Security forces on Friday found some suspected explosive material during a cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.
Troops of Rashtriya Rifles and police started the operation in Darra, Nili, Mangota villages of Thanamandi, during which some suspicious object was spotted under a rock, they said.
They found an IED-like object with Under Barrel Grenades (UBGs) also lying alongside it.
10:53 PM
AP cabinet okays proposals for welfare pension hike, Vizag metro rail DPR
The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Friday approved several key proposals which encompassed hiking welfare pensions to Rs 3,000 per month, approving Visakhapatnam metro rail's detailed project report (DPR) among others.
The cabinet meet chaired by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also approved the decision to raise YSR Pension Kanuka (welfare pension to eligible poor people) from Rs 2,750 to Rs 3,000 per month. The pension is doled out to eligible old people, widows, single women, HIV positive persons and others.
10:52 PM
Decision against Places of Worship Act: Jamiat chief Madani on HC allowing Mathura mosque survey
A day after the Allahabad High Court allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani on Friday claimed this goes against the 1991 law regarding the protection of places of worship and asserted that the Muslim organisation will pursue the matter in court.
The high court also agreed to the appointment of an advocate commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque premises, which the petitioners claim holds signs suggesting that it was a Hindu temple once.
10:18 PM
Home Minister speaks to MPs through media, this is unacceptable: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram Friday asserted that Home Minister Amit Shah should make a statement in Parliament over the security breach in Lok Sabha and cited the precedent of then Home Minister L K Advani making a statement in the House in the aftermath of the 2001 Parliament attack.
Accusing Shah of speaking through the media to the Members of Parliament, he said, "This is unacceptable".
In a post in X, Chidambaram, a former home minister, said, "After the terrible attack on Parliament on 13th December 2001, Home Minister L K Advani made a statement in Parliament. That is the right precedent."
10:15 PM
Safety of Indians in Canada priority for government: Muraleedharan
As many as 8.3 lakh Canadian citizens have affiliation to Hinduism while 7.7 lakh reported Sikhism as their religion, the government told Parliament on Friday, citing Ottawa's census data for 2021.
The information was provided by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
"As per available information through Canada Census data (2021), 8,30,000 Canadian citizens reported affiliation to Hinduism and 7,70,000 Canadian citizens reported Sikhism as their religion," Muraleedharan said.
9:48 PM
Bill to ban polygamy to be introduced in assembly by Feb, says Assam CM; 'Love Jihad' clause likely
A bill to ban polygamy will be introduced in the next session of the Assam assembly to be held in February, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Friday.
The bill has been formulated after months of consultations with various individuals and organisations.
Talking to reporters, Sarma said, "The bill to ban polygamy will be placed on the floor of the Assam assembly which will commence from February 4."
9:47 PM
PM Modi to interact with beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with beneficiaries of the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' on Saturday via video conference.
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that Modi will also flag off the Yatra in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram during the programme. "Thousands of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra beneficiaries from across the country will join the event. The programme will also be joined by a large number of Union ministers, MPs, MLAs and local level representatives," it said.
9:40 PM
Finance dept attempting to undermine Delhi Assembly's autonomy: Speaker Goel
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Friday alleged that attempts were being made to undermine the legislative body's financial and administrative autonomy by the finance department.
Chairing the Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly, Goel said that he sent a note to the chief secretary on December 5, urging him to direct the departments concerned to abide by the law department's stand that administrative and financial matters of the House should be processed by the assembly secretary.
"The finance department is persistently trying to sideline the existence of the legislative assembly secretary and operate the assembly's functioning through the law secretary," he stated in the House.
8:46 PM
Amit Shah must make a statement on Parliament security breach: Tejashwi
Terming the Parliament security breach a "very serious issue", Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Friday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah must make a statement in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the incident.
The RJD leader said it is unimaginable that imagine that the December 13 incident happened at a place which is considered one of the safest in the country.
8:34 PM
Mega fairs, exhibitions in 2024 will help domestic industry expand global presence: DGFT
India will organise a series of mega fairs and exhibitions next year in sectors such as food, textiles and auto with a view to attract overseas buyers and increase global footprint of the domestic industry, a senior government official said on Friday.
Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Saranagi said it was observed that only a handful of domestic exhibitors go outside to participate in such events.
"So the idea came up that we should organise mega events where we are able to get a lot of overseas buyers and allow a lot of domestic exhibitors to exhibit products, have interface with overseas buyers and increase their global footprint," Sarangi told reporters here.
8:31 PM
Delhi excise 'scam': Court to pass order on Arun Pillai's interim bail plea on December 18
A court here will decide on December 18 whether to grant interim bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, arrested in a money-laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, on the ground of his wife's medical condition.
Special Judge M K Nagpal, who reserved the order on Friday after hearing arguments on the application, also extended the custody parole granted to Pillai till Monday.
Cutting across party lines, the JNU students' outfits on Friday registered their protest against the varsity's revised manual prohibiting and penalising protests on campus within 100 metres of the academic buildings, among other restrictions, and demanded its withdrawal.
The ABVP's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit burnt an effigy of the varsity administration while protesting against the manual calling it "dictatorial" and "anti-student".
7:57 PM
Madras HC convicts ex-IPS officer Sampath in Dhoni's contempt plea case
The Madras High Court on Friday imposed a punishment of 15 days' simple imprisonment on retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar in a contempt of court case filed by former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
A division bench comprising Justices S S Sundar and Sunder Mohan found Sampath Kumar guilty of committing criminal contempt.
"However, taking into consideration the credentials of the respondent (Sampath Kumar), as projected by him in his written statement as well in the reply affidavit, this court, showing lenience, restricts the punishment for a period of 15 days."
Delhi Customs Preventive officers have seized 27 gold bars weighing more than 3 kg and worth Rs 1.96 crore from two foreign nationals at IGI Airport.
On the basis of profiling, the officers of Delhi Customs Preventive booked a case of smuggling of gold on Thursday by two Uzbek nationals Zamirakhon Kabirova and Makhpirakhon Mamatkhodjaeva, the finance ministry said in a statement.
"The Delhi Customs Preventive, New Customs House, seized 27 gold bars weighing more than 3 kg worth Rs 1.96 crore from two foreign nationals at the Indira Gandhi International Airport yesterday," it said.
7:05 PM
India challenges WTO panel ruling in favour of EU on ICT import duties
India has appealed against a ruling of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) trade dispute settlement panel in a case filed by the European Union against New Delhi's import duties on nine information and technology products.
India's move came after both regions were not able to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution (MAS).
"India and the EU have negotiated to arrive at a MAS for the past seven months, but the EU has now filed for adoption of panel report on December 7 and therefore, India has appealed against it on December 8 in the WTO," Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry Peeyush Kumar told reporters here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with beneficiaries of the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' on Saturday via video conference. The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that Modi will also flag off the Yatra in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram during the programme.
Eighty-one of the 123 proposals sent by high court collegiums for appointment of judges are at various stages of processing with the government, Parliament was informed on Friday. The remaining 42 proposals are under the consideration of the Supreme Court Collegium, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
BJP leader Bhajan Lal Sharma was on Friday sworn in as the chief minister of Rajasthan at a ceremony held in front of the Albert Hall here. Along with him, Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa were also sworn in as the deputy chief ministers. Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other Union ministers, chief ministers of various states and other leaders.
 "LIVE: PM Modi to interact with beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra")
