New Delhi: The Election Commission Wednesday said it has introduced a new procedure to ensure the delivery of voter identity cards to electors within 15 days of an update in the electoral rolls, including new enrolment or a change in any particulars of an existing voter. As of now, it takes a little over a month for...

New Delhi: All central government employees part of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) will now be eligible for retirement and death gratuity benefits available under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Union Minister Jitendra Singh said Wednesday. Responding to this long-pending demand by a large section of government employees, he said, the move addresses a significant demand of...

Pakistan never fails to make the world laugh, and here is proof. In a video going viral on social media, some rustic Pakistani men can be seen proudly sitting in a big 'fighter jet.' But this is not a real jet, rather, it is a desi jugaad created with talent and overconfidence, after seeing which even America's...

Shillong: More than three weeks after the sensational murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, the Meghalaya government has directed all homestays, resorts and families to mandatorily record details of tourists they host, officials said Wednesday. A senior official of the Meghalaya Tourism Department said that the state government has directed all the homestays, resorts and even landlords...

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Odia writer Subrat Kumar Senapati has been named the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for 2025, while fellow Odia writer Rajakishore Parhi has won the Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Sahitya Akademi announced Wednesday. Senapati was awarded the Yuva Puraskar for his contribution to Odia literature, joining 22 other young writers selected across various...

Dubai: Iran's supreme leader Wednesday rejected US calls for surrender in the face of blistering Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage” to them, in an official statement read by a state TV anchor. The remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has only been seen once since the strikes...

Berhampur: Crime Branch Wednesday launched an investigation into the gangrape of a 20-year-old woman at Gopalpur Beach in Odisha's Ganjam district. A team of officials visited Gopalpur Beach and launched a detailed investigation into the gangrape case. The incident took place when the survivor had gone to the beach with her male friend. Police have arrested 10...

Kolkata: Leading ratings agency ICRA, in its latest outlook, has projected that India's real GDP growth for 2025-26 financial year will exceed 6.5 per cent. The agency also said the country's real Gross Value Added (GVA) growth will surpass 6.3 per cent during the same period. While GDP determines the total value of goods and services produced...

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Wednesday said heavy rain would lash several places across Odisha till June 24. According to the mid-day bulletin issued by the IMD, a well-marked low-pressure area formed over Gangetic West Bengal and its neighbourhood is likely to move slowly towards Jharkhand. Under its impact, heavy to very heavy, and at places...

Mumbai: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower Wednesday as soaring tensions in the Middle East and caution ahead of the US Fed interest rate decision hit investor sentiment. Surrendering its early gains, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined by 138.64 points or 0.17 per cent to close at 81,444.66. After a weak opening, the index hit a...