Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who was on a day-long visit to flood-hit areas of Punjab, was not allowed to travel to villages that fell across the Ravi river on Monday by local authorities, citing security concerns.

The villages that he was planning to visit were located close to the India-Pakistan border fence in Gurdaspur district.

Responding to the denial of permission, Congress MP and former Chief Minister Charanjit Channi said: "It’s surprising that the Leader of Opposition has not been allowed to visit villages that fall within the country."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it is “Modi’s guarantee” that all the poor will get a permanent house and hit out at the Congress and RJD for ignoring “Seemanchal”, corruption and protecting infiltrators.

Addressing a public rally in Purnea, PM Modi described the NDA government as pro-poor and promised a sharp price drop in prices of articles with the GST reform.

He said, “Till the time every poor person in the country gets a house of his own, Modi is not going to stop or take a breather.”

PM Modi said the NDA government has already built 4 crore houses for the poor, and it is building another 3 crore houses for the poor.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday congratulated security forces for delivering a major blow to the Maoists in Jharkhand, reiterating the government’s resolve to end Left Wing Extremism (LWE) across the nation soon.

“Battalion and the state police achieved a major success in an anti-Naxal operation. In this operation, the notorious Naxal commander with a Rs 1 crore bounty, CCM Sahdev Soren alias Parvesh, has been eliminated,” said HM Shah in a message on X.

“Additionally, two other bounty Naxals — Raghunath Hembram alias Chanchal and Birsen Ganjhu alias Ramkhelawan — have also been gunned down by the security forces,” he said.

 Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday distributed internship appointment letters to 87 youth selected for the Developed Delhi CM Internship Programme, calling it a historic initiative towards nurturing future policymakers and making democracy more vibrant.

Speaking at the inauguration of a three-day orientation event for CM Internship Programme, CM Gupta said the interns have been selected from among 9,000 applicants in a completely transparent manner and this for the first time that such a programme is being organised in Delhi.

Even though floodwaters have receded in Punjab, the real work begins only when the government reaches every village and every household to restore normalcy. With this very approach, the Aam Aadmi Party government began its work, and today people across Punjab themselves are saying—for the first time, there is a government that is not just issuing orders but is standing in the field. The special health campaign that began on September 14 has set a new example across the state. Never before has such a large-scale mission been carried out to deliver health services simultaneously to 2,303 flood-affected villages. Where earlier people had to run to hospitals for medicines, now the government itself is reaching their doorsteps—with teams of doctors, medical kits, and complete preparedness to prevent diseases.

Haryana's Directorate of School Education has banned the sale of Tobacco, Gutkha and other intoxicating substances within 100 yards of all schools in the state on Friday.

According to the circular issued by the state's education directorate, all the block education officers, block resource centres, and the Principals or headmasters were instructed to keep an eye on the activities related to the sale of tobacco, gutkha and intoxicating substances within 100 yards of the schools coming under them.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday commenced a one-day workshop for the media and communication officers, in its bid to establish an effective communication strategy at the grassroots level.

The one-day workshop, organised in the national capital, is aimed at educating and training the media and communication officers at the respective Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) offices in all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, to take forward the poll panel’s message to the electorate and help them differentiate between political narratives and factual information.

The one-day workshop was inaugurated by CEC Gyanesh Kumar in the presence of ECs Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday chaired a high-level meeting with officials to review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures in flood-hit areas of the state.

He interacted with all Deputy Commissioners through video conferencing and directed them to ensure that comprehensive surveys of crop, livestock, and household damage are conducted without delay.

Mann reiterated that Punjab will provide the highest compensation in the country to affected families. "This is not just an announcement.

J&K Health Minister, Sakina Itoo, said on Friday that keeping up its commitment to improve the healthcare sector by providing hi-tech facilities, the Omar Abdullah-headed government has allotted Rs 124.83 crore for the upgradation of this sector.

Sakina Itoo posted on X: “As assured by the Hon’ble CM in the Budget Speech, we have allocated Rs 124.83 Cr for key upgrades in J&K’s health sector: CT Scan at GMC Jammu, MRI machines at GMC Baramulla, GMC Kathua & GMC Rajouri, Cath Lab at GMC Doda, PET Scan at GMC Srinagar, Strengthening Telemedicine across J&K (80 units). Committed to stronger, accessible healthcare.”

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan took the oath of office as the 15th Vice President of India in a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath in a formal ceremony attended by senior political leaders and dignitaries from across the national political spectrum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the ceremony and offered his felicitations to the newly sworn-in Vice President.

Alongside him, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the Union Ministers present.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expanded the “Trusted Traveller Programme” to five more airports, making immigration simpler, faster, and hassle-free and promoting tourism with “speed, scale and scope” as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at the inauguration of the programme at Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Calicut, and Amritsar airports via video conferencing, HM Shah said, “The scheme offers a great opportunity to apprise visitors about the sweeping changes taking place in the country.”

He said it was a happy coincidence that the facility is being expanded to the five airports on the historic day on which, 132 years ago, Swami Vivekanand, through his brilliant address at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, presented the radiant vision of Indian culture and Sanatan Dharma to the entire world.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday presented two-wheelers to the students, who topped the Class 12 examinations in government schools, in Madhya Pradesh.

This year, 7,832 students from various districts of the state, who topped the Class 12 examinations for the academic year 2024-25, will be rewarded under the scheme.

During the event in Bhopal, the Chief Minister even took a short ride as a pillion passenger on a two-wheeler driven by a girl student, Harshita Yadav.

Terming it as a blatant act of political victimisation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday condemned the lodging of another FIR against party founder Imran Khan's sister Aleema Kha­n which also implicates another leader Naeem Haider Pan­jutha and several others.

In a statement released by the PTI central media department, the party spokesperson said that FIR was initially lodged under sections 506, 147, 149, 382, and 427 of the Pa­­kistan Penal Code. How­e­v­­er, PTI called it a “shocking abuse of law", insisting that terrorism clauses were later included overnight, Pakistan's leading daily 'Dawn' reported on Thursday.

"When our people appeared before ordinary courts in the morning, they were forcibly dragged before an Anti-Terrorism Court — a glaring testament to political victimisation and manipulation of the justice system," read the statement.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha said on Thursday that the new criminal laws will strengthen the country's zero tolerance towards terrorists.

The L-G made these comments while inaugurating an exhibition on 'New Criminal Laws' at the Jammu and Kashmir Police Public School in Srinagar's Bemina.

He commended the initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir's Economic Offences Wing to raise awareness and educate students, parents and the general public.

He said that the exhibition will help in achieving broader objectives of shaping understanding on new laws and ensuring justice to the last man in the queue.

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat to discharge the functions of the Governor of Maharashtra in addition to his own duties.

The development came after Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan demitted his office post his election as the country's Vice President.

"Consequent upon demitting the office of Governor of Maharashtra by C.P. Radhakrishnan due to his election as the Vice-President of India, the President of India has appointed Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Maharashtra, in addition to his own duties," a statement issued by the President's office said.

Governor Devvrat is also the Vice Chancellor of several universities in Gujarat.

Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini said that the state of Haryana has immediately sent an aid of Rs 5 crore each to flood-affected Punjab, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir.

On behalf of the central government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the flood-affected areas of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh yesterday and also announced an assistance of Rs 3100 crore for the damage caused in both the states, including Rs 1600 crore to Punjab and Rs 1500 crore to Himachal Pradesh.

Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini was interacting with the media at Pipli Grain Market in Kurukshetra on Wednesday. Earlier, the Chief Minister flagged off 20 trucks of relief goods from Kurukshetra district for Punjab.These trucks have been sent to various districts.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday, transferred an amount of Rs 1,263.95 crore to the accounts of 1.13 crore beneficiaries under the Social Security Pension Scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The Bihar government had recently increased the social security pension from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month.

Under this scheme, senior citizens above 60 years, widows and disabled individuals are entitled to take benefits of it.

The amount is transferred on the 10th of every month directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been keeping a watch on the situation in neighbouring Nepal, even from her office 'Uttar Kanya State Secretariat' at Siliguri, Trinamool Congress said on Wednesday.

"The unfolding situation in our neighbouring country, Nepal, is a matter of deep concern. Placing the interests of the state above all else, our compassionate Chief Minister, Smt. @MamataOfficial, remained at Uttar Kanya State Secretariat through Tuesday night, personally monitoring every detail with utmost vigilance," said the Trinamool Congress in a statement.

She even refused to comment on the Nepal situation to the media persons on Tuesday afternoon before leaving for North Bengal.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Rae Bareli MP, began a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency on Wednesday, marking his first trip since April 29, when he toured the region after his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

He landed in Lucknow earlier in the day, where he was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai, legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra, and other senior party functionaries. From there, he travelled to Rae Bareli by road.

Ahead of his arrival, Ajay Rai told, "Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, is coming to meet his party workers and his Rae Bareli family. He is on a two-day visit, during which he is scheduled to participate in various events."

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a relief package of Rs 1,600 crore after reviewing relief operations in flood-hit Punjab, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday said the Central government, in collaboration with the state, would leave no stone unturned in alleviating the hardships of the affected people.

"The Prime Minister assured me that he would provide maximum help to Punjab," the Governor said.

After an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the morning, the Governor told the media that the water level had started to recede, but the damage to houses and crops was enormous.

After meeting ailing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in a private hospital in Mohali, near here, the Governor said while returning from Pathankot to Chandigarh, he conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas.

Sant Seechewal has undertaken not just one or two, but many works to help people in this difficult time, showing his sensitivity and ability to feel the pain of others. He said that during floods, when the farmer – who feeds the entire nation – himself longs for food, the sight is unbearable. The homes, fields, and lives of farmers in Mand are submerged. Punjab as a whole has been facing this grim situation, and has united to overcome it, but the crisis is still not over.

With the Bihar Assembly elections only weeks away, workers of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) have intensified their campaign to project their leader Chirag Paswan as the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA in Bihar.

On Tuesday, a poster appeared on the streets of Patna, in which Chirag Paswan was described as the 'Kohinoor of Bihar.'

The poster, released by Imam Gazali, Sheikhpura district president of LJPRV, carried the slogan, “Bihar Mange Chirag: Tan-Badan Ka Noor Hai, Chirag Bihar ka Kohinoor Hai.”

The poster also depicted Chirag wearing a king’s crown, symbolising his supporters’ growing demand to see him in the top post.

The Rajasthan Assembly, on Tuesday, witnessed an uproar after Congress MLAs accused the BJP-led state government of spying on the Opposition in the state.

Rajasthan Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tika Ram Jully alleged that special cameras had been installed to monitor Congress legislators, calling it an attack on their privacy and dignity.

LoP Jully questioned the need for additional cameras when Assembly proceedings are already broadcast live on YouTube.

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to provide financial assistance of Rs 18,000 to one adult member of each flood-affected family in the national capital.

Atishi also demanded compensation for farmers, saying they should be given relief at the rate of Rs 20,000 per acre for crop loss. "On behalf of all the flood-affected families in Delhi, I appeal to CM Rekha Gupta to provide them financial assistance of Rs 18,000 to one adult member of each affected family and compensation for loss of property.

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday visited the mega camp for flood-affected families organised by the State Health Department at Rajeev Colony in Jammu city.

The Lieutenant Governor interacted with the affected families and patiently heard their concerns. The L-G assured the families that the Government of India and the J&K administration are committed to the well-being of the people affected by the recent natural calamities in the UT.

The L-G was accompanied by Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Devansh Yadav, Municipal Commissioner Jammu and other senior officials.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab Government has launched a special initiative, “Operation Rahat,” spearheaded by Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains. As part of this mission, the Minister has personally contributed ₹5 lakh from his family funds to repair and restore 50 flood-affected homes, giving distressed families a new ray of hope.

Although the flow of water from Bhakra Dam and Himachal Pradesh has subsided, several villages in Anandpur Sahib constituency and Nangal continue to struggle with the aftermath of devastating floods. Homes, farmlands, and roads have suffered extensive damage. Taking stock of the situation, Minister Bains and his team have been visiting these affected villages to ensure direct and timely assistance reaches the people.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday said that everything is under control in Maddur town of Mandya district where prohibitory orders are in place until Tuesday morning following the Ganesh Visarjan violence.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Monday, Minister Parameshwara said: "Those who created the ruckus have been arrested, and the situation is under control. The Ganesh immersion programme continued afterwards. There are minor incidents reported across the state, such as a stabbing when someone tried to bring a flag, and in another case, children aged three to four spat during the procession. But everything is under control."

"We are making appeals and deploying adequate police forces. The community should also cooperate. Lakhs of Ganesh idols are immersed across the state every year without any untoward incidents. We thought this year the situation was being handled well, but this incident of violence has been reported from Maddur town," he added.

Punjab cabinet minister Aman Arora on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for the flood-ravaged state during his visit.

PM Modi will visit Punjab on September 9 to take stock of the flood situation.

“Even though the PM has not uttered a word yet for the flood-hit Punjab, he is our PM and I welcome him with folded hands for his visit.I also expect that he should be seen standing by Punjab during his visit,” Arora told reporters here.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Saha, on Monday, for providing rupees five crore to the Himachal Pradesh Government for the State Disaster Relief Fund. This was aimed at helping to tackle the calamity caused by the heavy rains this year in the state.

He said that this support would go a long way in providing relief to those affected during this hour of distress. He also thanked all contributors who have generously come forward to support the state.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said 12 people have lost their lives with the collapse of houses amidst floods caused by heavy rains.

Three each deaths were reported in Fatehabad and Bhiwani districts, two each in Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar and one each in Hisar and Faridabad. “The government is continuously monitoring the damage caused by heavy rains,” CM Saini told the media here.

“We have opened the e-compensation portal to reduce the difficulties faced by the citizens due to floods. Till date, 169,738 farmers from 2,897 villages of the state have registered 996,701 acres on the compensation portal,” he said.

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has strongly criticised the Centre's Great Nicobar Island Project, calling it a "grave misadventure" that tramples tribal rights, undermines due process, and threatens one of the country's most fragile ecosystems.

In her op-ed titled 'The making of an ecological disaster in the Nicobar' published in a leading daily, Gandhi warned that the "collective conscience cannot and must not stay silent when the very survival of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes is at risk."

Despite sustained criticism from Opposition parties over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported that it has not received a single formal complaint from any political party regarding claims and objections to the draft rolls.

In contrast, the ECI said, individual voters have submitted 28,370 applications for inclusion or exclusion.

According to the ECI’s daily bulletin on August 15 -- covering the period from August 1 (3 p.m.) to August 15 (9 a.m.) -- political parties have appointed 1,60,813 Booth Level Agents (BLAs). This includes 53,338 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 47,506 from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, 36,550 from the Janata Dal (United), and 17,549 from the Indian National Congress, among others.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family and the Congress party on Thursday and accused them of 'manipulating' elections for decades through booth capturing, voter intimidation, and misuse of government machinery.

Addressing a Press conference at the BJP headquarters in the national Capital, Shekhawat alleged that this “legacy of fraud and deceit” runs deep in the party’s history.

Citing the first General Elections in 1952, Shekhawat claimed that under then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership, ballot boxes were tampered with, including incidents where nitric acid was poured into them and reports of this were carried by newspapers at the time.

In a bid to "boost voter confidence", the Supreme Court, in an interim order passed on Thursday, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to upload district-wise data of about 65 lakh electors in poll-bound Bihar whose names were omitted in the draft electoral rolls following the initial phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ordered that the details of these electors, whose enumeration forms were not submitted, should be uploaded on the official websites by Tuesday (August 19), along with the reasons such as death, permanent migration, duplication, or being untraceable.

The information uploaded on the websites of the District Electoral Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar should be searchable using EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers, added the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench.

The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Thursday approved an amendment to the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961.

A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office disclosed today that the decision was taken during a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by the Chief Minister.

As per the decision, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, and the withdrawal of stamp duty and registration fee exemptions for certain classes of cooperative societies. Currently, the Act provides exemptions from compulsory registration, originally intended to facilitate the development of cooperative institutions. However, this provision has enabled property transactions—particularly in urban housing societies—to take place without formal registration or the payment of stamp duty and registration fees.