Around 1000 small bridges will be constructed in rural areas in Bihar where a number of such structures collapsed in the recent past, an official said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The cabinet gave its approval for launching of the 'Mukhyamantri Gramin Setu Nirman Yojana' (MGSNY) under which the bridges will be built, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), said.

Amid a walkout by the opposition BJD and Congress, the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday passed the Appropriation Bill, 2024 allowing the state government to spend Rs 2.65 lakh crore from its consolidated fund during the financial year 2024-25.

While speaking in favour of the Bill in the House, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the budget estimation for 2024-25 is Rs 2.65 lakh crore which is 15 per cent more than the budget estimates for 2023-24.

The programme budget is estimated at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, which is 24 per cent more than the previous one and the capital outlay is Rs 58,195 crore, which is 6.3 per cent of GSDP, he said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government, saying statistics of encounters during the BJP rule are also statistics of the "injustice of illegal killings" and "injustice done against the PDA".

The former chief minister also shared some data of "fake encounter killings", claiming that 60 per cent of those killed in gunfights with the police belonged to the PDA a combine of 'Pichde, Dalit and Alpsankhyak' communities (backwards, Dalits and minorities). However, the data had no source mentioned.

Asserting that democracy and technology together can ensure the welfare of humanity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India has the capability to become a trusted partner in a diversified semiconductor supply chain and assured that the government will follow a predictable and stable policy regime.

Prime Minister Modi stated this while chairing the Semiconductor Executives' Roundtable at his residence - 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. During the meeting, he said that their ideas will not only shape their business but also India's future, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.

Stressing that the coming time will be technology-driven, Modi said semiconductor is the basis of the digital age and the day is not far when the semiconductor industry will be the bedrock for even basic necessities.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted a site inspection of the Noida International Airport, currently under construction in Jewar, on Tuesday as he sought to address issues related to land acquisition for the mega project.

He also directed officials to ensure that "no outsiders mislead the villagers" about the land acquisition process.

The chief minister closely examined the ongoing work and issued essential directives to ensure timely completion. After that, he held a comprehensive review meeting with district administration, local authorities and officials of the company constructing the airport.

The West Bengal Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to a proposal to set up five more special POCSO courts in the state, taking the total number of such courts to 67 Minister of State for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya said.

The decision came when the state is rocked by the protests against the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor in the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Bhattacharya said the step was taken to quickly dispose of cases linked to child sexual abuse.

The Cabinet meeting, held at the state secretariat on Tuesday afternoon, was chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bhattacharya said that the state already has 62 POCSO courts.

"There was a proposal from our judicial department to set up five more special POCSO courts. The Cabinet gave its approval today. We have 62 such courts including six e-POCSO courts. This will help us to quickly address child abuse cases," Bhattacharya said.

It was also decided at the meeting that no other minister other than the CM, would make any statement to the media in connection to the RG Kar issue, a source in the secretariat said.

Around 1000 small bridges will be constructed in rural areas in Bihar where a number of such structures collapsed in the recent past, an official said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The cabinet gave its approval for launching of the 'Mukhyamantri Gramin Setu Nirman Yojana' (MGSNY) under which the bridges will be built, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), said.

"Under this scheme, small bridges will be constructed in rural areas on a priority basis. The Rural Works Department (RWD) will construct bridges up to 100 metres in length and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited will construct them," Siddharth said.

A senior American diplomat is travelling to India and Bangladesh this week to reaffirm the US commitment to supporting the economic growth of its partners and promoting stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the US State Department said on Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu will first stop in New Delhi, where he will highlight the US-India cooperation to promote development, security, and women’s economic security at the India Ideas Summit, hosted by the US-India Business Council.

During the trip starting from September 10-16, Lu will also co-chair the eighth US-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue alongside US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Jedidiah P Royal and counterparts from the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Ministry of Defence.

The dialogue will identify opportunities to enhance the US-India bilateral partnership, including defence cooperation, and expand US-India collaboration in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the State Department said in a press release.

In Dhaka, Lu will join an interagency delegation for meetings with the Bangladeshi interim government. The delegation will include representatives from the US Department of the Treasury, USAID, and the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday rubbished the Congress's allegations that the ruling CPI(M) and the Left government led by it had a nexus with the RSS, saying such charges are being rejected with the contempt they deserve.

While addressing a programme organised by the CPI(M) in nearby Kovalam, Vijayan also said that no one needs to entertain the false hope that the LDF government could be maligned by flagging unfounded allegations of links with the RSS.

The Chief Minister's statement comes amidst a mounting attack by the Congress against him over a senior IPS officer's meeting with RSS leaders, with the grand old party alleging that it had taken place with his knowledge.

Vijayan alleged that it was the top Congress leaders and their governments who had helped the RSS grow in the country and the state on various occasions.

The Manipur government on Tuesday evening issued an amended order, stating that the suspension of internet services in the wake of intensified agitation by students applies only to the state’s five valley districts.

Earlier, the state government had issued a notification for suspension of internet services in the entire state for five days.

The hill districts do not come under the purview of the order, officials said.

As many as 40 students were injured on Tuesday following clashes with security forces when they attempted to march towards the Raj Bhavan in Imphal to press for their demands to remove the DGP and security advisor to the state government, police reported.

According to police, thousands of students and women demonstrators tried to march towards the Raj Bhavan on BT Road in Imphal, but were stopped by security forces near the Congress Bhavan.

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks in the United States on the BJP-led government and the Election Commission, accusing him of "defaming" India abroad out of his frustration due to repeated defeats in polls.

Chouhan, the BJP's Jharkhand election in-charge, arrived in Ranchi during the day for a party meeting over its proposed 'Parivartan Rallies' scheduled this month.

After days of ongoing protests, the Governor has finally agreed to meet with the group of students who have been demanding attention to their grievances. A delegation representing the protesters was allowed into Raj Bhawan, the official residence of the Governor, to hold discussions. This meeting marks a significant step towards resolving the ongoing standoff between the authorities and the students. The protestors had been calling for a dialogue on issues related to their academic and administrative concerns, which had previously been unaddressed. Both sides are expected to discuss potential solutions during the meeting.

Ruling DMK's ally, Thol Thirumavalavan heading the VCK party, on Tuesday invited opposition AIADMK and all democratic parties to lend support to the VCK women's conference on elimination of liquor and narcotic substances to be held in Kallakurichi on Gandhi Jayanthi.

His open invite to the rival camp triggered speculation on the re-grouping of political parties ahead of the 2026 assembly election.

The AIADMK said its general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would take a call on the invite, and took a dig at the VCK chief for his alleged silence during the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in the state.

When reporters sought his comments, DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin replied, "it's their (AIADMK's) wish," and declined to discuss further on the subject.

Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare on Tuesday said the top brass of his party has held talks with Union minister Amit Shah about contesting the coming assembly elections unitedly.

He, along with party president and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and working president Praful Patel met the senior BJP leader here on Monday, Tatkare told reporters. "Our goal is to come to power again. We had a detailed discussion on contesting polls unitedly," he added. There was no discussion on the chief minister's post, Tatkare said.

Bovine animal Mithun has been spotted in Assam for the first time, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

Mithun, which has the scientific name Bos Frontalis, is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and is also found in the hills of Manipur and Mizoram.

"Assam adds another faunal friend to its biodiversity. In another beautiful addition to our animal kingdom diversity, we have recorded the presence of Mithun (Bos Frontalis) in the hilly areas of Dima Hasao," Sarma posted on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday urged cybersecurity agencies to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify the modus operandi of criminals duping people of their hard-earned money, spreading fake news and abusing women and children online.

India hosts around 46 per cent or almost half of global digital transactions, making the job of these agencies "challenging", he said while delivering a keynote speech during the first foundation day celebrations of the I4C or Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre here.

The I4C, established in 2018, is a department under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is tasked with establishing a national-level coordination centre to address all cybercrime-related issues in the country.

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Left government in the state saying its inaction on the Justice Hema Committee report was "alarming." A special division bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and C S Sudha said the government got the report years ago and ought to have immediately responded and directed that the full report be handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take requisite action.

It also asked why the state was silent for so long. The bench said women are more in number in Kerala and asked what the state was doing about the problems being faced by them in society. It said the government took action only more than four years after it got the report.

The Manipur government on Tuesday suspended internet services in the entire state for five days amid intensified agitation by students. The decision was taken to curb the use of social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video, the state home department said in a notification.

"Temporary suspension/curbing of internet and mobile data services including Lease Lines, VSATs, broadbands and VPN services (were ordered) in the territorial jurisdiction of the state of Manipur for five days with effect from 3 PM of September 10 to till 3 PM of September 15," the notification said.

Former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh was on Tuesday sent to judicial custody till September 23 by a special CBI court in the financial irregularities case. The court also sent his security personnel Afsar Ali and two alleged associates, contractors Vendors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra, to judicial custody till September 23.

The CBI told the court that it would seek their custody again if required.

Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on charges of financial irregularities on September 2 amid protests over the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar MCH.

Days after the Kuki apex body, Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), denied any involvement of foreign entities, including China and the US, in recent drone attacks and bombings in Manipur , the state's Inspector General of Police (Operations), I. K. Muivah, confirmed foreign involvement in the incidents. He said that they would most likely hand over all the pieces of evidence that they have collected during their investigation of the drone bombing case to the central investigating agencies and that it will be investigated at a higher level.

A BJP leader was seriously injured after unknown persons attacked him with a blunt object in Bhagalpur district, hours after another local party leader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Patna, police said. The injured BJP worker has been identified as Shashi Modi, the husband of a local ward councillor. "The incident took place during Ganesh puja celebrations near Qutubganj Mahadev pond in Babbarganj police station area around 11.30 pm on Monday. Some unidentified miscreants attacked Shashi Modi and two other persons with a blunt object over some trivial issue," a police statement said.

The Kerala High Court strongly criticised the state government over its inaction over the Hema Committee report. The Court asked why didn’t the state take any action after the disclosures made in the Hema Committee report. The Court has directed the state to handover the sealed report to SIT. 
 

Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday announced to launch an indefinite fast from September 16 midnight to press for the Maratha reservation demand. In February, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs, but Jarange is insisting on the inclusion of Marathas in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. The activist has been leading protests demanding OBC certificates for recognising all Kunbis (agriculturists) and their “sage soyre” (blood relatives) as Marathas.

The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to interfere with a fresh FIR lodged against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the 1991 disappearance and murder of junior engineer Balwant Singh Multani. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal said that in view of the subsequent development of a charge sheet being filed in the case, it would not like to interfere with the FIR.

A video of girl students drinking beer inside a government school in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district surfaced on social media, prompting the education authorities to launch a probe, an official said on Tuesday. The purported video was from the Government Higher Secondary School in Bhatchaura village in the Masturi area and was shot on July 29, the official said. In the video that went viral on social media, girls could be seen drinking beer and soft drinks, said TR Sahu, District Education Officer (DEO) of Bilaspur.

A criminal carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 was arrested by police following a brief encounter in which he sustained an injury to his leg, officials said on Tuesday. Harsh Jogi was arrested on Monday night in the Chandinagar police station area, they said. Circle Officer Prita Singh said Jogi opened fire at police personnel after being surrounded. A pistol, some cartridges and a motorcycle have been seized, she said.

Truckers in West Bengal called for a 72-hour strike from Wednesday over a host of demands that includes a ban on overloading, their association said. The strike called by the Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators Association (WBTOA) could disrupt the supply chain of essential commodities ahead of the festive season.

 On actor Darshan provided VIP treatment in Bengaluru Central jail, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, B Dayananda said, "We have already called for an enquiry and 3 cases are already booked related to Parappana Agrahara Central jail. We are also waiting for CFSL report, Govt have also ordered for enquiry."

Andhra Pradesh: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) affiliated unions protest in Visakhapatnam, against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

The CBI on Tuesday produced RG Kar Ex-Principal Sandeep Ghosh before Alipore court.

Roads were washed away, power supply was disrupted and several areas were inundated as heavy rains caused by a deep depression wreaked havoc in southern Odisha on Tuesday, officials said. Among the affected districts were Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati and Ganjam, they said. Schools were shut in Malkangiri, the worst-hit district, Koraput and Ganjam, they added.

With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granting operating licence to the airport at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh's Vindhya region will get a much-needed boost to expand economic and regional connectivity, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said. With this, Madhya Pradesh will have six airports, including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Khajuraho, an official said. "The Rewa Airport in the Vindhya region has received the DGCA licence. It will boost economic activity and expand regional connectivity in the state," Yadav said in a release on Monday night.

Police have arrested the driver of a luxury car, owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son, after it hit several vehicles in Nagpur city, an official said on Tuesday. The person driving the car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail (at the local police station), a senior police official told PTI.

A curfew has been imposed in Manipur 's Imphal West amid ongoing students protest, on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed hearing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea against his arrest by the CBI. The matter was last heard on Thursday by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

 

An unidentified man died after allegedly trying to commit suicide by jumping into a creek in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Tuesday. The man, believed to be in the age group of 35 to 40 years, jumped into the Kalwa creek on Monday night, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.

Bodies of four more pilgrims were recovered on Tuesday from the debris of a landslide that occurred on Monday evening on the Kedarnath route, taking the toll in the incident to five, officials said. More pilgrims could be trapped under the debris, Rudraprayag Police said on Tuesday. A group of pilgrims returning from a visit to Kedarnath were trapped in the landslide at around 7.20 pm on Monday.

Kolkata Metro has started installing solar plants at different stations as part of its efforts to generate power from renewable sources, officials said on Tuesday. In the Blue Line, solar plants with a capacity of 763 kwp were installed at Noapara, Dum Dum, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Kavi Subhash stations, besides the Belgachia tunnel ramp, they said.

Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma on Tuesday visited Seoul Technical High School in South Korea. This is the second day of his visit. 

Evidence of terror links has been found in initial investigation of the conspiracy to overturn train in Kanpur with the investigative agencies suspecting that the person who hatched the conspiracy was a 'self radicalised' person. ISIS's khorasan module is suspected to be involved in the conspiracy.

A 46-year-old woman was killed after getting caught in a clash between two armed groups in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, police said on Tuesday. The incident happened in the remote Thangbuh village on Sunday night, they said. A few houses in the village were also torched, forcing the locals to flee to nearby forests, they added.

Kuldeep Sharma, a close associate of National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, joined the BJP on Tuesday. He joined the BJP in presence of Senior leader and BJP candidate for the Nagrota Assembly Constituency, Devender Singh Rana.

Two days after an attempt was made to derail Prayagraj-Bhiwani Kalindi Express in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, police have detained 15 people for questioning. Meanwhile, an NIA team is likely to visit Kanpur on Tuesday to further intensify the probe.

Due to an Overhead Equipment (OHE) issue at Nerul, all up and down train movements between Thane and Panvel have been significantly affected: Central Railway
 

A large number of devotees throng Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai's most famous lord Ganesh idol, as Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations continue.

Fire broke out at Adoor Kilivayal Thalassery Majlis Hotel in Pathanamthitta, Kerala earlier today. Fire fighting teams were at the spot. More details awaited.

Due to an Overhead Equipment (OHE) issue at Nerul, all up and down train movements between Thane and Panvel have been significantly affected: Central Railway

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tarlochan Singh was allegedly shot dead by some unidentified attackers in Khanna in Ludhiana district on Monday evening, police said

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bengal expressed its deep disappointment on Monday with the Supreme Court's directive for protesting doctors to return to work by 5.00 pm tomorrow. This directive came in view of ongoing protests regarding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. "We were expecting a positive outcome, keeping in mind the brutality of the offence. However, we are totally disheartened by the proceedings of the court and the CBI," the IMA Bengal said in a release. 

The Forest Department on Tuesday captured the fifth wolf in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich and took it to a rescue shelter of the Forest Department. So far 5 wolves have been caught. There is one wolf left.

Several women on Monday staged a torch rally protest march in Thangmeiband area of Imphal in Manipur.

Victim's mother said, “The Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is lying. We were offered money...My daughter will not return, will I lie in her name? The Chief Minister said you will get money, make something in your daughter's memory. I then said, when my daughter gets justice, I will go to your office and take that money....If the people of the whole country want to move to the festival, then they can move. But they consider my daughter as their family member. If they can return to the festival I have nothing to say. Durga Puja was also held in my house, my daughter used to do it herself. But Durga Puja will never be celebrated in my house again. The light in my room is off. How do I tell people to return to the festival? The chief minister is trying to strangle the movement just like how my daughter was strangled, the evidence was destroyed...We will be on the road, we will be in the movement until we get justice.”

Barsana in UP's Mathura district is all decked up to celebrate the Radhashtami (birth anniversary of Radha Rani), on September 11.