Akshita Kapoor

[ad_1] PATNA: In Bihar's complex political theatre, few figures are as erratic, unpredictable and, at times, bewildering as Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Once introduced as a rising heir to his father's legacy, Tej Pratap has evolved into a political liability, a family outcast, and, most curiously, a man whose personal whims have routinely overshadowed the party's agenda.This election year in Bihar, Tej Pratap has become the proverbial thorn in Lalu's side, a distraction the veteran socialist could no longer ignore. On Saturday, Tej Pratap again seized headlines, not for strategy or statesmanship, but for posting on social media about a new "relation" with a woman. The announcement was casual, dramatic and ambiguous, a pattern now familiar to those who have followed his journey over the past decade.While dynastic politics in the country often comes […]

[ad_1] KARAULI (RAJASTHAN): Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home.Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood.With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1mm (1951-2000) to 563.94mm (2001-2011), according to govt data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms.Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and […]

[ad_1] It was, however, the final day of the Premier League season that delivered the drama, exciting goals, and results critical to defining the three teams that now constitute the final league table.But fans were stuck to their seats as each club jockeyed for European places, pride, and survival, and every team was playing simultaneously. Some went quietly, while others went out with a bang, including a few sides who ensured their campaigns ended positively with three points.All the results from Matchday 38Manchester City finished off their season in professional style with a 2-0 success over Fulham, confirming a strong finale for them. Bournemouth ended up 2-0 winners at Leicester City – a final score to emphasise the latter's poor season. Arsenal made sure to finish on a high note, edging out Southampton 2-1 in a game where both teams […]

[ad_1] CHANDIGARH: Unregulated sand mining - in violation of environmental laws and National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives - has changed the course of the Yamuna river in Asadpur village of Haryana's Sonipat district, according to officials of the irrigation and water resources department.In a report submitted after a field inspection on May 22, a four-member team of the department led by R K Bodwal, superintending engineer, Sonipat, has flagged widespread illegal mining activity. The team, which included executive engineers Ashish Kaushik and Gulshan Kumar and sub-divisional officer Himanshu, revealed that licensed operators were excavating far beyond permitted zones while using heavy machinery directly in the active river stream.Their findings, detailed in a formal communication to chief engineer, Yamuna Water Services (South), New Delhi, were accompanied by geotagged photographs and videos."Several unauthorised paths have been created and the river's natural flow […]

[ad_1] BENGALURU: Karnataka legislative assembly speaker UT Khader Sunday revoked the suspension of 18 BJP MLAs with immediate effect, allowing them to attend monsoon session likely to be held in July.A six-month suspension had been slapped on the MLAs on March 21 -- the last day of the budget session -- for unruly behaviour and disrespecting the chair. The incident took place while the opposition members sought judicial probe into the alleged honeytrap attempt on minister KN Rajanna and other members of the House. Amid the din, the House passed contentious bills, including one seeking to provide 4% reservation to Muslims in govt civil contracts.The decision to truncate the suspension period by nearly four months came after the speaker's meeting on Sunday with chief minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar, law and parliamentary minister HK Patil, leader of the opposition […]

[ad_1] At least seven govt officers were severely injured when a swarm of bees attacked them while they were inspecting the progress of Har Ghar Nal Yojana in Devgarh village, around 35km from UP's Lalitpur.Additional district magistrate Rajesh Srivastava reportedly sustained over 500 bee stings. He was rushed to a hospital in Jhansi where his condition is stated to be critical. Chief development officer Kamalakant Pandey was also badly injured and is being treated at the Jhansi hospital. Pandey reportedly dropped to the ground and kept his face buried for nearly 30 minutes to protect himself. Srivastava's gunner tried to shield him but also got stung.Villagers came wrapped in blankets to rescue the victims. Others injured were nayab tehsildar Ghanendra Tiwari, sub-inspector Dinesh Kumar, lekhpal Suryansh, lekhpal Shashank, and a police constable who was part of the escort team. "They […]

[ad_1] IMPHAL: Five protesters were hospitalised Sunday after scuffling with security forces near Raj Bhavan in Imphal as the public agitation demanding an apology from governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over "Manipur" being scraped off the windshield of a state transport corporation bus on May 20 lapsed into violent unrest.Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters converging on the historic Kangla Gate, around 150 metres from the Raj Bhavan gates, when they refused to retreat.The influential Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which spearheaded the protest, had given the governor 48 hours to publicly apologise for what it said was an insult to the state and its people."The governor continues to disregard the sentiments of the people by his silence. He and his administration have tarnished the state's historical and cultural legacy... The inquiry commission set up by the govt to […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh Police is purportedly not keen on handing over the body of slain CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju - killed in an encounter last week at Narayanpur in the state - to his "family" amid fears that a public funeral, left to his kin, may unnecessarily end up glorifying the top Maoist mastermind behind the brutal killing of hundreds of security personnel and innocent tribals.Sources in Chhattisgarh Police said Basavaraju is survived by his stepmother and brothers in his native place in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district. His brother and few cousins have approached Chhattisgarh Police over the last few days to claim his body for performing last rites in Andhra Pradesh. Chhattisgarh Police is verifying the claims and will consider all aspects before taking a final call, TOI has learned.Senior officials hinted that […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on Saturday, May 24, eight days ahead of its usual onset date of June 1, marking its earliest appearance on the Indian mainland since 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. This early onset, according to IMD Scientist Neetha K Gopal, aligns with their official forecast which had projected monsoon arrival around May 27, with a margin of four days. “Monsoon onset took place today, 24th May, and it is much ahead of its schedule. Normally, the standard monsoon arrival date in Kerala is 1st June, but IMD has already forecasted that the monsoon will reach early this year,” Gopal told ANI. “The official forecast was 27th May with a model of 4 days. That means the monsoon could reach 4 days before 27th May or 4 days after 27th May. […]