PM Modi reaffirms India's commitment to remain Seychelles' reliable partner

IANS | February 9, 2026 5:04 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Seychelles President Patrick Herminie on Monday acknowledged India’s support for the development, security needs and aspirations of the archipelagic island nation through Lines of Credit (LoCs), grants, capacity building and High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).

Parliament logjam: Rahul scales up attack, claims govt scared of debate; BJP hits back

IANS | February 9, 2026 4:46 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) The fireworks inside Lok Sabha reverberated outside the Parliament complex on Monday, as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi stepped up offensive on the Union government, claiming that it was scared of debate and was resorting to "ill-founded and untenable" claims of conspiracy to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi inside the House.

Tensions flare in Varanasi's Dal Mandi as demolition drive triggers protests

IANS | February 9, 2026 4:20 PM

Varanasi, Feb 9 (IANS) Protests broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday after demolition work began in the Dal Mandi area as part of a road widening project, with the situation turning tense when a shopkeeper allegedly set his own establishment on fire in protest against the action.

Oppn targets BJP over China border, unemployment; Savarkar row resurfaces

IANS | February 9, 2026 4:15 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Opposition parties on Monday mounted a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of avoiding parliamentary debate on critical national issues such as border infrastructure, inflation and unemployment, while raking up ideological controversies for political gain.

Govt set to release new series of GDP, CPI, and IIP data: Minister

IANS | February 9, 2026 3:37 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) After conducting a comprehensive exercise to enhance key data relevance, accuracy and international comparability, the government is set to release a new series of GDP, CPI and IIP (based on the new base year) on February 27, February 12 and May 28, respectively, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

India and Seychelles ink agreements in key sectors, open new vistas for cooperation

IANS | February 9, 2026 3:35 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie discussed bilateral cooperation in development partnership, capacity building, health, infrastructure, blue economy, renewable energy, maritime security, and people-to-people ties during their meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

Chidambaram slams Budget 2026-27 as 'forgettable' , says youth joblessness stands at 15 per cent

IANS | February 9, 2026 3:20 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Pointing out that youth joblessness stands at 15 per cent in India, with less than 25 per cent of the workforce in regular employment, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram launched a sharp attack on the Union Budget 2026-27 in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, describing it as cautious, parsimonious, forgettable, and already vanishing from public memory.