Friday, February 06, 2026 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ हिंदी

Archive News of February 05, 2026

Punjab Govt duty bound to carve egalitarian society as preached by Sri Guru Ravidass Maharaj ji: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann

Infusing governance with devotion and social resolve, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday reaffirmed that the Punjab Government is duty bound to carve an egalitarian society rooted in the timeless teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj.

172 railway stations spruced up under Amrit Bharat scheme: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Work on the redevelopment of 172 railway stations has been completed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which aims to improve access to stations and circulating areas, integrate stations with both sides of the city and improve the building as well waiting halls and toilets to provide better amenities to passengers, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.

Rajya Sabha in turmoil after PM Modi's jibe at Kharge, Oppn stage walkout

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's quip about Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's age -- suggesting the 83-year-old Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha be allowed to raise slogans while seated -- set the tone for a stormy afternoon in Parliament.

Delivered with characteristic sharpness, the remark drew immediate fire from opposition benches, who were already engaged in sloganeering in the Upper House.

They interpreted it as a jibe at Kharge's seniority and physical condition.

Bird Flu alert in Chennai: Centre urges TN to intensify preventive measures after mass crow deaths

Chennai is on high alert after more than 1,500 crows were found dead across several neighbourhoods in recent days, prompting the Central government to direct the Tamil Nadu administration to strengthen surveillance and disease-control measures following confirmation of bird flu.

The sudden deaths were reported from multiple parts of the city, including Adyar, Gandhi Nagar, Pallikaranai, Velachery, Thiruvanmiyur, the East Coast Road, and the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR).

90 pc drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana: Centre

Punjab and Haryana have collectively recorded about a 90 per cent reduction in fire incidences during the paddy harvesting season in the year 2025 in comparison to the same period in the year 2022, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

To further strengthen the detection of stubble burning cases, patrolling by enforcement agencies during late evening hours has been enhanced, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question.

GPU shortage, not lack of funds or talent, choking India's AI dreams: Raghav Chadha raises concerns in Rajya Sabha

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha highlighted the critical bottleneck hindering India's ambitions in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, stressing that the primary constraint is not funding, capital, or talent but the availability of computational resources, particularly Graphics Processing Units or GPUs.

Chadha pointed out that rising GPU costs and global supply chain disruptions are severely limiting India's data centre expansion and efforts to train advanced AI models.

12 Maoists surrender in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Twelve Maoist cadres from the South Sub-Zonal bureau surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Thursday, under the state government's 'Poona Margem: Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation' initiative, marking a new beginning of trust and mainstream integration.

The group, comprising eight female and four male cadres, laid down arms, including three automatic weapons such as AK-47 and SLR rifles, along with ammunition.

A total reward of Rs 54 lakh had been declared on them based on their positions and roles in the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation.

Jharkhand: Three of a family killed, two injured in elephant attack in Bokaro

Three members of a family were trampled to death and two others seriously injured after a herd of elephants went on a rampage in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district in the early hours of Thursday, triggering panic and grief in the area, officials said.

The incident occurred in Barkipunnu village under the Gomia block. According to villagers, a herd of elephants entered the village around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, but residents managed to drive the animals back into the nearby forest by raising an alarm.

Nana Patekar shot for ‘O’Romeo’ action set piece in 102 degrees fever

Veteran actor Nana Patekar is a man of his word. The actor, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘O’Romeo’, shot for a sequence in the film while battling an intense fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

The film is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, and the sequence in question is a high-octane action set piece shot on a train set.

Climate change, industrial pollution worsening healthcare crisis in Bangladesh

Climate change and industrial pollution are worsening the healthcare crisis in Bangladesh, according to a media report.

The Irish Times reported that despite emitting only about 0.3 per cent of global CO2 emissions from combustible fuels, the air quality in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, regularly ranks among the worst in the world.

J&K govt to allot five marlas of land to families affected by natural calamities: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that the government has approved the allotment of five marlas (approximately 126.5 square metres) of state land on a 40-year lease to landless families rendered homeless due to natural calamities.

RBI likely to maintain status quo in upcoming policy rate decision

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to maintain status quo in the upcoming policy decision on Friday, as despite policy rate easing, government bond yields have exhibited persistent hardening in recent periods, among other reasons.

According to economists, the choice of eligible securities itself may influence the effectiveness of OMO operations, even when the aggregate quantum of liquidity injection is unchanged.

AP Dhillon, Anubhav Singh Bassi bring the house down with Punjabi swag on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’

The upcoming episode of the streaming sketch comedy show ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ is set to host Punjabi star AP Dhillon and comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi.

Adani Energy 1st Indian firm to deliver 1 crore electricity smart meters across discoms

In a significant development, Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL) on Thursday became the first player in India, and perhaps globally, to have successfully delivered 1 crore electricity smart meters across discoms — with the next 1 crore projected to be delivered in the coming financial year (FY27).

As India’s leading AMISP (Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider), AESL has a mandate to install 2.5 crore smart meters across five states.

IIT Bombay develops method to recover T-cells for cancer therapies

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a simpler and more efficient method to recover immune cells grown in the lab for T-cell–based cancer therapies.

In immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell, T-cells (a type of immune cell) are taken from a patient’s blood and modified in large numbers in the laboratory and infused back into the patient’s bloodstream to help fight cancer.

World-first fingerstick test to expand hepatitis B diagnosis access

A world-first Australian trial has found that a simple fingerstick test for hepatitis B DNA is as accurate as standard lab testing, paving the way for wider access in remote and resource-limited settings.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, the study showed that the point-of-care test can deliver results within an hour and be performed in decentralised clinics, news agency reported.

Three women farmers killed as two vehicles collide in Karnataka

Three women farmers were killed on the spot, and more than 10 others were injured in a road accident involving a passenger vehicle and a canter near Jigloor Cross in Karnataka's Gadag district on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Annapurna (56), Sangeetha Hosamani (48) and Mariyambu Hunagund (55), all residents of Shivajipete in Gajendragad. They were travelling to Rona to harvest groundnuts.

India’s REITs and InvITs surpass traditional indices in giving returns in 2025

Listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) in 2025 significantly outperformed traditional benchmarks, delivering a strong 19.55 per cent return on an equal weight basis, a report showed on Thursday.

This was well ahead of the Nifty50 TRI (total returns index) at 11.42 per cent and the G Sec Index at 6.81 per cent, according to an ICRA Analytics report.

Gold slips around 1 pc, silver prices plummet 8 pc

Gold prices fell moderately on Thursday after two days of surge, while silver posted a sharp fall of over 8 per cent.

MCX gold February futures fell 0.98 per cent to Rs 1,51,552 per 10 grams around 10.25 am on an intraday basis. Meanwhile, MCX silver March futures plummeted 8.39 per cent to Rs 2,46,283 per kg.

Gold and silver prices had risen around 6 per cent in the early morning trade but failed to sustain those levels.

School headmaster, seven teachers suspended for assaulting examination officer in West Bengal

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on Thursday suspended seven teachers and the headmaster of a school, allegedly for beating up an examination officer after he discovered a mobile phone inside the exam centre while students were writing the papers.

The incident occurred during the Madhyamik (Secondary) examination at Ajhapur School in the Jamalpur area of East Burdwan district.

The decision to suspend the teachers was taken after receiving a report on the incident from the district officials.

US shuts down 200 illegal online pharmacies

 US drug agents have shut down more than 200 illegal online pharmacy websites linked to an India-based criminal network blamed for deadly overdoses in the United States.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday the websites were tied to a transnational criminal organisation that allegedly caused at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses. The group has been under investigation since 2022.

Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal-starrer ‘Mirzapur-The Movie’ locked for September 4 release

The makers of the upcoming movie adaptation of “Mirzapur” on Thursday announced that the film is all set to hit the silver screens on September 4.

The official Instagram handle of Excel Entertainment on Thursday morning shared a poster of the upcoming film. Set against a vast golden desert, the poster showed a convoy of rugged SUVs tearing through dunes, leaving behind dust clouds and a dark trail that resembles blood, instantly hinting at violence and power struggles.

Shahid Kapoor’s daughter Misha pens ‘thank you’ note for mom Mira

Actor Shahid Kapoor’s daughter Misha has penned a heartfelt ‘thank you’ note for her mother Mira Rajput, appreciating her for “working every day and taking care of us daily.”

Mira took to Instagram to share a picture of the handwritten letter written by Misha, which read, “You are the best mom ever. Thank you for working every day and taking care of us daily. I love you from the bottom of my heart.”

Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad into Copa semis after away wins

Inaki Williams scored a 96th-minute winner to see Athletic Bilbao beat Valencia 2-1 to reach the semifinal of the Copa del Rey.

The forward came on as a substitute to volley home a cross from his brother Nico when it looked as if the game was heading for extra time, reports.

Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made 10 changes to the side that drew 1-1 at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday, but his side took the lead in the 27th minute when Umar Sadiq flicked Robert Navarro's free kick into his own net.

Sensex, Nifty open lower over weakness in metal stocks

The Indian equity markets posted moderate losses in early trade on Thursday, tracking poor global cues and weakness in metal stocks.

As of 9.23 am, Sensex lost 254 points, or 0.30 per cent, to reach 83,563, and Nifty eased 85 points, or 0.33 per cent to settle at 25,690.

Main broad-cap indices posted moderate losses, as the Nifty Midcap 100 eased 0.04 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 edged down 0.31 per cent.

India’s expenditure mix oriented towards capital-led growth: Report

India’s fiscal strategy has undergone a clear and deliberate shift over the past decade, with the expenditure mix increasingly oriented towards capital-led growth, according to a new report.

Notably, the FY27 Budget reinforces this trajectory, reflecting the government’s conviction that durable growth, private investment crowding-in, and macroeconomic stability are best achieved through sustained public capital formation rather than short-term fiscal stimulus.

Delhi residents wake up to ‘poor’ AQI; IMD predicts clear skies, shallow fog

Delhiites began Thursday morning with air quality in the ‘poor’ category, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a clear sky along with shallow fog.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national Capital’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 279 at 6:00 am. The reading showed a noticeable improvement from Wednesday, when the city’s air quality was recorded in the ‘very poor’ range with an average AQI of 339.