National

New Delhi: A Parliamentary Panel has recommended expeditious introduction of a calibrated Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on high-value transactions to ensure the financial sustainability of the payments ecosystem and reduce the burden on the exchequer. The Standing Committee on Finance, in its report tabled Wednesday,...

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die Thursday, ending the stormy Monsoon Session that witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments. Earlier, the Lok Sabha was also adjourned sine die. Deviating from the normal pre-lunch schedule, the Upper House dispensed with the Zero Hour and the...

New Delhi: A heated exchange over an alleged “purification” of a Ramlila stage after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech the other day in Haldwani (Uttarakhand) dominated the Rajya Sabha Thursday, triggering noisy scenes and repeated disruptions. Kharge expressed deep anguish, stating that he had...

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha, on its last working day of the Monsoon Session, was adjourned sine die Thursday. The adjournment followed the recitation of Vande Mataram in the House, with all Parliamentarians, from Treasury to Opposition benches, standing in respect for the National Song....

New Delhi: The MPs from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Opposition parties staged separate protests, again coming face to face Thursday at the Parliament's Makar Dwar on the last day of the Monsoon session. While a section of Opposition MPs raised slogans against the...

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan Thursday said the controversial agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) linked to Lionel Messi’s proposed visit to the state in 2025 was being subjected to a detailed probe, with preliminary findings pointing to grave errors and possible GST...

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar Thursday joined the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, sharing a photograph of himself with the national flag flying at his residence, ahead of the country’s 80th Independence Day celebrations. EAM Jaishankar shared the photograph on 'X' with the...

Ranchi: The ongoing agitation by students in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) continued Thursday, with protesters reiterating that their movement will not end until concrete action...

New Delhi: Less than a month after calling off its 36-day agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke Wednesday announced that season 2 of their campaign would begin soon. Dipke also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the July...

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam improved Wednesday as the number of affected people dipped to 87,000 in four districts, but the toll climbed to 103 as two more deaths were reported, an official bulletin said. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA)...