India

Dhanbad, April 9 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at three locations in Nirsa and Chirkunda areas of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand and seized a large cache of illegal explosives, officials said.

One person has been detained and is currently being questioned in connection with the case.

The Jharkhand police said the NIA's Kolkata unit acted on intelligence inputs regarding the illegal supply and trade of explosives from the Dhanbad coal belt to other parts of the country.

During the raid, the agency recovered hundreds of kgs of ammonium nitrate packed in 50 boxes, along with a substantial number of gelatine sticks -- commonly used in blasts -- from a house located in a secluded area of Boria village under the Kalubathan Out Post.

The NIA team also raided the residence of Amarjeet Sharma in Layekdih under Chirkunda Nagar Panchayat. His brother, Sanjay Sharma, was detained during the operation.

Amarjeet Sharma, who is reportedly on the run, had allegedly converted an old warehouse -- earlier used for poultry farming -- into a storage unit for explosives.

Villagers say the warehouse had remained unused for years after its roof was blown off in a storm, and they were unaware of any activity taking place there since.

According to Jharkhand Police, an NIA official said the case has serious implications for national security. "Those involved in this illegal explosives trade may have links with several gangs across the country. We are also probing possible connections with anti-national elements," the official said.

Local police assisted in the raids, and a manhunt is underway to nab Amarjeet Sharma, who is believed to have fled upon learning of the operation.

The agency is also investigating whether there is a link between the explosives seized in Dhanbad and those recovered during anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district in recent months.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Wednesday said its members can now generate a Universal Account Number (UAN) and activate it using Aadhaar Face Authentication Technology (FAT) through the UMANG mobile app.

The contactless and secure service marks a major leap in providing hassle-free and fully digital experiences to crores of EPFO members.

Earlier, UANs were largely generated by employers using employee data submitted to the EPFO.

While Aadhaar details were validated, inaccuracies in fields such as father’s name, mobile number, or date of birth were common, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

These errors often required corrections during claim processing or while accessing other EPFO services.

In the financial year 2024-25 alone, out of 1.26 crore UANs allotted, only 44.68 lakh (35.30 per cent) were activated by members.

"Several reminders were given to employers to get employees to activate their UAN using Aadhaar OTP so that in future any benefit under the Employment Linked Scheme could be potentially provided using direct benefit transfer (DBT)," according to the EPFO.

In many cases, the UAN was not even communicated to the employee, and mobile numbers were missing or incorrect, making direct communication difficult. Furthermore, UAN activation through Aadhaar OTP validation on the EPFO Member portal was a separate process to be completed by the member, causing confusion.

To address these challenges, the EPFO has now enabled direct UAN generation and activation using Face Authentication via the UMANG App.

This service can be used by both employees and employers. It offers 100 per cent validation of Aadhaar and user using Face Authentication and data of user is pre-populated directly from Aadhaar database.

According to the EPFO, the mobile number of the user is matched with the mobile registered with Aadhaar, and UAN activation on EPFO portal simultaneously completed during generation process.

At the time of employment, an employee can hand copy of the e-UAN card PDF and UAN to the employer for onboarding with the EPFO. Access to EPFO services such as passbook viewing, KYC updates, claim submission, and more is immediately unlocked.

Last week, the government announced two key reforms in the EPFO claim settlement process. The EPFO dispensed with the requirement of uploading an image of a cheque leaf or attested bank passbook while filing online claims, which would benefit over 7.7 crore members.

The EPFO also removed the requirement of employer approval after bank verification.

--IANS

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Jammu, April 9 (IANS) The maiden budget session of the current Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly concluded in an uproar as Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House sine die on Wednesday.

The 21-day session had commenced on March 3 with the Lt. Governor’s address.

The Speaker informed the House that during the session, a total of 1,355 questions were received; 154 main questions were taken up while their 353 supplementaries were answered.

He also said that 1,738 Cut Motions were also received, and 1,731 were taken up for the discussions.

The Speaker further informed the House that three government bills were received and subsequently passed by the House.

He added that 33 Private Members' Bills were also received and listed for the business.

The Speaker said 78 Calling Attention Motions were received by the Assembly Secretariat, out of which 23 were listed for the business and 34 were disallowed.

Rather said that the 21-day budget session was the second longest in the country during 2025.

He mentioned that 109 resolutions were received during the session, out of which 85 were admitted and 14 were listed for business.

The Speaker said that more than 39 hours were utilized during the budget session.

He thanked all the Assembly Members for their cooperation for the smooth conduct of the Assembly proceedings. He also thanked the Information Department, Assembly Secretariat, the Health Department, Radio, Doordarshan, the J&K Police, the media and other stakeholders for their support during the session.

The day’s proceedings were marred by pandemonium, with both the ruling National Conference and opposition BJP shouting slogans against each other.

The BJP members brought in an adjournment motion to allow discussion on unemployment, while the NC legislators kept on pressing for a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act.

The speaker disallowed both, and after he failed to restore order in the House, he adjourned proceedings for three hours up to 1 p.m.

When the House assembled after 1 p.m., the Speaker announced that he was adjourning the House sine die.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) India is perhaps the only country which has reached an understanding with the United States to ink a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by the fall of this year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday, as reciprocal tariffs came into effect with India facing 27 per cent tariffs.

According to Jaishankar, New Delhi's plan is to solidify a trade deal, as the effects of US reciprocal tariffs are still unknown.

At the ‘News 18 Rising Bharat Summit’ here, the Union Minister said: "We decided that we will engage the (Donald) Trump administration early on this set of issues and we were very open with them, very constructive with them as they were with us, and what we agreed to do was to try to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement by fall of this year."

Following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump in Washington DC in February, the two nations announced that they would negotiate the first tranche of the BTA by the fall of 2025.

Jaishankar said: "I think we are the only country after President Trump has assumed presidency the second time, which has actually reached such an understanding in principle."

"In our case, our strategy has a goal. And the goal is to see whether it's possible to actually deal with this situation by concluding a bilateral trade agreement. And I should add that in an interesting way, this has long been our objective," the minister told the gathering.

In a bid to expand their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, India and the US have broadly reached an understanding to finalise the first tranche of BTA by fall 2025.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, sectoral expert-level engagements under the BTA will start virtually in the coming weeks and pave the path for an early negotiating round in person.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Political parties, across the ideological divide, have welcomed the extradition of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana after the US Supreme Court rejected his petition to block his extradition, and while Congress also welcomed the development, it asked the government to bring back other high-profile fugitives to the country.

Talking to IANS, Congress leader Nana Patole expressed his support for Rana’s extradition: “I welcome the return of Rana, but the question remains, why hasn’t the government brought back Dawood, Nirav Modi, or Vijay Mallya? These crimes occurred during our government, and it's not about the political party, but about punishing those who are against the nation.”

He added that the government claims it wants to bring back these fugitives, but why has nothing been done?

Congress leader Atul Londe also called for the extradition of all individuals who have harmed the country, not just Rana.

“It’s good that criminals like Rana are being extradited, but we also need to focus on bringing back those who have fled the country after looting its resources, like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. All such individuals must be extradited to India and punished severely under Indian law. There should be an example set so that such crimes don’t happen again,” Londe stated.

He also criticised the political use of these extradition cases, claiming that such promises are often made during elections but fall through once the elections are over.

“Every time an election is near, there’s talk of bringing back criminals, but once the elections are over, the issue is forgotten,” he added.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders praised the Union government’s efforts in securing Rana’s extradition.

BJP leader Tarun Chugh hailed it as a positive step, emphasising the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and security agencies in making it happen.

“This is a successful move by the Indian government, thanks to the efforts of our security agencies and PM Modi. It showcases the zero-tolerance policy of the Modi government against those who threaten the country, no matter where they are,” Chugh said.

BJP MLA Ram Kadam also attributed the success to Prime Minister Modi’s foreign policy and his (PM Modi) personal influence.

“This extradition is possible only because of Modi Ji’s influence and the foreign policy of his government. If Congress were in power, would this have happened? This is the same Congress that once gave biryani to Kasab,” Kadam remarked.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that Rana will be extradited to India by the National Investigation Agency and is set to land in India on Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he will be taken to Delhi or Mumbai.

However, sources claimed Rana is likely to land in Mumbai, where the 26/11 attacks were planned, and will spend the initial weeks in NIA custody.

Rana faces charges for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 157 people.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 9 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP’s ‘Janakrosh Yatra’, organised against the government over price rise and reservation for Muslims in tenders for public works, entered its third day on Wednesday. During the yatra a BJP leader called the state government a regime of 'jihadis' and 'Tughlaqs'.

Thousands of BJP workers and leaders participated in the protest march held in Madikeri city, led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka.

The Janakrosh Yatra will also be held in the communally sensitive Mangaluru district, known as a BJP stronghold.

Speaking at a public meeting in Madikeri, former BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel stated, “There is no Siddaramaiah government in the state; this is a government of jihadis and Tughlaqs.”

Kateel claimed that the yatra has been launched to protest against the anti-people policies of the Siddaramaiah government and to bring about its downfall.

He alleged that while there was a policy of ‘suppressing’ the Hindu community, incidents of cow slaughter were continuing unchecked across the state.

He further alleged that the wave of murders, which began with the killing of a Jain monk in Belagavi, has continued under CM Siddaramaiah’s rule.

“The Congress has forgotten all the promises it made after coming to power and is behaving in an anti-people manner,” said BJP state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra while addressing the people at the yatra.

He said, “During elections, the Congress staged a drama around irrigation issues. They undertook two padyatras —one towards the Krishna River and another towards the Mekedatu project. Siddaramaiah, who became the Chief Minister by garnering votes under the AHINDA banner, has now forgotten all backward communities.”

“There are more than 100 backward communities in the state. But the Congress has ignored them and is focussed solely on minorities, particularly the Muslim community. However, the BJP has taken up pro-people struggles even in the absence of elections,” he stated.

He claimed that in the 20 months since the Congress came to power in the state it increased the prices of over 50 essential items, causing severe hardship to the public.

“As a result, the same people who voted for Siddaramaiah and the Congress government are now cursing them out of frustration,” he remarked.

“They have hiked petrol and diesel prices. They have also increased milk prices three times within just 20 months, raising it by a total of Rs 9. Poor families now have to spend more to provide nutritious milk to their children,” he criticised.

“Siddaramaiah claims the price of gas cylinders has gone up by Rs 50. But he is only telling half the truth. In March 2023, the price of a gas cylinder was Rs 1,107. Today, even with a Rs 50 increase, it is Rs 850. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi government had reduced the price by Rs 300,” Vijayendra pointed out.

“You’ve increased milk prices by Rs 9. Was there any rise in international prices that justified this? Tell the public,” he demanded.

Vijayendra further alleged, “The Congress, which came to power using the AHINDA slogan, especially Siddaramaiah, has misused Rs 38,500 crore that was allocated for the social and educational development of Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Additionally, the government’s move to reserve 4 per cent in public works for Muslims is unconstitutional.”

The public meeting was also attended by former minister B. Sriramulu, MP Yaduveer Wadiyar, Legislative Council Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, State Vice President M. Rajendra, Kodagu District President Ravi Kalappa, State Farmers' Wing President A.S. Patil Nadahalli, regional in-charge Uday Kumar Shetty, Rajesh Kaveri, former district president Robin Devaiah, Bharateesh, and several party leaders and workers.

--IANS

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Chennai, April 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and several senior state leaders condoled the demise of veteran Congress leader and Gandhian Kumari Ananthan on Wednesday.

PM Modi posted on social media platform X, "Thiru Kumari Ananthan Ji will be remembered for his noteworthy service to society and his passion for Tamil Nadu's progress."

"He also made many efforts to popularise the Tamil language and culture. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," PM Modi said.

Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan, in a social media post, noted that Governor R. N. Ravi paid floral tributes and offered his respects to the departed leader.

Describing Ananthan as a devout Gandhian, veteran parliamentarian, and distinguished Tamil writer and orator, the Governor extended heartfelt condolences to his daughter and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and other family members.

Chief Minister M. K. Stalin visited Ananthan's residence in Saligramam, Chennai, to pay his last respects. He also consoled Ananthan's daughter, and BJP leader Soundararajan, along with other grieving family members.

CM Stalin was accompanied by Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, MP Vijay Vasanth, and other leaders.

In an official statement issued earlier in the day, CM Stalin expressed profound sorrow over Ananthan's demise.

He recalled Ananthan's contributions to establishing the right to speak in Tamil in Parliament - an achievement that earned the veteran leader immense pride among Tamilians.

CM Stalin also noted that the Tamil Nadu government had presented Ananthan with the prestigious Thagaisal Thamizhar Award last year, recognising his lifetime contributions to Tamil literature and culture.

"I remember with tears the conversation I had with Mr. Ananthan when I presented the award on Independence Day. I console myself knowing that Ananthan will live on in our hearts through his books and speeches in Tamil," CM Stalin said.

Opposition Leader and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami also paid tribute to Ananthan on X, stating he was deeply pained by the loss of a respected literary figure.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K. Selvaperunthagai described Ananthan as a pillar of the party.

He also recalled Ananthan's tireless activism, including 17 padayatras covering 5,548 kilometers for various causes. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko termed the demise an "irrevocable loss".

"Ananthan secured a unique place in Tamil Nadu politics. He was a multifaceted personality - a powerful orator, thinker, and writer," Vaiko noted.

He also remembered Ananthan's impactful tenure as an MP, including his successful campaign for the use of Tamil in Parliament and for making applications in the postal department available in Tamil.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss lauded Ananthan as one of the finest presidents of the Tamil Nadu Congress, adding, "He fought for flight announcements in Tamil and had a special affection for me and our party."

PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss echoed these sentiments, calling Ananthan's passing a "major loss" for the prohibition movement in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) President G. K. Vasan highlighted Ananthan’s efforts to bring various development schemes to Tamil Nadu and praised his contributions to Tamil literature. "His demise is a great loss for Tamil Nadu," he said.

AMMK General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran paid tribute to Ananthan’s lifelong dedication to uplift the Tamil people and language.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President Vijay also remembered the late leader’s efforts to implement prohibition in the state.

DMK MP Kanimozhi described Ananthan's impact on Tamil Nadu's political landscape as "immense", calling his death a "great loss to the Tamil community".

CPI(M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam recalled Ananthan's early days in the Congress and commended him as a skilled orator, a nationalist, and an ally of secular forces.

DMDK General Secretary Premalatha Vijayakant remembered him as a symbol of discipline with a deep affection for Tamil and its politics. Puthiya Tamilagam President K. Krishnasamy and Dravidar Kazhagam President K. Veeramani also conveyed their condolences, joining the widespread outpouring of grief.

Kumari Ananthan leaves behind a rich legacy as a four-time MLA, a former MP, a literary luminary, and a steadfast Gandhian.

His relentless commitment to the Tamil language, his role in shaping the state's political discourse, and his enduring values continue to inspire leaders and citizens alike.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the doubling of the Tirupati–Pakala–Katpadi single railway line section (104 km) in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with a total investment of Rs 1,332 crore.

The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructure development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways, according to an official statement.

The project covering three districts in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 113 km.

Along with connectivity to Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, the project section also provides rail connectivity to other prominent destinations such as the Sri Kalahasti Shiva Temple, the Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple, and the Chandragiri Fort, which attract pilgrims and tourists from across the country.

The multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 400 villages and about 14 lakh population. The project will also generate direct employment for about 35 lakh human-days during construction.

This is an essential route for transportation of commodities such as coal, agricultural commodities, cement and other minerals. The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways.

The capacity augmentation work will result in additional freight traffic of around 4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The Railways being an environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, the project will also help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics costs of the country. It is also estimated to reduce oil imports by around 4 crore litres which will save precious foreign exchange, and lower CO2 emissions of up to 20 crore kg which is equivalent to the plantation of one crore trees, the statement added.

The project is in line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a New India which will make people of the region "Aatmanirbhar" by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment opportunities, the statement said.

The project is part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, April 9 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) social media in-charges Manne Krishank and Konatham Dileep on Wednesday appeared before Gachibowli police in connection with a case for allegedly posting Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated videos on social media about the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli near Hyderabad Central University.

In response to the notices served by the police, both the BRS leaders appeared at Gachibowli Police Station of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.

Krishank was seen wearing a black shirt with “deMockRRacy” written on it. He alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was mocking democracy.

The Telangana High Court had Tuesday directed Krishank to cooperate with the investigation.

Krishank had approached the High Court alleging that by booking four First Information Reports (FIRs) concerning the same matter, the Supreme Court guidelines were violated. He also contended that the cases were politically motivated.

While directing Krishank to cooperate with the investigation, the High Court adjourned the hearing by four weeks.

The police on Monday handed over notices to Krishank and Dileep, directing them to appear before them for questioning on April 9, 10 and 11.

They have been booked for using AI technology to create videos and post them on social media platforms. According to police, the video in question could potentially mislead public or cause unrest.

FIRs have been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 353 (1) (b), 353 (1) (c), 352 (2), 192, 196 (1), 61 (1) (a).

Krishank, however, claimed that every image and video posted on social media platforms on University of Hyderabad campaign were sent by students/journalists. He alleged that the Congress government was filing cases as a damage control exercise.

Targeting the Chief Minister, the BRS leader remarked that it’s not Artificial Intelligence but it is Anumula Intelligence.

He alleged that there was a Rs 30,000 crore scam in Kancha Gachibowli lands. He said since the government had already taken Rs10,000 crore, JCBs were brought in midnight, trees were cut down and students lathicharged.

The Telangana government has taken serious note of fabricated videos and photos on Kancha Gachibowli lands. It has moved the court with a request to order an investigation into fake content using AI.

The government has voiced serious concern over the creation of controversy through the fabricated videos and photos on social media networks that the government seized the lands of Hyderabad Central University.

According to the government, some vested interests made fake videos and AI photos of crying peacocks and injured deer running away after they were hit by bulldozers. Even some famous persons in various fields presumed the fake videos and photos were true and circulated them on social media.

A meeting presided over by the Chief Minister last Saturday noted that Union Minister Kishan Reddy, former Minister Jagadish Reddy, social media influencer Dhruv Rathi, film celebrities John Abraham, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon sent wrong message to society after they uploaded the fake videos and photos on social media believing them to be true.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of the six-lane Zirakpur bypass in Punjab and Haryana with a Rs 1,878.31 crore outlay on a hybrid annuity mode.

The 19.2-km bypass starts from the junction with NH-7 (Zirakpur-Patiala) and ends at the junction with NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo).

The approval, said the CCEA in a statement, is significant step to facilitate integrated transport infrastructure development under the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan principle.

The Zirakpur bypass follows the Punjab Government Master Plan and terminates at the junction with NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo) in Panchkula of Haryana, thus avoiding the highly urbanised and congested stretch of Zirakpur in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana.

According to the CCEA, the main purpose of the project is to ease up congestion in Zirakpur, Panchkula and surrounding areas by diverting traffic from Patiala, Delhi, Mohali Aerocity and providing direct connectivity to Himachal Pradesh.

“The current proposal aims at reducing the travel time and ensuring hassle-free traffic movement in the congested urban section of NH-7, NH-5 and NH-152,” said the government.

The government has taken up the decongestion of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali urban agglomeration with the development of a road network, which would take the shape of a ring road as indicated in the map, and the Zirakpur bypass is an important component of this plan.

Last month, the CCEA approved the construction of the 4-lane access-controlled greenfield and brownfield Patna-Arrah-Sasaram corridor starting from Patna and stretching across 120 km to Sasaram in Bihar. The project will be developed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 3,712.40 crore, according to a statement issued after the CCEA meeting.

HAM is a public-private partnership (PPP) model designed to revive private sector participation in road infrastructure projects. The government provides 40 per cent of the project cost as an annuity payment to the private developer over the concession period. The private developer raises the remaining 60 per cent of the project cost through debt or equity.

--IANS

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