General News

Competition commission of India NEW DELHI: In a sweeping order examining pricing practices at private super-speciality hospitals in Delhi NCR, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) raised concerns over how admitted patients are routed towards in-house pharmacies, diagnostics and consumables, with the regulator observing that patients often become “locked-in” once admitted.The 32-page order relating to … Read more

Photographed: Constable Kouser Fatima (Ladakh), Constable Munmun Ghosh (West Bengal), Constable Rabeka Singh (Uttarakhand), and Constable Tsering Chorol (Kargil) NEW DELHI: An all-women Border Security Force mountaineering team created a record by scaling Mount Everest on Thursday and sang “Vande Mataram” from the world’s highest peak, a spokesperson of the border-guarding force said.The team comprised … Read more

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and South Korean minister of patriots & veterans affairs Kwon Oh-eul on Thursday jointly inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park in Seoul. Rajnath called the memorial “a fitting tribute to Indian troops’ valour, sacrifice and humanitarian contribution during the Korean War”.Constructed as part of the commemorative events marking the … Read more

NTA told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that it was looking at phasing out reliance on test-delivery agencies by developing in-house capabilities – covering both software and hardware – to tighten the circle with access to the question-setting process, minimising possibility of malpractices. Higher education secretary Vineet Joshi and NTA director general Abhishek Singh briefed … Read more

NEW DELHI: Govt is staring at a major shortage of bitumen due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, which is set to impact construction and maintenance of tar roads. While the price of VG-40 – the most commonly used grade of bitumen – has almost doubled since the conflict began, its availability has plummeted compared … Read more

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The V D Satheesan-led UDF govt has decided to scrap the Kerala Land Assignment (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the 2025 Rules, and to create an independent state vigilance commission headed by a sitting high court judge.Two of the boldest measures contained in the govt’s ‘Vision 2031’ policy document indicate a sweeping political and … Read more

NEW DELHI: An Airbus A321 operated by Air India with about 190 people aboard suffered a tail strike while going around — aborting landing and taking off again — at Bengaluru airport on Thursday. A Boeing 747 jumbo jet had taken off before this flight from Delhi was to land. The enormous wake turbulence — … Read more

NEW DELHI: The X account of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party was withheld in India on Thursday even as its Instagram following crossed 18 million — more than that of BJP or Congress — by Thursday evening, within days of its launch. CJP’s X page had amassed over 200,000 followers before being withheld due to … Read more

CHENNAI: Congress made a comeback into govt in Tamil Nadu ending its 59-year exile, with two of its legislators among 23 new ministers sworn in, as CM C Joseph Vijay Thursday expanded his cabinet in an exercise that rewarded loyalists, accommodated allies and signalled attempt at rewriting social engineering in state politics. With 21 TVK … Read more

US is exploring the possibility of India procuring crude from Venezuela. ‘We want to sell them as much energy as they will buy,’ Rubio said NEW DELHI: Ahead of his visit to India, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Thursday that the US wants to sell India as much energy as possible and that … Read more