The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday approached a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misusing her constitutional position by allegedly creating hindrances to the official duties of central agency officials during raid and search operations conducted earlier in the day.

The ED alleged that while its teams were carrying out searches at the office of the India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in the northern outskirts of Kolkata and at the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain at Loudon Street, the Chief Minister arrived at both locations accompanied by senior officials of the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police and allegedly removed files and electronic materials from the premises.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, while cornering the leadership the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the sensitive issue of the disappearance of 328 sacred swaroops, said that on one hand the SGPC claims that the Ishar Singh Committee and the Internal Committee had clearly recommended strict action against the guilty, but the biggest question is why those recommendations have not been implemented till date. Should it be assumed that the failure to take action itself was a political conspiracy to provide a safe passage to the culprits?

Stepping up Punjab’s fight against drugs, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday launched the second phase of Yudh Nashean Virudh at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, expanding the state’s ongoing crackdown into a broad-based people’s movement. Addressing a large gathering on the university campus, the AAP Chief cited concrete outcomes from the first phase, including large-scale action against traffickers, high conviction rates and growing public participation, and said Phase II would consolidate these gains to decisively dismantle drug networks across Punjab.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday held a conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) as part of preparations for the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM)-2026.

The three-day global conference is scheduled to be held from January 21 to 23 at Bharat Mandapam here.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that the precise deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal will be determined by the extent to which state police personnel can be deployed for poll-related security.

The determining factor will also be on how and where the available state police personnel will be deployed by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, for election-related security.

The first meeting of the Gujarat State-Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) was held in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das to review preparations for the upcoming Census 2027.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary conducted a comprehensive review of the planning process and the groundwork required for the smooth execution of the next population census.

Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo was on Wednesday sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to Justice Sahoo, who is the 47th to hold the post, at a function held at Lok Bhavan here, officials said.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, members of the state cabinet, judges of the Patna High Court, and several other distinguished dignitaries.

Physical presence for hearing sessions will not be mandatory for migrant workers from West Bengal who are currently residing in other states for their livelihoods and students from the state studying elsewhere, who have been detected as “logical discrepancy” cases in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified.

Family members of such categories of voters would be able to reach the hearing centres on their behalf and furnish the required documents to clarify the ECI's doubts in the matter, confirmed an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on Thursday, as the Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, senior officers of J&K Police, civil administration, CAPFs, intelligence agencies, and the top officials of the home ministry (MHA) will attend the meeting.

The review meeting will be the first high-level security review meeting on the union territory in 2026. The meeting follows aggressive operations launched by J&K Police and the security forces in the mountains and remote areas of the Jammu region to hunt down terrorists, including foreign terrorists.

Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has received information about 14 voters who are holding Indian EPIC cards and Bangladeshi passports simultaneously.

Based on inputs and suspicions that these 14 voters might be originally Bangladeshi residents, the CEO’s office had sought information about them from the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata.

The winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly began on Monday, setting the stage for high-stakes debates on a range of pressing issues, including air pollution, environmental concerns, and also the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports related to the 'Sheesh Mahal' and the Delhi Jal Board.

The four-day session is scheduled to continue until January 8.

Ahead of the commencement of the proceedings, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged legislators from both the ruling party and the Opposition to engage responsibly and ensure meaningful deliberations.

 The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the alleged inhuman treatment meted out to a critically ill person in a residential society located in Gurugram.

The commission observed that the complainant, who is suffering from renal disease and is dependent on dialysis treatment thrice in a week, has been deprived of a basic facility, such as parking, by the society management.

The Punjab government has decentralised maternal healthcare, with Aam Aadmi Clinics emerging as the new lifeline for expectant mothers, government officials said on Sunday.

Within four months of launching a specialised, protocol-driven pregnancy care model, the state has recorded a massive surge in service utilisation, with nearly 20,000 pregnant women visiting these clinics every month, said the State Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh.

He said the programme has already provided free ultrasound services to more than 10,000 women through a referral system.

Public trust in tax remains strongest in Asia and India stands out for its relatively strong tax morale and trust in the fiscal system, a report showed on Monday.

Nearly 45 per cent of Indian respondents believe that tax revenues are spent for the public good, while 41 per cent view paying taxes as a contribution to their community rather than an additional cost, reinforcing the idea of tax as a shared civic responsibility, according to the report released jointly by ACCA, IFAC, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) and the OECD.

Continuing the Punjab Government’s flagship Mission Rozgar, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday handed over appointment letters to 606 newly recruited candidates of the Education Department at a ceremony held at Tagore Theatre, marking a historic milestone of providing more than 61,000 government jobs to the youth of Punjab within four years. The newly appointed candidates include 385 Special Educator Teachers, 157 Primary Teachers, eight Principals, and 56 employees recruited on compassionate grounds.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday announced plans to launch a “Malta Mission” to promote the production of the citrus fruit to make the state the horticulture capital of India.

Speaking at the Uttarakhand Malta Festival 2026, he said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to the welfare of farmers. We have decided to provide an 80 per cent subsidy to the farmers for micro irrigation.”

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday chaired a meeting with developers of hydropower projects in the state, followed by detailed discussions on the assessment of land revenue.

The Chief Minister said that the state is blessed with abundant natural resources, emphasising that it is the responsibility of hydropower project developers operating in the state to pay land revenue, which is a legitimate right of the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Thiruvananthapuram to participate in celebrations marking the Bharatiya Janata Party's historic victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, a milestone achievement for the party in Kerala's political landscape.

The visit assumes added significance as it comes amid earlier indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also visit the state capital, with HM Shah scheduled to arrive ahead of the Prime Minister.

According to BJP sources, the Union Home Minister will reach Thiruvananthapuram on January 11.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday invited all citizens to download the ECINet App and give their suggestions to improve the App ahead of the platform’s formal launch is scheduled later this month.

Deputy Director P. Pawan issued a note seeking suggestions, adding that feedback can be given by using the 'Submit a Suggestion' tab on the App till January 10.

ECINet is one of the major initiatives of the Commission taken under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided that the voters from three "aboriginal tribes" or "primitive tribes" will be automatically enlisted in the final voters' list of West Bengal.

The voters from these three communities will not be required to furnish any document for that purpose.

To roll out the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna’ on January 15, the state government on Friday signed a pact with the United India Insurance Company to provide Rs 10 lakh cashless health insurance cover to all families of Punjab.

The agreement was signed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) State Health Agency, Sanyam Aggarwal and Executive Director of United India Insurance, Mathew George, in the presence of State Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Friday cornered the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its president Harjinder Singh Dhami over the grave and highly sensitive issue of 328 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, pointing out to deliberate protection of influential individuals, conflict of interest, and repeated attempts to derail justice.

Punjab's brightest government school students soaked in knowledge at Winter Residential Coaching Camps organised under Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) program. Over 1700 students benefited from the transformative program designed to democratise access to high-quality competitive exam coaching, informed Punjab’s Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains.

The Centre on Friday cleared the appointment of two judges to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium.

"In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of th Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint i) Shri Ramesh Chande imri and ii) Ms. Neerja Kulwant Kalson, to be Additional Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a period of two years with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices," said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Centre on Friday notified the appointment of Bombay High Court judge, Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on January 8.

A notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice said that the President, in exercise of powers conferred by the Constitution of India and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint Justice Sonak as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified why Trinamool Congress’ demand to allow the party’s booth-level agents at the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections regarding the draft voters’ list in West Bengal was turned down by it.

The hearing session is the main part of the second stage of the three-phase Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

An insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that in case the Trinamool Congress’ demand for allowing BLAs at the hearing session is accepted, then similar demands from other political parties, six national parties, and two state parties in the state registered with the ECI will also have to be accepted.

Marking a development-driven start to the New Year, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on January 1 laid the foundation stones for Rs 497 crore worth of infrastructure projects across the Viramgam Assembly constituency, covering Viramgam, Mandal and Detroj talukas.

The projects span road infrastructure, railway connectivity and overbridges, aimed at accelerating growth and improving regional connectivity.

In a bid to boost agricultural productivity and sustainability through the use of cutting-edge technologies, the Punjab government on Thursday said it is preparing to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in the agriculture sector with the support of a Centre of Excellence established at IIT Ropar.

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian chaired a high-level review meeting at Punjab Bhawan here to assess progress and chalk out a roadmap for the effective field-level deployment of AI-driven solutions aimed at improving farm productivity, ensuring sustainability and enhancing farmers’ income across the state.

In a major relief to the trading community and industry, the Punjab government has decided to extend the deadline for the Punjab One-Time Settlement (OTS) Scheme for Recovery of Outstanding Dues of 2025 until March 31.

State Finance Minister Harpal Cheema gave the formal approval for this extension following representations from various stakeholders, including the GST Practitioners Association (GSTPA) Punjab.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has now decided to apply its own independent mechanism for identifying housing complexes with multiple towers for setting up polling booths for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The ECI has decided the matter amid the failure of the District Magistrates (DMs), also the District Electoral Officers (DEOs), to identify housing complexes with 300 voters or above for setting up the polling booth, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said.

Service Doctors' Forum, an association of medical practitioners in West Bengal, has threatened a major protest demonstration against the Election Commission of India (ECI), for its decision to issue summons to clinically ailing patients and senior citizens asking them to be present at the hearing sessions on claims and objections on the draft voters' list.

Incidentally, the Forum played a leading role in spearheading the mass movement on the issue of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises in August 2024.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has fixed the new schedule of responsibilities for the Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal from the New Year, which will continue for some time before the final voters' list is published on February 14 next year.

Under the new schedule, BLOs will have to be present at the existing polling booths for two hours daily from Monday to Friday.

On the two weekend holidays, namely Saturday and Sunday, the BLOs will have to present at the polling booths concerned for four hours.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has fixed the multi-prong accountability of the District Magistrates (DMs), also the District Electoral Officers (DEOs), as regards to checking the authenticity of the supporting identity documents to be provided by the voters' summoned for the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters' list which is a part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

The Deputy Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Bharati, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and the other top ECI officials had a meeting with the DMs and the DEOs on Tuesday, where accountabilities in the matter were fixed, and instructions accordingly were given.

In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has once again proven that it is the true well-wisher of the poor and labourers. The party’s MLAs have launched an unprecedented campaign to raise the voice and demands of more than 10 lakh MGNREGA worker families in the state.

During a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday, the House paid homage to the unparalleled ‘Shaheedi’ (martyrdom) of the four Sahibzadas, reaffirming Punjab’s legacy of resistance to tyranny. Led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Assembly paid tributes to Baba Ajit Singh Ji, Baba Jujhar Singh Ji, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, and also remembered Mata Gujri Ji, Baba Jivan Singh Ji, Baba Sangat Singh Ji and Diwan Todar Mal Ji.