POLITICS
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Mar- 2025 -8 March
Opinion: Gender Budgeting, a step forward, but not enough
Union Budgets should shift focus from women’s welfare (Sambal dimension) to women’s economic autonomy (Samarthya) By Ashraf Pulikkamath, Jadhav Chakradhar The Gender Budget Statement for FY 2025-26 marks a significant milestone in India’s commitment to gender-responsive governance, witnessing an impressive 20% increase in allocations compared with the previous fiscal year. With a total outlay of Rs 4,49,028.68 crore, constituting 8.86% of the Union Budget, this represents a 466.54% rise from FY 2015-16. The hike signals a progressive shift towards women’s development and empowerment, aligning with the government’s vision of women-led growth. However, beneath these promising figures lie critical concerns regarding the effectiveness and targeting of these allocations. Evolution in India Gender budgeting was formally introduced at the central level in…
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8 March
Save water, save life: Embrace bucket baths and green living to tackle the water crisis
As water, rightly described as ‘elixir of life’, starts getting scarce with the peaking of summer, green living proponents call for measures at individual level also to tide over the crisis Hyderabad: Give up bathroom singing, shut the shower and go for a bucket bath. Fact is, a shower bath ends up using around 8 times more water than a bucket bath. As water, rightly described as ‘elixir of life’, starts getting scarce with the peaking of summer, green living proponents call for measures at individual level also to tide over the crisis. From checking on the leakages in the water supply lines in the house to adopting water-saving flush and faucets, and ensuring every drop of water is saved is…
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8 March
One from Gujarat held for trading fraud
The fraud came to light after a victim from Hyderabad was cheated to the tune of Rs 87.5 lakh on promise of investments offering huge profits Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cybercrime police uncovered a massive trading fraud linked to cybercriminals operating across India, Nepal, and China and arrested one person, officials said here on Friday. The fraud came to light after a victim from the city was cheated to the tune of Rs 87.5 lakh on promise of investments offering huge profits. According to the police, the suspect Savaliya Ravi (25) from Surat in Gujarat along with his associates from Ahmedabad had opened several mule bank accounts using fake identities and provided the same bank accounts to cyber fraudsters in Nepal and China on commission basis. “Specifically, in this case, the suspects had opened a bank account in the name of…
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8 March
Soon you can withdraw PF amount directly from ATMs
The government plans to launch EPFO 3.0 app by May or June this year which will offer banking-like convenience along with several digital features to make transactions easier Hyderabad: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to introduce a new system called ‘EPFO 3.0’, which will allow subscribers to withdraw their provident fund (PF) directly from ATMs. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced this update at an event in Hyderabad, saying that the new system will offer banking-like convenience along with several digital features to make transactions easier. “In the coming days, the EPFO 3.0 version will come. This means the EPFO will become equivalent to a bank. Like transactions are carried out in a bank, you (EPFO subscribers) have your Universal…
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8 March
Now TV anchor joins ministers, MLAs and film actors in forgetting Telangana CM’s name
In the show that was being telecast live, the host addressed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy as ‘Mr Modi’ HYDERABAD: It is now becoming a regular feature. In yet another embarrassment to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, a TV anchor hosting the India Today conclave forgot the name of the Chief Minister and addressed him as “Mr Modi”. A hapless Chief Minister Revanth Reddy broke into laughter as the audience too joined him, the host corrected herself and addressed him as “Mr Reddy”, but sought to cover up the gaffe as a ‘Freudian slip’. The most embarrassing moment for the CM was that the show was being telecast live. It was not just the TV host who forgot Revanth Reddy’s name,…
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8 March
Rahul Gandhi visits Gujarat for Congress revival ahead of 2027 Assembly elections
Rahul Gandhi’s visit marked an early attempt to rebuild the party’s foundation and reclaim lost ground in Gujarat’s political landscape Ahmedabad: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in Gujarat for a two-day visit, focusing on revitalising the Congress presence ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. His visit came in the wake of a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Karnataka’s Belagavi, where internal restructuring was a key agenda. During the meetings, the Congress leader addressed concerns over party’s diminishing vote share in the State, emphasising the need for stronger grassroots engagement. Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil acknowledged the necessity of organisational changes, stating that a committee had been formed to assess reforms. “The party will take necessary…
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8 March
Valmiki Mahotsav 2025: CM Nitish Kumar arrives in Bihar’s Valmiki Nagar on March 8
The Valmiki Mahotsav will feature cultural programs from 3 to 9 pm, showcasing performances by local artists, Bhojpuri celebrities, and other renowned performers Patna: After a nine-year gap, the much-awaited Valmiki Mahotsav is set to return with grandeur on Saturday in Bihar’s Valmiki Nagar, located on the India-Nepal border. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will arrive in Valmiki Nagar by helicopter in the evening to formally inaugurate the festival. District Magistrate (DM) of West Champaran, Dinesh Kumar Rai, confirmed the CM’s participation and said that all preparations have been completed. The festival will feature cultural programs from 3 to 9 pm, showcasing performances by local artists, Bhojpuri celebrities, and other renowned performers. Valmiki Nagar, often referred to as the “Kashmir of Bihar”,…
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8 March
US Supreme Court rejects Tahawwur Rana’s application for extradition to India stay request
Tahawwur Rana, is currently lodged in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles New York: The US Supreme Court has rejected Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s emergency application seeking a stay of his extradition to India. Rana, 64, is currently lodged in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He had filed an “Emergency Application For Stay” with the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit. “Application…denied by Justice Kagan,” a note dated March 6, 2025 on the Supreme Court website says. The application was submitted to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Elena Kagan.
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8 March
Big animals develop cancers, but nature equips them with defenses
Larger species face higher cancer risks but those that reached that size rapidly evolved mechanisms for mitigating it, such as lower mutation rates or enhanced DNA repair mechanisms London: A longstanding scientific belief about a link between cancer prevalence and animal body size has tested for the first time in our new study ranging across hundreds of animal species. If larger animals have more cells, and cancer comes from cells going rogue, then the largest animals on earth – like elephants and whales – should be riddled with tumours. Yet, for decades, there has been little evidence to support this idea. Many species seem to defy this expectation entirely. For example, budgies are notorious among pet owners for being prone to…
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8 March
70 killed in clashes between govt forces, Assad loyalists in Syria
The clashes are the worst since Assad was removed from power in early December by insurgent groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Latakia: Clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad in the country’s coastal region have left more than 70 people dead and an area outside government control, a war monitor said on Friday. Government forces sent major reinforcements overnight to the cities of Latakia and Tartus as well as nearby towns and villages that are the heartland of the minority Alawite sect and a base of support for Assad, to try to get the situation under control. The clashes are the worst since Assad was removed from power in early December by insurgent groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Since Assad’s fall, there have been some sectarian attacks against members of…
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