News updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

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The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Thursday re-implemented stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a sharp rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 357 at 4 pm, up from 297 on Wednesday, owing to "calm winds and foggy conditions". The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategising air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation. Grap Stage 3, which was revoked on Sunday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work.

  The alleged murder of a Beed district sarpanch last month has led to tensions within the Mahayuti, with the Opposition demanding minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation over the incident.  IT major Tata Consultancy Services Ltd's net profit rose 4.1 per cent sequentially to Rs 12,444 crore in the quarter ended Dec 31, 2024.  The four Indian nationals accused of killing Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar have been granted bail by a court in Canada, according to a report by India Today. The India-designated terrorist was killed in June 2023 in Surrey, Canada. Justin Trudeau had accused Indian 'agents' of being involved in the murder.  Responding to the feud between the Congress and AAP before the Delhi Assembly polls, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that there is no clarity about INDIA bloc's leadership and the Opposition bloc must be dissolved if it was just formed for the Parliament election in 2024.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, an important initiative which seeks to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora, in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar. The theme of this year's event is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.  The event marks Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India in 1915.

 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will leave for Tirupati on Thursday to visit those injured in a stampede, according to media reports. Six devotees died and over 40 were injured in the stampede on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Naidu will be visiting SVR Ruia Government General Hospital and SVIMS Hospital between noon and 3 pm, where the injured are being treated. Naidu will also conduct a review meeting with the Executive Officer and others over the incident. Tirupati district collector S Venkateswar on Wednesday told reporters that out of the six deceased devotees, five were women and a man. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Wednesday started removing water at the Dima Hasao coal mine to rescue 8 people who have been trapped since Monday. Kandari said, "The process has already started, they are using two pumps: one is already pumping the water and the other one is also getting started. This process will go on for the night. Once the water is removed... we can go inside and do the manual search." Rescue operations are underway at the coal mining site, where HPS Kandari, Commandant of the 1st Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said that two pumps are being used to drain water from the site.

 

 

8:27 PM

I could see some loopholes in the monitoring system in Tirupati, says CM Naidu on stampede incident

6:54 PM

Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Thursday re-implemented stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a sharp rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order.
 

Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 357 at 4 pm, up from 297 on Wednesday, owing to "calm winds and foggy conditions".
 

The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategising air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation.
 

GRAP Stage 3, which was revoked on Sunday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work.

6:50 PM

Judicial inquiry will be ordered into Tirupati stampede incident, says CM Naidu

6:19 PM

Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai to visit Pakistan for conference on girls' education

6:06 PM

A chimney collapsed at a steel plant in Mungeli, Chhattisgarh today. Several labourers feared trapped.

5:50 PM

Police may be 'lacking somewhere' if they are unable to tackle crime in Pune, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said police may be "lacking somewhere" if they are unable to rein in crime in Pune despite being given all infrastructural support and there being no political interference in their work.

 

Maharashtra's second largest city is often in the news for 'koyta' gangs, which get their names from the sickle-type long blade weapons used to hack down opponents. Many of these attacks are captured on CCTVs, thereby increasing the fear and distress among ordinary citizens. Asked about these gangs, Pawar said, "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (who holds the home portfolio) has taken serious cognisance of these cases. Being a representative of this area (Pawar is MLA from Baramati in the district), I have also taken this issue very seriously." Everyone knows there is no political interference in the work of the police, Pawar claimed. "Despite being given various facilities in terms of infrastructure, housing, new offices and manpower, if police are unable to rein in these crimes, then it shows senior officers in the force must be lacking somewhere. If they are not able to tackle the situation, they should admit it and we will bring better officers to control crime," the NCP chief said. Asserting that he would talk to senior police officials on the issue of crime, Pawar emphasised it was the state government's duty to live up to the expectations of the citizens after getting a massive mandate (in the November assembly polls).

4:50 PM

Dhananjay Munde has said he is not involved in sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's brutal murder: Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar asserted that the court, SIT, and CID are probing sarpanch murder; Fadnavis has said action will be taken against anyone linked to brutal killing.

4:39 PM

News update: TCS total income increases 6.13% to Rs 65,216 crore for December quarter

4:30 PM

TCS Q3 results: Third interim dividend and special dividend

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd declared a third interim dividend of Rs 10 and a special dividend of Rs 66 per equity share of Re 1 each of the company.

4:26 PM

TCS Q3 results: Net profit rises 12% to Rs 12,380 crore, beats estimates

IT major Tata Consultancy Services Ltd registered a consolidated net profit of Rs 12,380 crore, a rise of 12 per cent when compared to Rs 11,058 crore in the year-ago period.

4:15 PM

Tamil Nadu Assembly demands rollback of new UGC regulations 2025

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday urged the Union Education Ministry to immediately withdraw the University Grants Commission's new regulation 2025 on appointing vice-chancellors of universities, a move which was against the fundamental principle of the Constitution and federalism, it said. It can harm the higher education system of Tamil Nadu, the resolution passed with the support of all political parties, including the PMK, an ally of the BJP, said. The Opposition AIADMK, too, backed the DMK and its allies on the resolution.

3:34 PM

'Misleading': UP Police on reports 1978 Sambhal riots to be reinvestigated

The Uttar Pradesh Police Thursday rejected reports that the 1978 communal riots in Sambhal, which claimed several lives, will be reinvestigated. "A misleading piece of information is being spread through social media and other platforms that a reinvestigation into the 1978 communal riots in Sambhal is being initiated. However, no such development is taking place," Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said.

3:29 PM

ITBP jawan dies under suspicious circumstances in Greater Noida

A jawan from the 39th battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) died under suspicious circumstances in a toilet of a complex set up by the battalion in Greater Noida, police said on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Sajjan Singh (59), who was posted as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the 39th battalion of ITBP, located in the Surajpur police station area.

3:19 PM

Three Naxalites killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Thursday, state Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said. So far, bodies of three Naxalites have been recovered and the search operation is still underway, Sharma said.

2:54 PM

Britain plans new sanctions laws to target people-smuggling gangs

Britain will create a new sanctions regime to target the leaders of networks that smuggle tens of thousands of people into Britain each year, as well as the often-Chinese makers of the boats and motors they use, the government said on Wednesday.