NCW launches new helpline number for women in distress

IANS | November 24, 2025 12:41 PM

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday launched a new 24×7 short-code helpline, 14490, to ensure faster and more accessible support for women in distress across the country. The toll-free number serves as an easy-to-remember code connected to NCW’s existing helpline, 7827170170, enabling women to seek assistance without any cost or delay.

Red Fort blast probe: ISI’s Faisal Iqbal emerges as central figure, Pakistan's role under lens

Vicky Nanjappa | November 24, 2025 12:00 PM

The ongoing probe into the Delhi Red Fort blast is closing in on the direct role played by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). An operation of such a massive magnitude that also included setting up the Faridabad module could not have been possible without institutional backing, an official said. It has now been established that a person named Faisal Iqbal was the one who played a major role in setting up the module. Iqbal, an Intelligence Bureau official says, is an ISI operative and he was roped in specifically to set up the module and orchestrate the operation which involved carrying at least 200 blasts.

Justice Surya Kant sworn in as 53rd CJI; takes oath in Hindi

IANS | November 24, 2025 11:12 AM

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Surya Kant as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in a swearing-in ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national Capital. In a significant departure from recent tradition, CJI Kant took the oath in Hindi, taking the name of God.

EPS picks Sengottaiyan’s stronghold to restart TN tour; signals firm grip on AIADMK

IANS | November 24, 2025 11:05 AM

Chennai, Nov 24 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) will resume his statewide outreach tour on November 30, nearly 50 days after it was halted in the aftermath of the TVK rally stampede in Karur. In a move laden with political symbolism, EPS has chosen Gobichettipalayam in Erode district — the long-time bastion of former minister and nine-time MLA K.A. Sengottaiyan — as the launch point for the sixth phase of his tour.

President Murmu administers oath of office to CJI Surya Kant

IANS | November 24, 2025 10:43 AM

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Surya Kant as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), marking the beginning of his 14-month tenure in the country's highest judicial office.

Preparations in full swing as Ayodhya readies for PM Modi’s flag hoisting on Nov 25

IANS | November 24, 2025 9:24 AM

Ayodhya, Nov 24 (IANS) The temple town of Ayodhya is once again gearing up for a grand celebration as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit on November 25 for a special flag-hoisting ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Across the city, preparations are in full swing. Roads are being thoroughly cleaned, new stop signs are being installed, and sanitation teams are carrying out extensive maintenance work.

The Barlow Affair of 1806: A parliamentary crisis over patronage and the governance of India (From the Archives)

Santosh Kumar Verma | November 24, 2025 9:12 AM

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Of all the political tempests that swirled around the governance of British India, few reveal the intricate power struggles between the Crown, its ministers, and the East India Company as starkly as the recall of Sir George Barlow in 1806. This was not merely the removal of an official; it was a constitutional flashpoint that pitted the established rights of the Company against the asserted prerogative of the King, sparking fierce debate in Parliament and sending ripples of uncertainty through the administration in Calcutta. The matter became a crucible for defining the very nature of British authority in its burgeoning Eastern Empire.