Category: India

Delhi’s air quality has stayed in the “moderate” range for the seventh day in a row. On Tuesday, the lowest temperature was 11.7°C, which is a bit cooler than normal. The good news is that the temperature is expected to rise, with nighttime lows expected between 14-16°C on Wednesday, making the nights feel warmer.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) mentioned that both day and night temperatures will increase until Wednesday due to a weather change called a western disturbance affecting the area. Some light rain is possible on Thursday and Friday.

As for daytime temperatures, they might reach about 30°C by Wednesday. On Monday, the highest temperature was 27.5°C, which is two degrees higher than usual. The day before, it was 26.1°C.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) showed a reading of 188, still in the “moderate” range at 9am Tuesday. It was slightly better at 186 on Monday. Because of this, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR decided to lift some restrictions under their Graded Response Action Plan.

Thanks to better mixing height and good weather conditions, pollution in the air is spreading out more effectively, which has led to an improvement in air quality. The AQI is expected to stay mostly in the “moderate” range, with some chances of slipping to the lower end of the “poor” category.

A terrible accident happened in the Seshachalam forest on Tuesday morning around 5:30 AM. While walking to Mahashivratri celebrations at Lord Shiva’s temple in Talakona, at least five people were killed, and many others were hurt when a group of elephants attacked them.

According to a police officer, the devotees tried to scare the elephants by shouting, but this made the elephants even angrier. They surrounded the people and charged at them. The frightened devotees ran, but some were caught by the elephants, leading to five deaths and several injuries.

Rescue teams from the police and forest department quickly arrived to help. The injured were taken to the nearest hospital, where doctors said that two of them are in serious condition. The deceased devotees were from Urlagaddapadu village in the Railway Koduru Mandal. More updates are expected soon.

On Monday, BY Vijayendra, the president of the BJP in Karnataka, claimed that the Congress-led state government is leading Karnataka towards financial ruin. This statement came after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed claims that the state was facing an economic crisis. Vijayendra wrote an open letter challenging the CM’s comments, saying that the government’s poor money management, wasted funds, and rising debts are harming the state’s finances.

With the state budget coming up on March 7, Vijayendra pointed out some alarming issues. He mentioned that government departments owe around ₹6,000 crore in unpaid electricity bills. The transport department owes even more—₹7,000 crore. “Karnataka is heading towards complete bankruptcy under the Congress government. They are struggling to pay salaries. Power supply companies can’t pay their bills. The state is facing a severe financial crisis,” he stated. He also asked the government to release a detailed report about the state’s financial status.

Vijayendra accused the Congress government of using ₹25,426 crore meant for welfare programs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but not following through on their promises. He tied this financial mismanagement to a lack of order in the state, saying things like the recent violent incidents in places such as DJ Halli and KG Halli have scared people and made crime worse.

The BJP leader also criticized Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s comment that “even God cannot fix Bengaluru’s traffic problems,” questioning the government’s ability to manage things. He pointed out that fare hikes on the Bengaluru Metro and state buses are putting extra financial strain on the people.

Vijayendra warned that Karnataka’s debt has shot up by ₹2 lakh crore in just two years. “How much more will you borrow this year? Karnataka used to be a wealthy state but now can’t even pay its electricity and contractor bills,” he added. With the budget session approaching, he urged Siddaramaiah to focus on stabilizing the economy. He expressed concern that if the government keeps mismanaging funds, the state could face even worse financial trouble.

In response to this, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the BJP’s claims are misleading. He argued that it was the previous BJP government that drove the state’s economy into trouble. “The BJP left behind ₹2,70,695 crore in unpaid bills in various important departments. They approved spending without real planning,” he stated.

Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-led central government of holding back financial resources that Karnataka should have received. He mentioned that changes in tax distribution mean Karnataka is getting ₹51,000 crore instead of the ₹73,000 crore it deserves. He also pointed out that cutting off GST compensation created a revenue shortfall of ₹18,000-₹20,000 crore each year. Despite these issues, he insisted that Karnataka’s economy is steady. “Our budget grew by an average of 18.3% over the last two years, while it only grew by 5% during the BJP’s four years,” he claimed.

Siddaramaiah highlighted that the state is spending ₹90,000 crore each year on direct benefits and subsidies. He criticized the central government for its rising national debt and argued that this affects state finances. Karnataka is allocating 15.01% of its budget to capital projects, more than states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. “Despite the BJP’s attacks, Karnataka remains strong,” Siddaramaiah concluded, asking the opposition to stop spreading false information and work for the state’s growth.

As both parties clash over these issues, the upcoming budget session is set to be a heated debate on Karnataka’s economic future.

Elon Musk, the famous billionaire, has announced that government workers in the U.S. must return to the office this week. He stated that anyone who doesn’t come back will be put on a break from work. Musk also mentioned that workers who ignored President Trump’s order to return have already been warned for over a month.

He shared this on social media, saying, “Those who ignored the order have received a warning. If they still don’t come back to work, they will be placed on administrative leave.”

Recently, Musk’s team sent an email to many federal employees asking them to report five things they achieved last week. If employees don’t reply by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, they could lose their jobs.

When Trump became president, he quickly signed a rule that ended work-from-home options for government workers, telling them they need to work in the office. He ordered all government departments to come up with a plan for this.

In the past, federal workers had agreements that allowed them to work from home, even before the Covid pandemic. Trump has spoken out against government workers, especially those who want to keep working from home. He said, “Nobody is gonna work from home. They will go out and play tennis and golf instead.

Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke strongly in the assembly on Monday against the Samajwadi Party regarding the Maha Kumbh festival. He pointed out that during the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the then Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, put someone who wasn’t a true Hindu in charge of the festival.

Yogi said, “You (the opposition) claimed that a person from a certain caste was stopped from joining the Kumbh. We allowed everyone with good intentions to come, but if someone came with bad motives, they faced trouble. Unlike the Samajwadi Party, we did not play with people’s religious feelings.”

Adityanath boasted about the number of attendees this year, saying that around 63 crore (630 million) people had come to the Maha Kumbh, and he expected the number to go above 65 crore by the end of the festival on February 26.

He recalled that the 2013 Kumbh was messy with problems like overcrowding and pollution. He mentioned how the water wasn’t clean for bathing. For example, the Prime Minister of Mauritius refused to bathe in the Kumbh that year.

Yogi declared the current Maha Kumbh to be very successful, highlighting visits from the President, Prime Minister, Vice President, and the King of Bhutan, along with representatives from 74 different countries.

However, it wasn’t without tragedy, as 30 people sadly died during a stampede at the event in January. Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the government did not provide the true number of those who died, which the BJP party denied.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined in, criticizing those who mock religion and aim to divide the people. He stressed the importance of unity and respecting the Hindu faith, culture, and traditions.

A tragic accident happened in Paschim Bardhaman district, West Bengal, where a 27-year-old woman lost her life while trying to escape from rude harassers. The woman worked in event management and lived in a place called Chinsurah, Hooghly. She was on her way to Gaya with three friends for a function when the accident occurred in Panagarh at around 9:30 PM on Sunday.

According to the police, after filling gas at a petrol station, the woman and her friends noticed a white car with five men following them. When they got on the highway, the men started making inappropriate comments and driving dangerously close to their car. The men then purposely blocked the woman’s car, causing it to flip over. Sadly, she was sitting in the front seat and suffered serious injuries.

They quickly took her to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival. The men in the other car fled the scene after the crash.

The police have taken both cars involved in the incident and filed a report at the Kanksa police station. They believe the five men were drunk while driving, as they found empty alcohol glasses in their car. Authorities have identified the owner of the car, and a search is underway to find the suspects. The victim’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination

A serious accident has happened in Telangana, where a tunnel for the SLBC project has collapsed. The local minister, J. Krishna Rao, shared that rescue teams tried calling out the names of eight workers trapped inside but didn’t hear any replies. He mentioned that the chances of anyone surviving are “very, very remote.”

When he visited the site, he found that thick mud has piled up in the collapsed area of the tunnel. Although the tunnel is large, about 9 meters wide, nearly 30 feet of mud has blocked most of it. “When we shouted their names, there was no answer, so there seems to be no hope,” he said.

Rescue efforts are being led by a special team of “rat miners,” who successfully saved workers trapped in a similar incident in Uttarakhand earlier this year. However, the conditions inside the tunnel are difficult, and it may take rescuers three to four days to reach the trapped workers because of all the mud and debris.

The teams are also trying to pump oxygen inside the tunnel and remove water. The minister expressed concerns about how the trapped workers can breathe, as the air supply seems limited. The Indian Army, along with other rescue teams, has been helping since Saturday. Sadly, those trapped have been identified as individuals from different states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will continue to be the fastest-growing economy in the world for the foreseeable future. He highlighted that the World Bank believes in India’s positive growth.

Speaking in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, during the opening of the ‘Invest Madhya Pradesh – Global Investors Summit-2025,’ PM Modi mentioned that the World Bank’s recent report predicts India will remain the fastest-growing major economy for the next two years.

In 2022, India became the fifth-largest economy, surpassing the United Kingdom, and it now comes after the United States, China, Germany, and Japan. PM Modi, who started his third term in June, is confident that India will become the third-largest economy globally.

He also called Madhya Pradesh a ‘preferred business destination’ and introduced 18 new policies to boost business in the state. According to him, Madhya Pradesh is strong in talent and industries, making it a great place for business.

“The speed of development in Madhya Pradesh has doubled since we have the same party in power both in the state and the center,” he said, referring to his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also mentioned that Madhya Pradesh is playing a big role in India’s electric vehicle growth.

In New York, Norah Jones, a 23-year-old singer from Texas with a jazz background, had a fantastic night at the 45th annual Grammy Awards. She won big awards, including best pop vocal album, best female pop vocal performance, album of the year, record of the year, and best new artist! Her first album, Come Away With Me, won three more awards too.

Jones, the daughter of famous sitar player Ravi Shankar, was shocked by her wins. “I never thought the music I created would be so popular, so this is incredible!” she shared. Her song “Don’t Know Why” won song of the year.

Country singer Faith Hill praised Jones, saying, “Her album is always playing in my house and car!” Other artists like Eminem, Coldplay, India.Arie, and Nelly also won awards.

The Grammys had a new style this year; there was no single host. Instead, famous people from New York, like Willem Dafoe and Ed Bradley, took turns leading the show. Although Ravi Shankar’s other daughter, Anoushka, was nominated for best world album, the award went to Ruben Blades for his album Mundo.

Jones is the type of artist that the Grammy board loves—she’s talented and humble. In an online chat, she said, “I’m lucky to have people around me who support me and don’t want to take advantage of my success. Many artists don’t have that.”

Music producer Arif Mardin said, “Her beautiful voice hits the listener’s heart like a laser beam. It’s amazing how quickly her music became popular.” And now, Norah Jones has the Grammys to prove her talent!

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Bihar today, Tejashwi Yadav, a leader from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, spoke out about the failures of the central and state governments to keep their promises. Talking to ANI, Yadav pointed out that there won’t be any elections in Bihar this year except for the important upcoming assembly election.

He mentioned that Bihar has been governed by a “double-engine government” — with the same party in power both in the state and the center — for 20 years, but the state is still struggling with low incomes, high unemployment, and widespread poverty. “Bihar ranks at the bottom for income and investments, and has the highest unemployment and migration rates,” he said.

Yadav critiqued Modi for frequently visiting Bihar during election seasons, accusing him of making empty promises. He specifically mentioned past commitments to reopen sugar mills in Champaran, which have not been fulfilled.

“Bihar’s farmers are suffering,” Yadav exclaimed, noting how they are struggling with inflation and have not seen their promised income doubled. He expressed concern over the real issues affecting farmers, like sharecropping, saying, “Farmers are in dire straits, and nothing has been done for them.”

Bihar is set to hold its Legislative Assembly election later this year, likely in October or November, after the last elections were conducted in late 2020.