New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Monday said the government has no involvement with retired diplomats and military officials participating in overseas discussions on India-Pakistan ties in their personal capacities and that New Delhi does not even take cognisance of such deliberations. Misri's remarks to the media at Victoria in Seychelles came in the wake of reports...

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was Monday recognised as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha following his re-election to the Upper House. Kharge took oath in the chamber of Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan Monday. "Consequent upon the expiry of his term of office as a member of the Rajya Sabha on June...

Bhubaneswar: A 35-year-old man was booked for allegedly flying a drone over the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar without authorisation, police said Monday. Acting on information about the unauthorised flying of a drone over the protected monument, police registered a case under relevant provisions of the BNS and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958....

New Delhi: CBSE Monday issued fresh guidelines for the implementation of its three-language policy, granting exemption to the current batch of Class X students from studying three languages. As a one-time relaxation to Class IX students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) clarified that the current batch will have to study three languages, but they can...

Victoria: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday departed for India, concluding a three-day visit to Seychelles during which he held wide-ranging talks with President Patrick Herminie. A high-level delegation and members of the Indian diaspora came to the airport to see him off. The two countries unveiled 19 outcomes in various sectors, including defence, maritime security, digital payments,...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has approved a Rs 42-crore interest subvention scheme aimed at strengthening fertiliser distribution through cooperative societies, a statement said Monday. The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC), chaired by the secretary of the Cooperation Department, it said. Under the scheme, the government plans to increase the cooperative sector's...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police's crime branch has blocked at least 46 fake websites involved in duping tourists on the pretext of providing hotel accommodation and other facilities for visits to Puri during the annual Rath Yatra, scheduled to begin on July 16, officials said Monday. The crime branch's cyber cell swung into action after receiving several complaints from...

Chennai: Actress and producer Radhika Sarathkumar Monday penned an emotional post on eminent director K Bhagyaraj, with whom she had been friends for over 50 years, even as she called for protocols to be laid with regard to crowd and media management at funerals. Taking to her social media timelines to pen her thoughts on the demise...

Kabul: At least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed, while 163 others were injured in Pakistani military airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces, Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed Monday. Citing reports, Fitrat said the attacks carried out Sunday night in the Gayan district of Paktika, Tsamkani district of Paktia and Manogai district...

New Delhi: A Delhi court Monday extended till July 11 the judicial custody of 10 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The accused were produced before the Rouse Avenue Court through video conferencing on the expiry of their earlier judicial custody. The court extended the judicial...