India

Cash, care and constant connect: How the ‘Didi model’ is shaping Bengal’s ballot The welfare architecture of Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal has emerged as a defining feature of its governance, combining large-scale social support programmes with significant political implications as the state heads toward the 2026 Assembly elections.As the state prepares for the…

NEW DELHI: As Puducherry gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, several key constituencies in the Union territory (UT) are set to witness high-profile battles, featuring the outgoing chief minister, a former chief minister, UT party chiefs, and a political heir.The Puducherry legislative assembly has 33 members, and elections are held for 30 seats. The…

CR Kesavan, left, and Rahul Gandhi NEW DELHI: BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday attacked the Congress in Tamil Nadu, alleging that the party was facing a “deep divide” after MP Jothimani publicly raised concerns over a lack of transparency in constituency selection ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.In a post on X, Kesavan…

Amit Shah releasing ‘chargesheet’ against TMC NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday released the BJP’s “charge sheet” against the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government ahead of assembly polls in the state.Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata, Shah emphasised that the upcoming elections would be a choice between “fear and trust.”…

NEW DELHI: Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the recent controversies over the UGC equity rules and an NCERT textbook carrying a chapter on judicial corruption “avoidable.”“I accept that they (controversies) were avoidable, especially the way they were presented. The discussion in society on the UGC matter is sub judice and under the Supreme Court’s cognisance,…

PM Narendra Modi with Donald Trump (left), Elon Musk (right) (Images/Agencies) NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, after reports claimed that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was also present during the call.Raising questions over transparency…

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee is set to recommend to government that it should explore introducing age-restrictions for social media platforms, a suggestion that will lend a legislative fillip to the demand for limiting children’s exposure to them at a time when countries around the world are warming up to the idea. The committee’s nudge…

Residents look on as rescue workers search for bodies in the rubble of a residential building that was hit in an airstrike in Tehran With almost a month into the West Asia conflict, people in Iran’s capital, Tehran, have started fearing for the worse. And ambiguous statements from Washington and threatening comments from Tel Aviv…

NEW DELHI: Cheap, effective and widely trusted, metformin has long been the first choice for treating type 2 diabetes. Now, scientists say the drug works in a way few had imagined — by acting directly on the brain.A study published in Science Advances by Baylor College of Medicine has uncovered a hidden brain pathway that…

EAM Jaishankar NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday underscored the importance of freedom of navigation for global economic security in a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in France, amid Iranian blockade of Strait of Hormuz. On the margins, Jaishankar also met his G7 counterparts, including US secretary of state Marco Rubio…