NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged India’s public sector banks to transform their image among young customers, asking them to become more appealing to Gen Z without compromising responsible banking standards. Speaking at the concluding session of PSB Confluence 2026, Sitharaman said state-run banks should focus on customers aged 16 and above with simple, personalised and accessible services. Banking for Youth was also one of the key themes discussed at the two-day gove

Delhi Police have rejected allegations that excessive force was used against protesters during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar, telling the Supreme Court that the size of the gathering and subsequent clashes required a controlled police response. In an affidavit filed in connection with four petitions seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged police excesses, the force said more than 30,000 people participated in the protest ag

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has strongly defended the state’s Mega DSC teacher recruitment process, telling the Assembly that appointments were made entirely on merit without favouritism, manipulation or backdoor selections. Naidu said the government had maintained transparency throughout the recruitment exercise and argued that the credibility of the process was reflected in the response from candidates, including those who were not selected. His remarks cam

Telangana has introduced a new unified regulatory structure called the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs, or TG-SAFE, bringing the Food Safety Department and Drugs Control Department under a single administrative framework. The initiative is aimed at strengthening oversight of food products and medicines across the state. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the initiative reflects the government?

India’s southwest monsoon is facing another difficult phase as dry northwesterly winds flowing across Pakistan and northwest India begin suppressing rainfall over large parts of the country. The changing atmospheric pattern could deepen the seasonal rain deficit and limit the chances of a broad monsoon recovery. India’s cumulative rainfall since the monsoon began remains around 13% below normal, reflecting the highly uneven distribution of rain this season. While eastern and som

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has offered his clearest explanation yet for leaving the Bharatiya Janata Party, blaming what he described as Delhi-centric decision-making and limited autonomy for state leaders. He said his differences with the national leadership had developed over several months. Annamalai Exit Puts BJP’s Tamil Nadu Strategy Under Focus Annamalai said he had indicated in October-November 2025 that he wanted to leave the BJP, but was

Chef Mantra Project USA is now streaming on aha, bringing the Telugu reality-entertainment format to the United States. Hosted by popular television personality Suma Kanakala, the show combines food challenges, Telugu culture, humour and personal stories in an international setting. Chef Mantra Project USA Takes Telugu Entertainment to America aha is expanding its Telugu non-fiction programming

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says international students whose study visas expire without permanent residency should return home, amid protests over PGWP and immigration rules. Canada Student Visa Warning From Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said international students who enter Canada on temporary study permits should leave the country when

China is testing a brain-computer interface that can reach the brain through neck blood vessels, potentially avoiding skull-opening surgery and cutting implant time to about 10 minutes. China Tests Brain Implant Through Blood Vessels China is developing an experimental brain-computer interface that could potentially be placed in the brain without opening the skull. Instead of conventional neurosurgery, researchers are testing a technique that uses

Former Gorkha soldiers and supporters protested in Pokhara, seeking the restart of Nepali recruitment into the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme. Gorkha Veterans Demand Restart Of Indian Army Recruitment Former Gorkha soldiers and their supporters have staged a protest in Nepal's Pokhara demanding that recruitment of Nepali youth into the Indian Army be resumed under the Agnipath scheme. The demonstration was organised by the Indian Ex

Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay has urged PM Narendra Modi to retain 543 Lok Sabha seats, preserve state-wise representation and ensure 33% reservation for women. Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Seeks Permanent Cap Of 543 Lok Sabha Seats Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring Constitutional amendments that would permanently fix the strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 members. The request follows a resolution

Seven workers were killed and 14 injured after debris and water flooded an under-construction THDC hydropower tunnel; one worker remains trapped. Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Leaves 7 Dead, 14 Injured Seven workers were killed and 14 others injured after a large volume of debris and water suddenly entered an under-construction hydropower tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. The incident occurred at the THDC project in Mayapur near Pipa

The Ram Temple Trust CEO race has narrowed to three candidates, with Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and Rajesh Pandey emerging as leading contenders after interviews. Ram Temple CEO race narrows to three after interviews The selection process for the next Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has entered its final stage, with the contest now reportedly narrowed to three candidates. Former bureaucrats Yogeshwar Ram

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is battling severe power shortages and long outages, prompting energy-saving curbs and a request to India for additional diesel supplies. Bangladesh Power Crisis Deepens As Outages Stretch For Hours Bangladesh is battling a severe electricity crunch as fuel shortages, lower gas availability and disruptions to LNG supplies trigger prolonged load-shedding across the country. Rural districts are bearing the brunt, with

Chennai, Tamil Nadu — The Tamil Nadu government signed 97 MoUs worth Rs 67,452 crore at the Vettri Tamil Nadu Investors Conclave, with proposed projects expected to create around 1.20 lakh jobs. Tamil Nadu Signs 97 MoUs Worth Rs 67,452 Crore Tamil Nadu has announced a major new investment push with the state government signing 97 Memoranda of Understanding at the Vettri Tamil Nadu Investors Conclave 2026 in Chennai on Thursday. The agreements car