from the airport

Ever since it became a sovereign nation, Pakistan has been ostensibly ‘helping’ the US to actually further its own interests in the region

The US is keenly looking into the role Pakistan played in Afghanistan after its war against Taliban and terrorism following the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. This was revealed by US Secretary of State Tony Blinken to angry US lawmakers who were protesting against Pakistan’s “duplicitous” role in Afghanistan. Among others, Congressman Bill Keating, Chair, House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee, said that apart from

The British aimed to corner a fair share of India’s lucrative trade and considered small patches of forests as wastelands as these were not a source of revenue

Although there is an abundance of writing on the history of deforestation in India, the absence of an objectively written history is painfully felt by one who intends to gain an impartial perspective of Indian forestry and its causes of degradation and deforestation.

The approaches of current writers are not uniform, and they have biases and leanings. For example, most Indian historians view the British as timber pirates, lan

An influential US Congressman has welcomed India's decision to resume the export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool.

India's Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said the country will resume export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines in the fourth quarter of this year under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool.

He, however, asserted that vaccinating own citizens remains the topmost priority of the government. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and WHO.

"I we

Amid a decline in Covid cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors for foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said.

First five lakh foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost, in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors, badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was announced.

Top Union Home Ministry officials are deliberating with all stakeholders on the expected date and modalities for opening up of the country for foreign tourists.

A formal announcement allowing fo

The recently released first look of Nawazuddin Siddiqui on his social media from his first English feature film 'No Land's Man' has garnered a lot of attention.

The film has already bagged a nomination from Busan Film Festival for Kim Jiseok Award.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Nawazuddin shared his excitement for the nomination.

"It feels great to receive such a massive response from the audience. I am glad to learn that the viewers are interested in cinema like 'No Land's Man'."

"The film is a satire on the issues that we as a world are facing. I am sure that every

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday allocated portfolios to the newly-inducted ministers, keeping a host of departments including Home with himself and without appointing any deputy. Kanubhai Desai was allocated Finance and Energy and Petrochemicals portfolios. Besides Home ministry, CM Patel will hold the charge of General Administration Department, Information and Broadcast, Industries, Mines and Minerals, Capital Projects, Urban Development, Urban Housing and Narmada and Ports, an official release said.

The Delhi government on Monday said it will provide financial assistance up to Rs 50,000 and a rebate of 10 percent on water bills to encourage people to install rooftop rainwater harvesting systems.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had earlier issued guidelines mandating owners of existing and new properties measuring 100 square meters and above to install RWH structures.

"The city government has extended the last date for the implementation of the RWH provisions till December 31, 2021," the water utility said in a statement.

Also, it will not be mandatory to take DJB certification for

Seven grenades were found outside the quick action team (QAT) bunker of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion headquarters on Monday in J&K's Srinagar district.

Police sources said the grenades were found lying mysteriously outside the QAT bunker of 28 CRPF battalion in Bemina area of Srinagar city.

"Bomb disposal squad has reached the spot," sources said.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday approved the appointment of Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya as assistant director in education department of the Delhi government.

“Met Olympic 2021 Silver Medallist, Ravi Kumar Dahiya today at Raj Niwas. Happy to have approved his appointment as Assistant Director in the Education Department, subject to the concurrence of UPSC,” Baijal said in a tweet.

Dahiya, a native of Nahri village in Haryana, is only the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games.

Pak wants to ensure presence of Haqqani mercenaries in Af Presidential Palace

As part of its long-term strategic game plan, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed’s visit to Kabul earlier this week was to ensure implementation of a list of its demands, including reduction of the number of Afghans in the Presidential Palace in Kabul and to ensure the significant presence of the mercenaries of the Haqqani Network to monitor the activities of the Taliban leaders.

Hameed, according to sources tracking the developments there, also discussed with the Taliban leader

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday launched the Delhi government's "Business Blasters" programme at the Thyagraj Stadium here.

The programme that will be implemented in all Delhi government schools under the "entrepreneurship mindset curriculum", is aimed at developing young entrepreneurs at the school-level.

“I am proud to launch this Business Blasters programme. It is going to be the foundation stone in the development of the country,” Sisodia said.

As part of the programme that was “successful as a pilot project”, students of classes 11 and 12 will be provided see

Taliban control over Af now complete

The Taliban said on Monday they have seized the last province, Panjshir, not in their control after their blitz through Afghanistan last month, apparently overrunning the National Resistance Front (NRF) forces who had opposed their takeover.

Thousands of Taliban fighters charged into eight districts of Panjshir province overnight, according to witnesses from the area who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared for their safety.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that the province, which is north of the capital, was now

The Taliban have pledged safety and security of humanitarian staff and assured the UN of cooperation to ensure the assistance is delivered to the people of Afghanistan, a senior UN official has said.
United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths met Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and head of the its political office and other leaders of the outfit in Kabul on Sunday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"At the request of the Secretary-General, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Rel

Police have registered a case against 17 AAP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, for violating Covid protocols during the party’s Tiranga Yatra here.

Reacting to the development, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the mindset of the BJP is still like that of the British.

The BJP Government ensures an FIR is filed for taking out the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ that too in the 75th year of Independence. “The British have gone but the mindset of the BJP is still a slave to them. The BJP can hold Ashirwad Yatra, Benga

Military says air strike targeted vehicle loaded with explosives
The US military confirmed on Sunday that it targeted an “explosive-laden vehicle” headed towards Kabul’s international airport where the American military is involved in an evacuation operation. “US military forces
conducted a self-defence unmanned over-the-horizon air strike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamid Karzai International airport,” said Captain Bill Urban, spokesman of the US Central Command.
“We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosi

Terming the situation in Afghanistan as “critical,” the Government on Thursday told 31 political parties that India will have to wait to let things “settle down” and be “patient” before deciding its approach towards the Taliban. The Centre also said the Taliban has broken the promises made in the Doha agreement about allowing religious freedom and democracy in Afghanistan.

At present, the top priority is to evacuate all Indian citizens from the strife torn country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here after briefing an all-party meeting on the situation in Afghanistan.

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