In a significant political development, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured all five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar in the recent biennial elections, further strengthening its position in the Upper House. The alliance also won two seats in Odisha, aided by cross-voting from Opposition MLAs. In Bihar, key NDA candidates included Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP national president Nitin Nabin. Both leaders secured 44 votes each in the Bihar Assembly. Meanwhile, Rashtriya L

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced that four special Lok Adalats will be conducted in 2026 to expedite the disposal of pending cases before the Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) and Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals (DRATs). A significant number of these cases involve high-value claims exceeding ₹100 crore and have remained unresolved for an extended period, prompting the government to take steps to accelerate the judicial process. Responding in the Lok Sab

NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Monday announced that her party will not contest the upcoming Baramati Assembly bypoll, scheduled for April 23, 2026. The by-election was necessitated following the tragic demise of senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash earlier this year. Sule, who retained the Baramati parliamentary seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, stated that the NCP (SP) would not field a candidate against Sunetra Vahini, who is expected to contest the bypol

The biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha are underway today, March 16, 2026, to fill 37 seats across 10 states. Voting began at 9 am, with the counting of votes scheduled for later in the day at 5 pm. The seats vacated by members from states such as Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will be filled during this election. Out of the 37 seats, 26 candidates have already been elected unopposed, including me

India granted docking permission to Iranian naval vessels after their participation in multinational maritime events earlier this year, even as regional tensions escalated following a United States submarine strike that sank one of the ships near Sri Lanka. The Iranian vessels IRIS Lavan, IRIS Bushehr and IRIS Dena had taken part in the Milan 2026 multilateral naval exercise and the International Fleet Review held in Visakhapatnam in February. These events, which brought together navies from

India created history by becoming the first team to successfully defend a T20 World Cup title after securing a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup final. The match, played at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, showcased an outstanding performance from the Indian team with both bat and ball. In a high-intensity f

In a significant political move, Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s Chief Minister and leader of Janata Dal (United), is set to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha today, further intensifying political activity in Patna. The submission of his nomination papers is scheduled for 11:30 am and is expected to be accompanied by other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates. The presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Patna for this event adds to the significance of the occasion. This

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, now newlyweds, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on February 21, 2026, to personally invite him to their reception in Hyderabad. The pictures of their meeting quickly went viral after their wedding in Udaipur on February 26, 2026. In the photos, the couple is seen warmly presenting the Prime Minister with a shawl as a sign of respect. Rashmika, wearing a simple yellow salwar suit, and Vijay, dressed in an all-white ensemble, looked elegant as t

  Amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and growing concerns over possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the government has reassured citizens that India’s oil reserves and fuel supply remain stable. Officials said there is no need for panic buying or hoarding of petrol, diesel or LPG cylinders, as adequate stocks are available to meet domestic demand. According to government sources, India currently maintains around 25 days of crude oil and petroleu

The Delhi government has launched a groundbreaking initiative called the Saheli Pink Smart Card Scheme, aimed at empowering women by providing free travel on public transport. The scheme is designed to improve the mobility of women, offering them easy and safe access to public transportation across the city. This innovative card provides free bus travel on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and can also be used for travel on Delhi Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

Andhra Pradesh has taken a significant step toward reducing human-wildlife conflicts with the launch of the ‘Hanuman’ Project, an initiative aimed at improving wildlife protection while ensuring public safety. The announcement came from Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on March 3, 2026, during an event held in Mangalagiri. The new project, which addresses ongoing issues with elephants and other wildlife in the state, promises to enhance safety measures for both people and animals in the

Rising tensions in West Asia have triggered concern among Indian residents and travellers in Gulf countries after a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted locations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain over the weekend. The attacks, which hit areas long considered safe for business and tourism, have led to a sudden increase in people trying to leave the region, including Indian professionals, workers, and visitors. Travel operators and security agencies repo

The Cultural Divide: Traditional Values vs. Modern Lifestyles One of the main challenges NRI parents face in arranging marriages for their children is reconciling the cultural expectations of marriage with the increasingly liberal, Westernized lifestyles of their children. Many NRI children, especially those born or raised abroad, prioritize love and personal choice over the traditional approach of arranged marriages. Parents, who a

Visakhapatnam has reached a significant milestone by securing a USD 1 million grant in the 2025–2026 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, a highly regarded international competition. Chosen from over 630 cities globally, this award acknowledges the city’s citizen-led climate resilience initiative, the Vizag–Prajamukhi Urban Living Lab (V-PULL). The V-PULL initiative, spearheaded by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), focuses on enhancing resilience ag

When buying property from a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), one of the key aspects that differentiates it from typical real estate transactions is the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) under Section 195 of the Income Tax Act. While Indian residents are subject to a 1% TDS on property transactions above ₹50 lakh, the TDS rate increases significantly for property sales involving an NRI seller. The buyer must deduct TDS at rates starting from 20% and deposit it with the Indian income tax authorities. A

For Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), purchasing health and term insurance in India presents an attractive option due to affordable premiums and extensive coverage. Indian insurance companies offer plans that are often more economical than those available in foreign countries, making them an ideal choice for NRIs who want to protect their families back home without overburdening their finances. These policies are customized to suit the needs of Indian families, offering high coverage at a fraction

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently imposed stricter regulations on offshore gifting, particularly for affluent Indian families sending substantial financial gifts to their children living abroad. These gifts are often used to support various needs, such as education, property purchases, or immigration investments, such as the U.S. EB-5 visa program. While the practice of offshore gifting has grown in popularity, the RBI has increased scrutiny, especially when these transactions invo